“I don’t suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it” Edgar Allan Poe
It wasn’t a difficult decision to lunch at Elements on a perfect summer’s Saturday afternoon at the magnificent Beverly Hills Hotel. Durban is strangely lacking in decent beach front bars and restaurants although with the fantastic new promenade hopefully this will soon change. We were particularly smug about our decision to dine al fresco and allowed ourselves a moment to gloat and take in our picture perfect surroundings.
The venue is elegant and sophisticated, modern, bold and light to rival any trendy Miami beach bar. I have eaten at Elements many times over the years and while the food has improved and the venue is sublime, the service is usually pretty ordinary. On this occasion, as sure as Dolly Parton sleeps on her back, the service did not impress. I’m not sure whether it’s the sea air or the humidity, but the waiting staff seem to me to be rather like a plague of muted zombies dressed in disconcerting white overalls who you half expect to see wheeling a muzzled and straight-jacketed Hannibal Lecter around the room while administering tranquilizers to unsuspecting holiday makers. The food though arrived in good time and pretty soon we were well on our way to an indulgent and lazy lunch. In this stunning setting, the indifferent service seems to dwindle in importance as you gaze out to sea with a drink in your hand and a smile on your face.
As a hotel, the menu attempts to reflect the local flavours while maintaining the Mediterranean theme. There are a couple of mezze platters ideal for sharing with a Tokara, Walker Bay sauvignon blanc. The limited menu delights in its simplicity with something to suit most moods. There are pasta dishes and open sandwiches as well as selection of fuller mains – a delicious biltong and avocado salad seems to have disappeared from the menu. The food here is good and well presented. There’s usually a well priced daily special written on the chalk board, which is probably a welcome relief to the insouciant waiting staff who do well to remember the linefish of the day. A perfectly grilled East Coast sole was top notch. Served with flavoursome grilled Mediterranean vegetables and a slightly gelatinous potato fondant. My companion enjoyed what must be the most up-market lamb curry Bunny Chow in town served with some nicely crisp potato wedges and timbales. A vanilla crème brulee with shortbread was well presented with an unripe strawberry. It was tasty, and the brulee was just right, but the custard was way too thick.
In response to competition from the neighbouring Oyster Box, Elements have started a 527 daily special – basically a prolonged and rather upmarket happy hour between 5 and 7 every day (see what they’ve done there), where you can enjoy a limited selection of wines from between R40 and R100 (for a bottle) as well as a few delicious snack platters (you must try the crumbed prawns). This is one of my favourite things to do in Durban and I hope they keep it running after the World Cup.
All in all, if you can block out the crew from the Shining this really is one of the best seaside venues around. Ideal for lunch but also perfect for sundowners or just an indulgent bottle of wine. Perhaps Durban is the new Miami after all.
Elements at the Beverly Hills Hotel
Beverly Hills Hotel
Lighthouse Road
Umhlanga Rocks
4320
Tel: 031 561 2211
