Coimbra Restaurant – Durban North

Every once in a while you come across a restaurant that has been around for years but for some reason you always seem to pass it by. Well Coimbra Restaurant in Durban North is just such a place.

It all started after I, Shelton received an SMS from Lee saying that she had had a terrible day at work and I needed to take her out for supper. As I was having drinks with some of my work colleagues I asked for a couple of recommendations. The Coimbra Restaurant was emphatically recommended by a colleague. Her and her Husband would travel from Westville just to go have a meal there. The decision now made, we showered, got dressed and headed for a new destination.

We were heartily greeted at the reception desk by one of the managers, and this being a Portuguese restaurant he had taken his role seriously and sported a thin, but elegant handle bar mustache. After being shown to our table we encountered the only potential problem for the evening. The entire air conditioning system had packed up. Not a big issue if it’s the middle of winter, but we are in the middle of the hottest time of the year and things could get a bit uncomfortable when indulging in some of the peri-peri flavoured meals on offer. Mother Nature however, alleviated any worries of heat exhaustion coupled with severe dehydration.

Coimbra Restaurant in positioned with fantastic views over Glen Ashley and in the not too far distance the Indian Ocean. Our table was situated at one of the doors to the outside balcony and a gentle sea breeze kept things pleasurable and the view complimented the relaxed atmosphere of the Restaurant. The subdued, but not dark, lighting and softly playing music soon had us relaxed from another stressful week at work.

With hardly time to survey the scenery our waiter for the evening, Ian, made an appearance, handing out menus and clearing the table of excess cutlery and crockery. A quick look at the wine list and a bottle of Guardian Peak Shiraz was ordered.

After a lengthy decision making process about what to order from the comprehensive menu, Lee settled for the Garlic snails and I had the New Zealand Mussels as starters. Not being a snail eater I had to go with what Lee said about the shelled mollusc’s and to this end she was well satisfied. The mussels were delicious and 12 medium sized mussels dabbed with garlic and a splash of butter was soon finding their way to my empty stomach.

For mains Lee settled for the Prawn and Calamari combo with French Fries and a salad and decided that the peri-peri chicken and prawn combo would satisfy my desire for something spicy. And I was not to be disappointed. This must be one of the few places where you get a choice of two side orders.

The meals arrived and I realised that starters might have not been a good idea. The plates were literally piled with food and very well presented with out all the hoity-toity arty food presentation I tend to find annoying as more emphasis seems to be placed on presentation rather that filling your stomach (we are there to eat after all, not study art work).

The chicken was tender and well flavoured as were the 4 queen size prawns and if those 4 prawns were anything to go by I will be ordering a full portion next time. The peri-peri, whilst very tasty, is not all that spicy so even those with tender tongues can enjoy the flavours of Portuguese cooking. The salad was fresh and crisp and the French Fries cooked to perfection.

Lee complained that her meal was a bit on the bland side having ordered hers in a more gentle lemon butter flavouring. She did say that the calamari was very tender but the prawns needed more zing. After sampling some of my chicken, she agreed that the peri-peri route was definitely the way to go.

The final aspect of my review is about the service. Here the Coimbra excels. At no time did we have to look around for our waiter and he always seemed to know exactly when he was required yet didn’t have that annoying waiter bit were you are asked every two minutes if everything was OK. Everything was handled professionally and efficiently and he deserves a special mention. Well done and thank you Ian.

So if you looking for a place to enjoy a great meal with wonderful views, or a spot to enjoy a couple of sundowners with a few friends, I can highly recommend the Coimbra Restaurant.

A temporary 4/5 stars are awarded. I’m sure with the aircon working a 5/5 is definitely on the cards for Coimbra.

Coimbra (Glenashley). Shop 1A 36 Newport Avenue Glenashley Durban, Kwazulu-Natal. Tel: 031 562 1415. Email: coimbra.restaurant@telkomsa.net …