Fish Eagle Café
Where: Crocworld Conservation Centre, Scottburgh
Open: Daily 9am to 4.30pm
Call: 083 658 7073
It’s a lovely spot to chill. We’re sitting on the shaded deck overlooking the sea. On a sweltering summer’s afternoon, the sea breezes keep us cool, playing natural air conditioning.
The ice-cold beer is helping matters considerably, while my friend guzzles his way through a very good coffee milkshake. They have beer on tap here too.
To the right of us are a series of enclosed ponds where lazy crocs bask in the afternoon sun. The massive guy is Henry, reputed to be more than 120 years old, and the oldest crocodile in captivity. We will get up close and personal later.
We’re at Crocworld in Scottburgh, a very well-run conservation centre, which also includes several bird aviaries, a flamingo pond, a whole section on snakes and lizards, and which undertakes some excellent work rescuing creatures and releasing them into the wild. There is also a small animal farm enclosure for children.
The menu may not be fine dining, but it covers most bases for a lunch, and everything is cooked fresh and portions are generous. Value is exceptional. Breakfasts take in two different plates with the ability to add any number of things, but your full house comes in at R82.
There’s a selection of toasted sandwiches and paninis. The chicken mayo panini, served with chips, at the next table was enormous. It could have been a light lunch for two.
Then there’s burgers ‒ the most expensive at R99 being their Crocodile Henry burger ‒ and some gourmet burgers topped with the likes of Camembert, avo and cranberry; or salami, Mozzarella, blue cheese and jalapenos. These are all a modest R119.
From the grill you can get a 300g rump steak for R109, the same price as an eisbein or sticky pork ribs, and a chicken schnitzel with cheese sauce for R86. And then there’s a Durban mutton curry for R138.
For those wanting something lighter, there’s a ploughman’s platter with meat, cheese, dips and pickles and a selection of “loaded” salads. Naturally, there’s a kiddies menu.
I opted for a gourmet burger of rare rump, onion jam and basil pesto which was a nice combination of flavours although it was almost impossible to eat as a burger. It soon needed a knife and fork to cut the steak. It was piled high with some lovely crispy onion rings.
My friend tried the green crocodile curry (R155) which had a good Thai bite and was another enormous portion. It came with rice papadum and sambals. And yes, crocodile tastes a lot like chicken. Although one felt a little it guilty eating it in front of the crocodiles.
We saved some space for the waffles with flavours like apple cinnamon and nuts, banoffee and mixed berries. There are even a couple of savoury options with Malay mutton curry and bacon and cheese sauce.
We shared the death by chocolate (R62) which was loaded with dark chocolate mousse, white chocolate shavings and Bar One chocolate sauce. Our waitress even split it onto separate plates. We enjoyed it so much we regretted that decision to share as we licked the plates. The coffees were good too.
Food: 3½
Service: 3½
Ambience: 4
The Bill: R397