Ile de Pain

Ile de Pain Review

Almost every South African you will meet on the Garden Route will tell you to visit Ile de Pain. Its stellar reputation is well deserved; owners Liezie Mulder and Markus Farbinger have an uncompromising attitude to quality that shows in their wonderful bread and pastries, as well as on the short, perfectly executed menu. Local and organic suppliers are used wherever possible, the menu changes seasonally, and everything is made on the premises. For breakfast try a rolled frittata with herbs, leeks, smoked salmon, horseradish sauce, cream cheese, and capers, or brioche French toast with caramelized pineapple, frozen yogurt, and passion-fruit syrup. Lunch favorites include a slice of ciabatta bread with sirloin steak, balsamic caramelized onions, and mustard butter. Not all the menu items are bread-based; the duck confit with accompanying grain and nut salad is outstanding. There's a smaller branch on Grey and Gordon streets called Mon Petit Pain, which focuses on handheld pocket breads with fillings such as scrambled eggs and salmon.