You can’t be in Knysna, at a restaurant called “Tapas & Oysters”, and not try one of the fresh oysters that are practically the town mascots. There is even a 10 day Knysna Oyster Festival where thousands of people pitch up in the middle of winter to get a taste of the succulent delicacy. It’s like going to Belgium and not trying the chocolate, or skipping the cheese and wine in France. It’s simply a travel crime. That’s the argument I put to my hubby, Kegan, who had never tried an oyster in his life. Did he bite? Keep reading…

The second our Knysna trip was confirmed, I asked my Knysna-savvy friends about places to eat. Tapas & Oysters (also known as Tapas, or 34 Tapas, because Knysna falls on the 34° line of latitude) was highly recommended for its laid-back atmosphere, local vibe, awesome location, and great selection of tapas (snacks, canapés, or finger food originating in Spain). If you’ve read any of my restaurant reviews, you’ll know that I’m ridiculously indecisive about choosing a meal, so the idea of eating little bits of everything was perfect for me. I even went onto the Tapas website to see their menu and pre-plan what to order, but it only served to trigger my salivary glands even more.

After weeks of anticipation, we made our way to the local hangout on Thesen Island. Knysna has clearly had an upgrade since I was last here (about 15 years ago!), because the old-school, hippie town I remember is a far cry from the contemporary streets of Thesen Harbour Town.  Tapas lies at the end of the main road, right on the edge of the lagoon. We missed sunset by 2 hours, but I can just image what an ideal spot this would be for sundowners.

Aside from our friendly waiter, Zama, we were greeted by a huge grinning octopus (boasting a Knysna seahorse tattoo) and a Spanish-looking bottle of Tabasco sauce whose interests clearly lie in having a good time. Everything from The Great Wall of ShFame, to the hundreds of photos that decked every other wall, suggested this was a place to chill out and enjoy the company of friends and family. Even though it was a random Thursday night, there were people ranging from newborn to geriatric, all enjoying a lekke night out.

Back to the oysters…

In every restaurant I’ve been to, you have the choice of oysters or no oysters. Not here. Tapas offers medium coastal, large coastal, medium cultivated, oysters tempura, and grilled oysters in garlic. Egad!?! Luckily Zama was clued up and explained that the coastal oysters are fished from the sea, whereas the cultivated oysters are farmed in different water, so the taste depends on the saltiness of that water. Zama reckoned the cultivated ones were too salty, so we took his advice and ordered the medium coastal oysters.

They were biggest oysters I have ever seen (I’m curious to see the large ones), but the look on Kegan’s face was even more gratifying. It was the same squirmish look he had when I introduced him to sushi, prawns, and red wine. He now loves them all, but oysters…they’re in another league. Naturally, I went first; showing how to add the lemon and Tabasco before slurping up what is by far the freshest and tastiest oyster I’ve ever eaten. With Zama coaxing him on as much as I was, Kegan eventually gave in and slucked.

The verdict? “Not knowing what to expect, I kinda enjoyed it. It’s not something I’d order every day, but it was much nicer than I thought it would be”. We only learned after our visit to Tapas that they had won the oyster cooking contest at the Knysna Osyter Festival, so next time I’m going to make sure I try that dish too!

Here’s what else we ate:

• Fridge cheesecake – Talk about saving the best for last! The granadilla topping gave this sweet treat a tangy kick.
• Prawns Tapas style – The spices were perfectly balanced.
• Jalapeno poppers – It’s easy to see why these are “A TAPAS FAVOURITE”. But they singed our taste buds a tad and it took some downing of Foresters draught (a local craft beer from Mitchell’s Brewery) before we could taste anything else. Tip: Order alone or after other tapas.
• Rosemary and sea salt baguette – one of those treats you imagine sneaking into your handbag.
• Sushi – The rainbow rolls weren’t bad, but I was disappointed with the fashion sandwiches. They were dry (no mayo), a bit stodgy, and didn’t taste as fresh as you’d expect in a restaurant. Tip: Maybe it was our bad luck, but we’d stick with the winning tapas.
• Spiced sashimi salad – I was really looking forward a fresh “TAPAS FAVOURITE” salad with mint and chilli yogurt dressing, but it didn’t live up to the expectations. Tip: Not all the items marked “A TAPAS FAVOURITE” may be your favourite; some things are even better!

Update: I love it when managers use constructive criticism to take their restaurant from a good dining experience to a great one. I’ve just been informed that the sushi and sashimi salad have been investigated and improved, so you can look forward to an even more fantastic meal! Thanks Tapas!

We were really impressed with the variety on the Tapas & Oysters menu and look forward to trying new dishes when we’re next in town…preferably at sunset, during happy hour (6 – 7pm), when the kids on the jungle gym outside, there’s live music playing, and we can toast a glass of Mitchell’s draft with some of the other locals at “the hottest spot in Knysna”.

Click here to see what we got up to on the rest of our Knysna trip!