I try out new Camps Bay dining spot: Bilboa

by Karisa

Two weeks ago, my friend Steven and I paid good ol’ Camps Bay a visit to try out the new hot spot on the Victoria Rd strip: Bilboa

As they say, it’s all about “Location, location, location!”  Well in that department, Bilboa certainly has their bases covered. They’ve taken over the old Blues space and have completely transformed it in full Kove Collection style.

This new space offers wraparound Atlantic Ocean views with a gorgeous deck that is most certainly going to be a top “see & be seen” spot this summer.  Unfortunately on the night we were there, the wind was crazy strong and they therefore had to close off the deck area.  Nonetheless, we still got to enjoy the beautiful view and the gorgeous setting.

Let me show you around:

We started things off with some fancy-pants cocktails before we changing over to wine… on the left we have their mango daiquiri (R65) and on the right their ruby grapefruit margarita (R80):

Cocktail hour, my favourite part of the day!

Our waiter, Kade (who was seriously awesome btw), recommended the asparagus hummus starter right off the bat… But not being a massive fan of asparagus, neither of us really jumped at that one.  We decided to go for the crispy prawns (R105) and the mussels (R85) instead:

Served with Israeli cous cous, chilli, fennel, garlic & tomato saffron… really enjoyed this…

The crispy prawns were interesting because you could just eat them with the shell on… no mess no fuss…

After hearing that we didn’t go for the asparagus hummus (R75), the manager insisted that we had made a big mistake and ordered it for us anyways along with a portion of their grilled haloumi (R85):

We were like sheesh, how good can hummus be!? But seriously, this was amazing… so glad they bullied us into it (in the nicest way of course) because I really never would’ve ordered this out of my own and I definitely would’ve been missing out…

The grilled haloumi was really nice too… but after having the asparagus hummus, nothing really compares…

For mains, we were both feeling the fish section (I guess being so close to the ocean has that effect on you).  Kade again made some great recommendations:

The red drum sea bass (R275) – lovely dish served with your choice of side, although this fish is just a bit too oily for me personally. Found it got a bit rich. Also at the price, I think the other main was a much better choice… the other one being…

The kingklip (R240) – served with pine nuts, pistachios and a parsley & spinach puree. Now this dish I thought was incredible. I also paired it with their smashed potato, which if mashed potato also rocks your boat, is a definite must…

For dessert we opted for the Lemon Tart (R65) – another great recommendation from our waiter, Kade:

Delicious…

And then one of our own choices – the Custard with vanilla sponge, honey ice cream & marshmallow (R70):

This one was a little blah compared to the lemon tart… I did’t hate it, but didn’t really love it either…

But apart from that one dessert, I thought the food was really good.  Paired with great service and great views, I think Bilboa is a really nice choice if you’re hitting the Camps Bay strip.  Pricing wise, it is a bit prickly though, so you do have to take that into account…

Overall I had a lovely time at Bilboa and would definitely go back (also really keen to try the new Chinchilla rooftop bar above).  I’m going to give them a score of on the Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale & recommend that you pay them a visit.

For reservations, contact them on 021 286 5155 or reservations@bilboa.co.za.  They are open Monday to Sunday 12:00 to 22:30 and you’ll find them here:

Shop 120, First Floor
The Promenade,
Camps Bay

xxx

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