Avondale Boutique Hotel & Arabistro are Halaal in Durban
A few weekends ago I was hosted with my mum to stay at the Avondale Boutique Hotel not too far from Florida Road in Durban but away from the hustle and bustle. I have often said that one does need to be a tourist in their own city becoming a world traveller. Often in our own city we find hidden gems that offer a peace of heaven not too far away from home. The word “staycation” is often described as a small holiday or break in your own city or town at a hotel. A break like this is often needed to get away from the craziness of life and have a bit of pampering.
Avondale Boutique Hotel is situated in the Morningside area of Durban and is a secure property with parking on the remote gated premises and a guard on duty 24 hours. The location is perfect as you are not too far away from three major shopping Malls (Musgrave Centre, Pavilion Shopping Centre and Gateway)and Suncoast Entertainment World. There are Uber Taxi services  running in the area which makes it a good idea to park off and get a ride. It is a Halaal hotel , having many friends around the world and locally having a hotel like this is fantastic news and I could not wait to share this with my friends.
I had been on an intense training course for 8 days and had just written a trial exam in preparation of the final exam that following week. So a staycation in a beautiful property like Avondale was something that was much needed to actually relax before the final exam. We arrived a bit later than expected so it was already dark, Friday traffic is always a nightmare. The check in process was quick and easy and I was shown a few rooms before I got to mine near the reception area. The outside of the property was beautiful and the lightening highlight this. The first thing that caught my attention was just how large the rooms were and the amount of space in each room. Each room also had a large bathroom with most comfortable beds. We stayed in a family room that had two double beds and I had the best sleep ever. The hotel is decorated in shades of blue/grey/silver with a gorgeous paisley print popping up now and again.
The hotel has free wifi and there is no limit on your usage unlike some hotels which give you 200mb a day.The reason for this is because every room has a smart TV which allows you to watch Netflix yayness. Within the room there was an old fashioned wardrobe, a desk with a chair and a charging station. There was also a couch creating more of a homely feel to the room and I did want to curl up on the couch make a cup of tea and read a book but alas dinner was awaiting for me .
Arabistro is  the onsite Fine Dining Restaurant that enhances the stylish ambience of Avondale Boutique Hotel. It is and proudly offers Durban’s first fully Halaal fine dining experience. A Fusion of contemporary sophistication, Arabistro is open for a sumptuous full English Breakfast buffet daily and offers an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant boasts chic stylish décor which is second only to the culinary spoils on offer by the dedicated team of Chefs.
I love eating Arabic/Middle Eastern food so while reading up on the property and stalking their instagram feeds I knew my inner foodie would be over the moon as everything looked amazing. Dinner at Arabistro proved to be a total hit. Every dish was beautifully presented and packed with so much flavour that my taste buds were busy doing a belly dance. For those not sure about my real job I trained as a teacher in the Hospitality sector and so I know good food , understand nutrition and can relate to the hospitality industry.
Arabistro is a  spacious eatery with a cosy feel was the perfect spot for me to unwind and have dinner with mum. One could feel the love and passion that went into each dish that we were served for dinner. For starters I was served a spiced and hearty butternut soup served in gorgeous Arab designed soup bowls accompanied my spiced bruschetta. The portion was just the right size perfect to fill a gap and get my appetite going for the main course. I also got to sample a sesame chicken dish in a masala sauce so many complex flavours and that sauce was so tasty with the addition of the toasted sesame seeds adding texture to the dish. While Mum headed straight for mains of an Aubergine Melazzane a generous cheesy portion served with a freshly dressed salad . My main meal can only be described as a Feast from the ocean served with huge spiced prawns ,a fillet of fish accompanied by a spicy rice and rustic chips and two sauces. Each bite got more delish and honestly I could not stop eating and knew that dessert would definitely be a highlight after every morsel I ate was so delicious.
