Old masters are on walls that are papered with newsprint. Ed Hardy tattoo designs and vintage portraits celebrating a mother's love.
For Fiamma Forsdick, owner of the True Love Cafe, coming to this sleepy dorp has felt like coming home. After 27 years in the restaurant and catering business, she was ready for something different.
“I just love this place,” she said. “The people of Koringberg are genuine and decent. There's a great atmosphere here.”
Besides the restaurant and pub, True Love also offers b+b accommodation for 18 people, conference facilities for up to 12 people, and artists' studios and a community craftwork centre are planned for the near future.
The evocatively named b+b rooms are named: The Gorgeous Garden Room, The African Affair, The Love and Lime Cottage and the Blue Bayou and each room is decorated in Fiamma's unique style and each is different.
Forsdick, who was trained in Switzerland and was the owner of the cookery school, Yum, as well as seven previous restaurants, is serving deceptively simple, country food.
“No towers or artistic drops of balsamic,” she declared. But the simplest cookery leaves the least room for error. The menu changes regularly, depending on what is in season, so its worth asking what's on offer when you make your booking.
The True Love Cafe is in Koringberg, just off the N7 north of Cape Town. Opening hours are 9pm till late, Wednesday to Sunday. To book, contact Fiamma Forsdick at +27 (0) 72 572 0586 or +27 (0) 22 423 8386.
