images: iStock; Restaurant’s own
The cereal of the Millennial, avocado toast – with a dripping yellow poached egg yolk on toasted sourdough bread – is a simple meal for breakfast, brunch and lunch. In fact, it’s so delicious, nutrient-rich and packed with healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants, avo toast is the best all-day breakfast option – it’s great for dinner too.
Considered a superfood, avos are a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids. They have a low sugar content, are a good source of energy and contain a number of essential vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. They also contain minerals such as vitamin C, B6, B-12, A, D, K, E, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. A great source of dietary fibre, a single serving can provide more than 40% of the daily requirement. On home baked bread void of preservatives, it’s health all round!
These are some of our favourite places to enjoy avo toast in Cape Town and Joburg.
CAPE TOWN
Offered straight up – avocado and cherry tomato on 80% rye with coriander and lots of salt and pepper – or with a fried egg on top, the all-day breakfast menu means indulging in the good greens all day every day.
On the Green Point strip between Woolworths and Hudson’s visit Nü, a small health cafe offering juices, smoothies, breakfasts, wraps and salads. Enjoy the poached egg and smashed avo on toast with roasted tomatoes, peppers and pea shoots with a chipotle and lime drizzle; or order the classic avo and toast sans egg with Himalayan rock salt, chilli flakes, lime and coriander.
Clarke’s is enjoyable day or night. From its early bird breakfast and Deluxe coffee special, to well known burgers and salads, to late-night food and cocktails (the best Bloody Mary in the city), it’s a staple among Capetonian townies and the food is consistently excellent. Clarke’s offers an all-day breakfast menu, and, although great for hangovers, there’s a plenty few health options too. Opt for the avocado toast with house-made Labneh (with or without a fried or poached egg).
Ultra trendy and always pumping, Loading Bay in De Waterkant is known for its healthy juices, coffee, breakfasts and salads, not to mention the ACNE Studios and Aesop atelier upstairs. Have the sweet and simple avocado on sourdough with a poached egg, or build your own avo feast with bacon, tomatoes or salmon trout.
Jason Bakery (Green Point and Bree St)
If you’re feeling slightly peckish but can’t quite handle a big and eggy breakfast, then the simple avo on toast at Jason Bakery is the ideal accomplice (that’s if you can tear yourself away from the daily changing sweet pastries).
A wholesome eatery bringing a slice of the country and farm lifestyle to the CBD, Wild Sprout is your inner-city go-to for a freshly made grazing table, homemade granola, vegan treats and Truth coffee. Based on farm-to-table principles and using ethically sourced ingredients, it’s healthy, well-balanced food for a healthy, well-balanced body and mind. Try the smashed avo with lemon, pickled onion, sesame seeds and chilli flakes, served on sourdough, 100% rye or hemp waffle (or for the gluten intolerant grain free bread or seed crackers).
Starlings is an institition on Claremont’s Belvedere Road, tucked neatly behind a clipped evergreen hedge. The restaurant is always a bustle, and often one has to queue for a table. Their menu is extensive and offers Banting and protein-rich breakfasts, and tasty salads, wraps and sandwiches for lunch. Starlings’ avocado on toast is a light mix of fresh avo, roasted tomatoes and homemade pesto.
Along with a nutrient-rich menu of fruit and veg smoothies, super bowls and salads, Root Bar detox café in Newlands offers thick cut toasts – a choice of sourdough or teff bread, laden with honey and almond/peanut butter; tahini, banana, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey; or, you guessed it, avocado toast. It comes tossed with lemon and pumpkin seeds.
JOBURG
On the arty Linden strip lives The Whippet, a daily crowd-upon-crowd attraction loved for its generous (and tasty) breakfast and lunch options. With a focus on fewer ingredients prepared well, you’re guaranteed something delicious. Try the “Smashed Avo Wake-up”, featuring fresh avo, pickled red onion, coriander and a free-range egg on rye.
Known for its egg baskets (Saturday brunch you’ll need to book for), Nice on 4th Avenue in Parkhurst is all about fresh country fare; a bustle of coffee and croissants. Not quite the traditional avo toast but an equally yummy rendition, try the Parmesan and avo panini.
An America-meets-Italy eatery, The Fat Zebra in Linden is loved for its burgers, pizzas and tapas – and hangover-curing breakfasts. But we love the toasts, from nutella to crunchy peanut butter and syrup, to creamy Parmesan mushrooms and, of course, the avo toast. Well priced and available on assorted breads, it’s a great spot to keep coming back to.
The smashed avo on rye at Kramerville’s popular Munch Café includes two slices of rye bread, topped with cream cheese, smashed avo, two poached eggs and Parmesan shavings – a nutrient-packed start to the day for any bustling Joburger. Located inside the Hertex showroom means you can tick two things off at once: eating, and shopping.
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