Inside the Village Table: Restaurant Review

I have been wary of eating out this holiday season. With an influx of patrons, chances are that many things could go wrong. The horror stories, almost daily on social media, of poor and rude service with under-cooked meals served at top restaurants were enough to keep me away.

Yet, all these fears dissipated when my dear friend Belinda visited Durban. After a delightful morning of manicures and pedicures, with our stomachs literally rumbling and the coffee craving growing, we decided to try out a restaurant that I had my eye on for a while. Never mind it was lunchtime on New Year’s Eve; let’s just give it a try, I said. It looked too inviting to refuse.

Village Table is beautifully nestled on the upper floor of the Pearls of Umhlanga providing skyline views of this bustling area accompanied by the scent of the sea. With gentle winds blowing and rays of sunshine and warmth, there was no turning back for us. We were charmed by the ambience and opted for a spot inside as we had lots to chat and laugh about.

The checkered floors and dangling balls of lighting offered a stunning geometric design contrast, adding to the festive feel. Excitedly, we ordered our cappuccinos and browsed through the extensive menu.

Being vegetarian, I was stumped for options. There were too many dishes to choose from – with all my favourites! And the prices for both veg and non-veg were reasonable which made it even more difficult to decide.

I eventually settled on the vegetarian pasta of crumbed haloumi, roasted butternut, grilled mushroom and baby marrow in a creamy brocolli pesto sauce. Belinda opted for the creamy chorizo, chicken and mushroom pasta. Our cappos arrived pronto and at just the right  temperature for us to sip on. It was smooth with the exact dose of caffeine to give us the boost we needed. Our cappuccinos downed, and orders placed, we decided to step outside for some pictures in the Durban sunlight. Our matching black shades were purely co-incidental and clearly, we girls just wanna have fun!

I could not have asked for anyone better to try out Village Table with me. Belinda and I love places with a laid-back ambience where we can be ourselves and enjoy our time together. It’s what great catch-ups are made of – and how friendships blossom into family.

Stepping back inside, we noticed that with the high ceiling, greenery and layout of furniture, it felt just as airy as outside – definitely a plus, even on rainy days. With our conversation flowing, as it always does, our meals arrived and were certainly a feast for our eyes. There was no holding back on the portions as you can see. This is what you call – generous helpings.

I tucked into my veggies first and they were heavenly. The baby marrow was grilled to perfection and melted at first bite with the creamy brocolli pesto sauce adding a lovely flavour. The crumbed haloumi offered a contrast – in texture and taste, being lightly salted which I absolutely adored. Oh yes! I was in foodie heaven.

Both Belinda and I were overwhelmed with our wholesome meals and as much as we loved it, we could not finish it all. Take-aways were in order. And we needed a refreshing drink. Clearly, anyone would be spoilt for choice. I will let this picture do the talking…

But we prefer the non-alcoholic side and decided on our firm favourite – mocktail mojitos.

As our drinks arrived, and with the lunchtime crowd slowly heading out, we could chat to our lovely waitress Tamara. She’s been there since the opening in 2016 and served us with a smile at every turn. We couldn’t help but notice the posters at the door and throughout the Pearls for the Village Table New Year’s Eve party and Tamara informed us that set up was about to begin. I’m sure with the beautiful ambience and top-notch service, the event was a hit!

However, Belinda and I did leave with a tinge of sadness. We didn’t get to try out dessert – the chocolate mousse as we had planned – as our stomachs were satisfied beyond expectation. That’s reason enough for us to go back.