Docks Restaurant, Cape Town

On my first day in Cape Town, some friends and I decided to check out Robben Island as the weather was good. We headed over to the Clocktower on the V & A Waterfront to get our tickets. However, as we hadn't booked, we were unable to get on a boat that day and decided to walk around the area instead. As it was coming up for lunchtime we thought we would have a bite to eat whilst we were there, and as the Docks café-restaurant was conveniently located right next door we decided to go there and selected the sunniest table to make the most of the unreliable South African winter sun.

The restaurant seems quite large as there were plenty of seats inside as well as out. Our sunny spot gave us a good view of the Robben Island ferry we weren't going on (that day anyway), local boats and the moving bridge. Not to mention a large seal trying to have a snooze on a concrete platform below us.

Service was fairly slow, but we were in no hurry and settled back to make our decisions from the vast menu, accompanied by some ice cold soft drinks. One person chose the Avocado, feta and pesto wrap which looked very appetising. In fact their wrap selection (starting at ZAR49/GB£4.25/US$6.50) was very tempting with some good veggie choices as well as salmon, beef or chicken options. You could also have them as a filled pita if you were so inclined. Wraps were served with a side salad and mayonnaise. Fries would be an extra, but the wrap is a good size on its own and received the thumbs up.

Another chose the seafood basket (ZAR69/£6/$9) which has tiger prawns, calamari and garlic mussels. It was a huge portion and she took her time making her way through it. Personally I dithered over deciding between a veggie burger and a wrap. Realising that if I plumped for a wrap I would have to then decide which one, I went for the safe option of a veggie burger (ZAR69/£6/$9). It was a good sized burger, with lots of veggies in it, but sturdy enough not to disintegrate on first bite. It came with a decent salad garnish (by that I mean they had thought about the salad ingredients and presentation, rather than sticking a lettuce and a couple of tomato slices on the plate) and chunky chips. The portion was generous enough that I didn't even finish the chips, which is something virtually unheard of for me.

Other options included various beef-burgers, pasta and seafood dishes as well as African style meat dishes and traditional grilled meats. Price wise I thought it was quite reasonable considering we were in the heart of Cape Town Tourist Heaven. They have a small dessert menu (we didn't partake - our mains were filling enough) starting at ZAR39 (£3.40/$5.20), and a separate kids menu (burger and chips type meals) as well as offering breakfasts and cocktails (not necessarily together!), the latter of which started at ZAR39.

The drinks menu was equally extensive and again was surprisingly reasonably priced compared to our other dining experiences. They also offered a large range of South African wines as you would expect. As mentioned previously the service was quite slow, but I did find this quite typical in South Africa. The bill has 10% added for service automatically, as is typical in the area. The lavatories were inside and down some stairs - I am unsure if there are disabled ones elsewhere or another way of accessing them. They were clean and spacious.

The restaurant is in a prime location by the clock tower and convenient for anyone going on or returning from the Robben Island trips, or who just meandered over this side of the Waterfront. In spite of its location it is not over-priced, and there should be plenty of seating.