To end our meal we had a dessert plate which consisted of chocolate Bakalva and French Vanilla Ice cream served in these beautiful fine pastry baskets with Karak Tea which I acquired a taste for during my trip to Dubai after all that I was such a happy bunny. My tummy was so full , I felt happier and calmer and could not wait for breakfast the next morning as I had a look at the menu and everything looked amazing .I headed off to shower and settle in for the night to sleep off my dinner and dream of breakfast tomorrow…
The next morning I got up from what I can honestly say was the best sleep I have had I ages and got ready for breakfast like a kid on Christmas morning I could not wait to sit down and eat my way through the menu at Arabistro.
Breakfast is included in the price is breakfast at Arabistro which is amazing on so many levels that it needs its own post. The staff are very helpful and my only complaint was that I needed another night to have a blissful sleep and eat the amazingly delish food from Arabistro.
They say Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one should eat Breakfast like a King.Well at Arabistro these words ring true.So after an amazing night’s sleep at Avondale Boutique Hotel the only thing that motivated me out of bed was the delicious breakfast menu which I had looked at the night before.
The menu has a mix of Arab flavours with a few new dishes as well as  firm favourites. A range of cold pressed juices are available and I had a berry and ginger juice which packed a punch and made me feel healthy I think I NEED to add these juices to my daily routines. The coffee served in Arabistro is Lavazza which is one of my favourites blends and I had a Hazelnut Latte notice the beautiful layers in my coffee. Breakfast is served from 6:30am to 2pm as the lunch and dinner menus will be launching in August. Breakfast is not only for hotel guests but open to the general public and included on the menu is a family sharing breakfast platter.
I was so undecided as to what I wanted to eat especially as everything looked divine.I opted for a Shakshuka which is one of my favourite breakfasts when I travel. with medium fried eggs as per chef’s recommendation which had a Dukkah melted butter poured over. The tomato sauce was packed with flavours and my only complaint was not having some bread to scope up the tomato goodness. Mum had the masala eggs with a croissant which was so fresh ,buttery and flaky that I had to steal a piece for scooping my sauce. I also ordered the Turkish breakfast which reminded me of my trip to Turkey which mum and I shared as it had Turkish eggs with pomegranate , spiced lamb kofte ,falafels, grilled aubergine and a salad mezze. Everything was delish as much as I was full I needed to finish off with something sweet. The Sweet French Toast was calling my name and it did not disappoint there is a savoury option as well. This dish is rather large and perfect to share over a pot of Karak Tea. The French toast comes in various options which include Nutella , fresh fruit and cream or you can be like me and have it all as per chef’s suggestion.
After that spread all I wanted was to have a siesta but I had errands to run before coming back for the Afternoon High Tea at 2pm that afternoon. I made sure I was good and drank lots of water to try and balance all the food I had eaten.
A cup of tea ,a sweet treat and good company is the perfect way to spend and afternoon. Mum and I were hosted at Avondale Hotel and Arabistro . It was such a foodie weekend that made my foodie heart happy.
The beautiful set up for High Tea was so gorgeous that all I wanted to do was take pictures of the different teacup settings.Each teacup was different but there was defo a colour theme running through with the pinks ,rose golds and pops of teal.Each place setting was a thing of beauty and created the atmosphere for a perfect celebration.
I love that the High Tea is served to you in two different platters one sweet and one savoury.Everything is petite and bitesize giving you the perfect one bite.Everything was fresh and flavoursome.As mum is a vegetarian a plate of veg options were brought out for her.A selection of teas and coffees are served.Having seen Karak Tea on the breakfast menu this was my beverage of choice note how cute my teapot is !
For venue hire & catering bookings, please email them on admin@arabistro.co.za or call 061 476 1308.Cost is R190 per person .
My stay at Avondale Boutique Hotel was really fantastic the only negative was that I wished I had stayed another night to experience more of this beautiful property.I will defiantly be back to share this foodie spot with my friends.
Be Inspired!
Ciao
x
