A couple of months ago, the boyfriend treated me to dinner at The Commissary. I was super excited because it was very much one of the most talked about new dining spots in Cape Town at the time, and with the A-team behind The Shortmarket Club at the helm, my expectations were definitely very high.
The Commissary, which is located in Shortmaket St, right next door to The Shortmarket Club, has taken over the space where Outrage Of Modesty used to be. It’s small, as in can only cater for 45 diners small, but the space oozes coolness from the moment you make your way up the graffiti-covered stairway:
The menu consists of a selection of small plates ranging from savoury to sweet:
The BF is not the biggest fish person and I wanted us to share as much as possible, so I did steer clear of a lot of the seafood things. I did at least get him to try the Pani Puri Ceviche which ended up being our favourite dish. The other dishes we tried included the Bhaji Bao, the Umami Wedge Salad & the pork taco:
Then we also tried the Korean Fried Chicken Wings, the Mortadella Slider & two options on the sweet side – the Marshmallow & Rice Krispies cookie and the Zoo Biscuit Nice Cream:
Standout dishes for me: The Pani Puri Ceviche, the Bhaji Bao & the Zoo Biscuit Nice cream.
The salad, chicken wings & pork taco were nice too, but felt pricey for what it was. I didn’t care much for the Mortadella Slider at all & the cookie was just a bit too sweet for me.
Overall the food was enjoyable, but the portions are small & you do end up spending quite a bit. I think the real selling point for me is the atmosphere. As far as edgy hole-in-the-wall type places go, this one’s pretty cool to see. I would probably end up bringing out-of-towners here for the fun dining factor alone.
For this reason, I am going to give The Commissary the following score on my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale:
It’s got a cool vibe. It’s trendy. Next time I’m definitely going to try more of the seafood things (because I hear those are very popular) & I’m also interested to see how their menu evolves over time.
You’ll find The Commissary at 88 Shortmarket Street. They are open Monday – Saturday, 6pm – 11pm. They don’t do reservations, but if you do have any questions, you can contact them on 021 422 2902.
xxx
** This was not a sponsored meal. We paid our own way. **