Arbour Café

Arbour Café is a French-inspired café at Wrenrose Court on St Andrew Street in Birdhaven, a small suburb between Rosebank, Melrose and Illovo. From the street it looks modest, but the café opens up at the back into a courtyard with wrought-iron tables under fairy lights, which gives it a secret-garden feel.

The menu is built around fresh, free-range and seasonal ingredients. The café is best known for its omelettes and savoury galettes, the buckwheat pancakes of Brittany, and for sweet crêpes, and there are daily cakes and pastries as well as salads and sandwiches for lunch. On Saturdays and Sundays it runs a bottomless brunch, and the café is licensed, so you can have a glass of wine or a cocktail with your meal. It is also open for dinner, with dishes such as steaks, pasta, pan-fried salmon and duck appearing on the evening menu.

Arbour suits couples, friends meeting for brunch, small celebrations and anyone wanting a calm, pretty setting away from the malls. The courtyard is lovely on warm days and evenings; in winter, bring a layer if you plan to sit outside. Weekend brunch is popular, so it is wise to book, especially for groups.

Opening times vary between breakfast, lunch and dinner services, so check with the café before you go, particularly if you are planning an evening meal. Prices are mid-range for the area. The current menu is available as a PDF on the café's website.

Dogs on leads have been welcome in the courtyard, and in the evenings the fairy lights make it a pretty setting for a casual dinner for two. The bottomless brunch at weekends is the busiest service, so book a table if you want one in the courtyard rather than inside. If you want a quieter visit, weekday mornings are calmer.

Birdhaven is a short drive from Rosebank, Melrose Arch and Sandton, and it is close to several northern-suburbs hotels, including The Peech in Melrose. The James and Ethel Gray Park, a large green space nearby, is good for a walk before or after a meal. Most visitors drive or use a ride-hailing app.