MEET AND EAT: DINE SURROUNDED BY NATURE IN GILLITTS
- O&A Team
- July 29, 2025
- Food, Life & Style
- Café Sparrow, Gillitts, KZN Coffee spots, KZN restaurant reviews, Upper Highway
- 0 Comments
If, like me, you enjoy taking a break with friends or even meeting a client away from a bustling and very noisy mall environment, then this one is for you.
I admit that a friend and I found Café Sparrow by mistake whilst filling out a list of photographs for a Guide to Good Coffee in KZN as part of a coffee competition known as the Battle of the Beans. On that day, I simply couldn’t believe that we had discovered such a sublime venue complete with both inside and al fresco dining overlooking a little dam stocked with fish and populated with all sorts of water birds.
We couldn’t stay but I noticed a group of young moms surrounded by prams having a catch up and an elderly couple enjoying a midafternoon tete a tete. So, this is a venue that has that wonderful community feel, too.
I returned with my husband a few weeks later for a Saturday lunch and I’m happy to say that we had a more than pleasant experience and will be returning to what we agreed was one of the better kept secrets in the Highway area – and one which is surprisingly close to central Durban so you don’t face a long drive before and after your escape to the country.
I was curious to know the origin of the name. Apparently, sparrows are associated with joy, creativity and companionship and so I have to agree that the name is just perfect. Next time I am suffering from stress overload, I will be gazing over the dam and forgetting the rat race, coffee in hand.
SERVICE AND PRACTICALITIES
I always say that nothing is perfect – but that I is how you handle the imperfections that counts at the end of the day. The staff were busy, friendly and helpful – and just as well. My husband’s order of a carafe of red wine arrived as a glass of white but that was quickly whipped away with apologies and rectified.
There were also items on the menu that were not available, which was disappointing.
Overall, though, this is a beautifully decorated venue, and I must admit that I didn’t feel shortchanged by sitting inside on a chillier day. I’m sure I’ll be outside as soon as it is summer again.
Parking is plentiful and the café is easy to access with a lovely entrance. What is not to like?
ON THE MENU
The menu is extensive but pretty similar to most comparable establishments with salads, burgers, pizza and a kids’ menu. Pricing is mid-range. In addition to covering all of these bases, there are plenty of light meals and mains that extend from seafood to curries and even a steak.
I would have loved a quiche as a light midday meal but that was one of the options that was no longer an option, so I settled for the beer battered fish, rustic fries and slaw. It was one of the better versions of this staple with a generous portion and lovely crispy batter. I’d be back for more if I wasn’t keen to taste other dishes on the menu.
My husband’s butter chicken curry was not such a success, though and was accompanied by a ridiculously small amount of rice. We had to ask for more. The good thing was that the additional starch was delivered to our table quickly and with a smile – and no grumbles or added charges as is so often the case.
LOCATION
Café Sparrow is located just off Old Main Road in the Hamilton Business Park. I am assuming that the sour dough bread that features on their menu comes from the nearby Manna Bakery which I would like to explore when I go back. Unfortunately, it was closed whilst we were there.
We also took a peek at The Nest, a little hideaway even closer to the dam which comes complete with its own menu and cocktails and wine which would be perfect to while away a warm evening. This is open from lunchtime until 9pm so another must visit.
Hot and cold mezzes are also served both at the nest and should you choose a more private sport for a picnic next to the dam.
