Eat Here: The Kitchen, Woodstock

Driving  along Sir Lowry Road in Woodstock, you have to really keep your eyes peeled or you might miss it. But just next door to the place with the chairs mounted above the door, the 50's style logo and muted stripes of The Kitchen signal Food Heaven.

I found The Kitchen one morning about two winters ago when I was looking for somewhere in Woodstock to settle down with my laptop and a cup of coffee before an early appointment in this somewhat inhospitable neighbourhood.

I was greeted by row upon row of gorgeous old antiques, beautiful mirrors and prints lining the walls, book shelves heavy with cook books and pretty girls working behind the counter. The breakfast is a real treat at just R20 for avo toast with really great coffee. The vibe is relaxed and friendly and throughout the day you'll see many different characters from all around Woodstock's art district popping in and out.

If you can find a seat at lunch time, you're in for a feast. More than 20 delicious and exciting salads line the salad bar and for just R45 you get your pick of 6 salads for sit-down. There are also take away options for R35-R45. The Love Sandwiches are pretty much world famous (in Cape Town) and are crammed full of homemade pesto's, your choice of chicken, gammon or pork sausage, fresh lettuce, tomato and mayo with optional extras of feta and avo.

I've never had a better iced coffee than theirs, and their brownies have ruined me for any other variety. The treats come in bite sized portions, which means you'll end up leaving with one of each.

Owner Karen Dudley recently released a cook book, A Week In The Kitchen which as you can imagine, features some of her favourite and most popular recipes.

The Kitchen is right at the top of my list of must-see restaurants for any visitor to Cape Town. But don't take my word for it, does a visit from Michelle Obama count as credible word-of-mouth? How about a feature in The New Yorker?

Find The Kitchen at 111 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock. They're on Twitter too.