Bolo'Bolo , the new vegan restaurant open on Palmer Road, is more than your average eatery...

Bolo Bolo interior contains an air of effortless style

Palmer Road’s vegan restaurant has just changed hands and its new name, Bolo’Bolo, makes reference to a anthropological joke - the fictional name given to societies that don’t follow normal cultural patterns. Proud new owner Aragorn has experience in this type of business before, having opened and ran South Africa’s first vegan restaurant ‘Earth2’ while he was still living in Johannesburg some years ago.

And Bolo’Bolo will be the sequel. With a motto of L.O.V.E – ‘Local, Organic, Vegan and Ethical’- this awesome establishment offers solar Saturdays and 10% off if you travel there by train or bike. Elements of Bolo’Bolo suggest a political edge - posters about capitalism, waiters with tattoos and books with provocative titles – which is no wonder considering Aragorn and his girlfriend Stefanie are two of the directors of the South African Vegan Society and promote activism through their book business ‘The Missing Shelf’ . Before settling down in Cape Town this dynamic duo were travelling the world making a documentary on Anarchism.

Provocative books can also be purchased at Bolo Bolo

‘Anarchism is simply a critique of hierarchy, originating from the Greek word meaning ‘without authority’,’ explains Aragorn as we sit at one of the tables at his restaurant. It’s no surprise this kind of establishment attracts an inquiring mind; oftentimes the topic of food can lead to some very interesting discoveries, resulting in a life of activism.

According to his research, veganism makes a lot of sense to Aragorn. The closest species to our own, the apes, eat a diet of mostly fruits and contrary to popular belief, protein can be found in many foods other than meat. Although not quite there myself, I know for a fact how delicious vegan food can be and am happy for our city to be blessed with another restaurant of this kind – the only other local vegan eatery I know of is The Tibetan Teahouse in Simontown.

Aragorn tells me that he hopes Bolo’Bolo will eventually become an ‘Infoshop’, the kind of social centre hubs found around the world known to facilitate political learning and activist activity.

Freshly baked vegan treats tempt passers-by

‘We want to develop things gradually but hope to have everything from guest chefs and gourmet tastings to film screenings and workshops on topics like vegan nutrition and anarchism,’ he says.

Although change can be uncomfortable for a lot of people, Aragorn hopes that through providing yummy vegan food as well as extensive information around certain other issues, more Cape Townians may shift their choices.

Enjoy freshly squeezed juices, daily specials and vegan burgers from Tuesday to Sunday at Bolo'Bolo, situated on Palmer Road in Muizenberg.