Cape Classics Revisited: Miller’s Thumb Is Still Jolly ’n Sane After 30 Years

After more than a decade away from Cape Town, a return to Miller’s Thumb felt like stepping back into the 1990s. The City Bowl seafood restaurant still looked familiar, still served the dishes its regulars remembered, and still welcomed customers with the humor of Solly and Jane Solomon.

The restaurant opened in 1996, a short walk from the reviewer’s former home on Burnside Road. For years, the routine was simple: leave the car at home when it was not raining and walk over for seafood. The return visit marked the reviewer’s 30th anniversary review and a thank-you to the Solomons for years of serving seafood lovers in the City Bowl.

Solly, known as “Jolly,” still greeted early arrivals in his apron, while Jane, or “Sane,” followed with her familiar welcome and explanation of the regular menu and evening specials. Even the orange and green decor remained recognizable. The pair’s sense of fun had survived three decades, including a cheeky welcome message on the restaurant’s blackboard.

The menu also carried old memories. The reviewer recalled when Solly first introduced soba noodles, a dish that was unfamiliar at the time but is now common. His Yaki Soba remains on the menu, combining chicken and prawns with cashews, crisp vegetables and noodles in ginger and soy sauce.

Other choices included the restaurant’s daily grilled catch, served with options such as lemon, garlic and peri-peri butter, or a Cajun crust of chilli, green peppercorns and pecan nuts with lime and Tabasco butter. Three decades after opening, Miller’s Thumb may no longer be a newcomer, but the reviewer argues that it has earned its place as a Cape classic.