One of the best things about brunching in Cape Town is that brunch is less of a specific day, and more of an unrushed everyday invitation.
Weekends are, of course, the times’ many brunch devotees set aside for the tradition of heading to their chosen place of worship.
If you just think about why brunch and weekends are synonymous, consider how we gear up for fun on Saturday nights, or how laidback and restful Sundays are perceived. Brunch falls in beatifically.
Mind you: Not every place offering brunch, is made equal.
There are the foodie hotspots in Cape Town, inundated with trendy hoards wanting their meal to be as visually stunning as they are, as well as flagging restaurants jumping on the returns brunch foot traffic brings (but remaining uninspired with their brunch menu), and let’s not forget the cookie-cutter cafes failing upwards by offering the bare minimum as a Cape brunch special.
Capetonians descend on these brunch eateries either way though – not chased off by mediocre food and portions – all at A-typical, bumped-up prices!
But one establishment shirks the failings of other spots and has risen up a perfect, pleasant, and pricey brunch pick.
Welcome to Mulberry & Prince – and if you check the menu costing: perhaps Mulberry & Price.
Aesthetic Haven
Mulberry & Prince makes a case for brunching with style
…chic decor giving way to comforting breakfast meals and efficient service.
I hyped this place up in my mind – this following a string of consistent positive Press for the establishment, heralding it as the preeminent restaurant to carve out time for.
And honestly?
It’s as great as pictures and articles tout.
To be sure, it’s an aesthetic haven for the visually-minded foodies and photo-takers ready to capture their next great Instagram post.
The interior design choice blending contemporary furniture showroom and Art Deco-style, everywhere from artworks to chairs (no banquettes though), is made less fractured and dour by the pure white main paint job, which brightens and warms the otherwise cavernous ground-floor space.
The soft textile picks for chair cushions become part of creating the smart atmosphere Mulberry & Prince welcomes you with.
It’s a feast of the bold and the tender here, of strong lines working alongside soft tones, and all of it unique in the landscape of Cape Town eatery interiors. Brunch customers are left full of more than just good food.
Food Feasting or Take Flight?
Interior designing aside, Mulberry & Prince is also exquisite from the very first morsel sent your way.
You may not get a scrumptious Rib Cannelloni, Trout Rillettes, or traditional Croque Fromage here, but the menu isn’t bad for getting you more than just croissants and a Full English Breakfast.
Specializing in American-style breakfast and brunch cuisine, the menu reads as a concise, curated collection of plates per dietary requirement – from:
- Vegetarian French Toast
- To carnivore-satisfying Chicken & Waffles
- And even the likes of Turkish Eggs – Poached eggs, labneh with garlic and dill, browned Aleppo butter, sumac, and homemade flatbread
- And Warm Polenta Porridge, with cinnamon, eucalyptus honey, Greek yoghurt, banana, blueberries, raspberries, and chia seeds
I tried both the Shally’s Pancakes, as well as the Avo on Toast, and while not groundbreaking brunch menu options, these vegetarian dishes were made quite different to the norm – and my tummy and tastebuds were better for it.
Mulberry & Prince’s take:
- Smashed Avocado On Toast – Sourdough, poached eggs, smashed avocado, chimichurri, radish, leafy greens, and grilled lime
- Shally’s Pancakes – Buttermilk pancakes, banana, raspberries, salted caramel butter, and warm maple butter
P.S: As a lover of leftovers, let me just state that the pancakes are lovely even when reheated the next day at home.
I will be back to try their famed Chicken and Waffles though!
I’ve heard great things from repeat customers, about the dish more popularized globally, by American fast-food chains.
Sip on This
This is as much a place for brunch connoisseurs as it is a welcome heaven to walk-ins, cocktail mavens and the stricter sorts in life who are in the mood for mellow coffees and conversation.
Mulberry & Prince understands the deep and abiding devotion to coffee, that Capetonians have. Their coffees (from Cortados to Americanos) are made with beans sourced from the famed coffee bean roastmasters brand ‘Rosetta Roastery’.
I will admit to being sad they no longer have their coffee artist in residence, as the pictures online were one of the things that drew me to even try this eatery.
Anyway, feel free to Day Drink to your booking times content, as Mulberry & Prince offers up beer and wine, and libation brunch staples like a bevy of Mimosas and cocktails (not bottomless though). The Rossini is definitely for those with no sweet tooth but have a hankering for Mimosas.
Their drink menu also includes elegant A.M. options like a Matcha, peppermint leaf and wheatgrass Latte, and even my recommended TWG teas (try the Singapore Breakfast Tea, please!)
Last Call
Mulberry & Prince has truly found a way to become a breakfast bastion in Cape Town, and rightly so.
The food’s good, the music doesn’t blare too loudly, and the seating (whether at tables or sitting camped out at the counter up front) doesn’t invite you to settle in all day…but it’s decent for a handful of hours.
While I may not be able to venture there every month, it is the first name coming to my mind when I think about having a quality brunch, where the service isn’t touch-and-go, and where I can remind myself how to eat properly in public.
By my recommendation:
MULBERRY & PRINCE
12 Pepper St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Thursday
- 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Friday
- 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Saturday
- 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Sunday
- 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
