Anyone who lives in the City bowl of Cape Town has probably heard of Charly’s Bakery. It has quite a formidable reputation for the quality of its wedding cakes but is generally renowned for its cakes and pastries all-round. I’ve never actually been to Charly’s before but have eaten the odd quiche of theirs from time to time and really enjoyed the amount of care that went into them. Getting off the City Sightseeing bus at Bus Stop 9 right next to the District Six Museum will put you eyeshot of this very charming bakery.

With two parking lots next to Charly’s, parking won’t be a hassle, and if you have kids it might be quite interesting to know that there is a little playground within shouting distance. Walking in, I was quite taken back by the humble presentation and warm atmosphere. It almost feels like one those fantastical little bakeries hidden in some obscure part of the world. Everything is laid out before you and you literally pick out what you want, what isn’t displayed there, is probably something you won’t be able to order until they’ve baked some more.

The items you can order are divided into six categories: Cupcake and Petit Fours, Cookies, Whole Koeks, Drinks, Sweet Things, and finally Pies and Quiches. Wanting to get an idea of the general tasty-goodness of the place, it was only natural that I wanted to sample something from a few of the categories, you know… for sampling.

Before diving into the richer cakes and quiches, I decided to try the gentler items on the menu. I approached the front counter having drawn up a list of things I wanted to order and was quite impressed with the genial service. Not only had I tried to order things that weren’t on display, I was pretty indecisive too when trying to look for alternatives. Given the pressure of having to constantly take orders for hours on end, I was pleasantly surprised with the patience, smiles and advice afforded to me. On top of that, we were also graciously allowed to wander the back of the counter where Charly’s “mucking afazing” cake fairies were applying their magic. Thank you.

The blueberry muffin, cookie monster cupcake, and spinach and feta pie were the first things I ordered and this is where I’m sad to say, there might be a probable crack in the glittery wall of Charly’s bakery. These three reminded me that sometimes there are places out there that just won’t beat good old mom’s homemade baking and didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but maybe those expectations were a little over the top to begin with anyway.

Doom and gloom aside, what wouldn’t be fair to Charley’s my appetite, would be leaving there without eating one of their cakes and almost equally reputable quiches. The truffle cake was the new cake on offer, so what the heck, why not that one? This cake must have had ‘delicious’, ‘happiness’ and a ‘sprinkling of perfection’ on its ingredient list because those seem to be the only things I tasted in it, but that was not all…

Yet even the mighty truffle cake was almost completely blown out of the water by the freshly baked quiche. You might think this a sensationalist rant, but it’s not.  At this point I’m quite tempted to say ‘muck’ that block of cake and buy the quiche. Any nonsensical scribblings I wrote about Charly’s cupcakes and muffins at this point can be ignored, the bacon quiche as well as the smoked chicken and pepper dew quiche both steal the show for me and are complete must-buys when going to Charly’s bakery. Sorry mom, can’t win this one too.

If you have a love for food and are looking for an incredible place to stop and rest then this affordable, family-run bakery will more than satisfy you. The condition is that you buy either one of their fantastic cakes or quiches, any less and you are letting yourself down. If you’re wondering about whole cakes being sold then there’s a whole assortment of cakes recommended on their site, otherwise pay Charly’s bakery a visit, you might not find humbler or better cake bakery in the whole Cape Town.

Buy your tickets here:

• Online at www.citysightseeing.co.za
Adults R110 (offline price R150), Kids (5-15 years) R70, Kids under 5 free.
Canal Cruise: Adults R20, Kids (5-15 years) R10, Kids under 5 free

• On the bus

• At out Ticket Office, outside the Two Oceans Aquarium: Bus Stop 1

I am currently a third year student at UCT and matriculated at Camps bay High School in 2009. My majors at UCT are English and History and for fun I go for regular hikes across the Cape Peninsula and can’t think of many trails or mountains I haven’t navigated within the area. I’ve traveled throughout the Western Cape by car for simple sight seeing and bird watching, including all the way up the West Coast and on a occasion to Graaff Reinet and Port Elizabeth.