I’ve known the brain behind Lola’s Bistro since she was a little sister to a rather fabulous friend of mine (spoiler: fabulous runs in their family). So it was with great glee that I, along with a selected crowd of Durban’s best blogger crew popped in for a tasting dinner menu at Lola’s this week.
Here’s the thing you don’t know about Lola’s: It’s been a lifelong dream for Lisa to own her own coffee shop. After travelling abroad and saving up, she came home and opened up Lola’s coffee shop. After an interesting turn of events, that saw Lola’s being highly successful and then shut down by the landlord, Lisa didn’t take this as a sign to kill her dream. Instead, she grew it, and snapped up an opportunity to open a full-scale restaurant at Quarters Hotel in Florida Road.
It was good catching up with her, and my fellow fun friends but, once the food came out, it was really quiet. Why? Because when you have great (not just good, GREAT) food set before you, it’s impolite to chew and chat simultaneously. Giving us a glimpse into the menu, and the thought processes that go into creating it, I’m very certain that this new eatery is in darn good hands.
The highlights, for me:
*Gin and Tonic on tap from Standeaven Brewery.
*Wasabi Mash Balls – I’m told she dreamt about this creation and now you can enjoy them at Lola’s
*Espresso Brulee – way to ruin every other brulee I’ve ever had.
*Chocolate Lava Cake – the most melty-on-the-inside-magnificent-on-the-outside one I’ve ever had.
*Watching up close as I see my friend succeed at making her dream come true, despite a range of obstacles. She’s not deterred by them – she’s inspired by them.
The lowlights, for me:
*That I woke up the next morning and didn’t have a healthy stack of Wasabi Mash Balls to feast on.
*Dinner at home the next night was terribly boring.
Lola’s sets out to create a fine dining menu that’s affordable, while guests enjoy an amiable setting that’s not frantic, but friendly. Catch up with Lola’s online here and here but, do yourself a favour and go eat there (also, invite me along, please).
Disclaimer: I was invited to enjoy a tasting menu at Lola’s along with a select group of Durban bloggers during November 2015. This is not a paid-for review.
