We have been to Hartbeespoort Dam more times than we care to remember. Yet, in all our visits to Gauteng’s weekend spot, we have driven past De Vette Mossel on the R511 going back to Johannesburg without much as casting an eye on the rustic sign pointing to this popular eatery. People come from far and wide to sample the 6-course extravaganza of seafood dishes prepared in an open fire broken only by a beef potjie dish and finished off with seasonal fruit and a cup of coffee and koeksisters. Unbelievably, this seafood journey will set you back a paltry R240. Now that is great value for money in these tough economic times.
In an uncanny way, you can feel the love, humility and honesty in the dishes prepared by a staff comprising mostly of locals who were previously unemployed and couldn’t cook restaurant quality seafood. We absolutely love the fact that all excess food (not left overs!) is given to need people from the local community and as such patrons are encouraged to eat as much as they like without leaving any left overs or taking doggy bags. The only way food leaves the restaurant with patrons is in the tummy. Except of course for Delilah, the star of the dining experience, who occasionally gets distributed as “padkos” to patrons as they leave! Or like us you may be lucky enough to get some “koeksisters” to go.
The Vette Mossel has a West Coast theme complete with beach sand, fishing paraphernalia and the occasional boat. Patrons are encouraged to take off their shoes and feel the exfoliating sand between the toes. This is dining as it was meant to be, unpretentious, relaxed and down-to-earth using paper plates. You are encouraged to bring you own drinks or tipple onto the premises. For the first 3 courses, the cutlery is the mussel shells from the first course that are used as spoons. Clever idea as this would be what you would do if you were lucky enough to be stranded on an island!
On our visit, the “rolling buffet” comprised a first course of mussel meat per person and a bowl of mussels per table, a second course of snoek and sweet potatoes (with a lekker chilli sauce!) and a third course of seafood potjie (containing hake, angelfish, butterfish, snoek, mussels, calamari strips and prawns) with yellow rice. The fish dishes are broken by a beef potjie that is served as the fourth dish. If you have failed to pace yourself, your stomach will start to struggle to accommodate more food. Yet there is still more dishes to follow! You would be wise to learn the etiquette of buffet dining and the art of eating with anticipation of the next course. The fifth course was fresh Dorado served as catch of the day followed by a sixth dish of calamari steaks. The seventh and eighth courses are fresh seasonal fruit (divine watermelon on our visit) and coffee & “koeksisters” respectively. All these dishes have to be completed in 4 hours as the restaurant runs two sessions per day.
There is a nice play area for kids so the little ones will be off your hair for 4 hours while you socialise or quietly work your way through the dishes on offer. Neels and Annette are the owners of this pearl of Harties ably assisted by Elize who handles bookings. De Vette Mossel is fully booked way in advance, so bookings are essential as it is a popular spot for visitors to Harties, especially in warmer months. De Vette Mossel is a definite must-visit if you are in Harties and surrounds. Besides the brilliant seafood and of course, Delilah (the oh-so-tasty pot bread that is as sinfully tasty and devious as its namesake in the Bible), the community upliftment through employment and excess food donations to the local community are what truly make this restaurant an absolute gem. It is a warm fuzzy feeling to know that your patronage helps feed the local community. The humility of the hosts is testament that you can run a profit and social responsibility are no mutually exclusive. Like De Vette Mossel @Harties Facebook page and contact them on 076 922 6692 for bookings. For a dining experience like no other, De Vette Mossel gets our full thumbs up for good food and brilliant ambiance, coupled with positive local community impact. If you have out of town visitors, the Vette Mossel is the place to visit for a dining experience that is off the beaten path. We absolutely love it!
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