George (left) and Brighton. Photos: Melkbos.net

Saturday tried tested us, let’s admit it. It was scorching hot! The temperature hovered at a fearsome 35º. But inside Melkbosstrand popular eatery The Hart Breadhouse & Eatery things were cooler, even pretty chilled. It was beer o’ clock by the time I got there to collect my trusty old ball-and-chain.

The smiles behind the bar counter beckoned. Staff members Brighton and George agreed to be photographed, flashing smiles that blinded me and made me rethink my choice of current toothpaste; it might definitely not be up to the challenges of modern life!

Beer o’ clock
As it was beer o’ clock and so hot the entire town’s craft beer drinkers were on duty. Of course there were also those who stuck to stylish sundowners, but they seemed somehow less noticeable.

All said, everyone was just so relaxed that one had trouble remembering that one has so many worries what with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan gone, and the economy going, going, gone, and the petrol price about to soar next week by 49c per litre.

Green soothes
Perhaps it is the interior of the place that does the trick. It is decorated in shades of avocado green. A creamy green and a more serious grown-up green. Green is calming, my mother always said. And this place is just that. It is a veritable style file. The wallpaper’s motif is echoed in the pot plants; the green is echoed in the specially made leather benches lining the walls.

Visual notes such as the giant lamp on the bar counter surprise and please, as do the juxtaposition of chandeliers and industrial- looking modern lights. But the best of all, of course, is the human touch. The smiles – they put a smile on your dial.