Woolworth’s new look food store at La Lucia Mall

WOOLWORTH’S CAFE
1st floor La Lucia Mall
La Lucia
Call 031 572 9600
Open daily

Woolworth’s new look cafe and food store at La Lucia Mall is a winner. First they moved and spiced up the cafe giving it a very appealing industrial chic feel with bare brick walls and high factory-style ceilings. Very trendy these days. It’s also much more spacious.
Then they increased the size of the food shop, almost trebling its floor space. What a difference that has made. Spacious passages make it easy for trollies to pass, and there is a greater selection of food on sale. Pot plants hanging from a dried branch at the entrance give it a fresh, natural appeal. In fact the whole vibe is country fresh rather than contemporary slick.
New is an onsite bakery with a selection of artisan breads and pastries, both sweet and savoury. I bought myself a raisin au pain and it was pretty good, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Have eaten at almost every Woolies Cafe in the Durban area, I’ve always thought the La Lucia outlet is the best. Although they all offer the same menu (with a few variations I assume) it’s amazing how the end result can differ.
Service at Lua Lucia is also well above average with the staff being particularly friendly. Lunching there very recently I was told by my waitress (as I was leaving) that I had been a very good customer. Surprised, I asked why.
“Because you were very quiet”, she responded.
Well, I was lunching on my own…
Still it was rather sweet.
On the downside prices are a little on the high side and the portions not particularly generous. However, a good deal is their Med plate which includes hummus, oven roasted rosa tomatoes, avocado, chargrilled haloumi cheese, olives and grilled Turkish bread for R58.
New to their menu is old fashioned traditional tasted cheese sandwiches – with variations – which is sure to become another winner. – Ingrid Shevlin
S43