Cape St. Francis, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Who would have thought that a functional, state-owned lighthouse could have brought happiness to so many at a very late stage in its life? A popular beach bar and restaurant with excellent food and a great ambience came from a dilapidated site. It also became a happy place of employment that no one was expecting.
The Seal Point Lighthouse is 142 years old. Unfortunately, the surrounding building, created to house the lighthouse keeper, has been somewhat decrepit and in a state of disrepair for a while. Named after the patron saint, St. Francis, the lighthouse was completed in 1878 and built to ward off ships from the dangerous reefs that stretch out more than a kilometre out to sea. At 27.75 m, it is one of the tallest lighthouses in South Africa, with a light range of 28 nautical miles. The intensity of the light has changed over the years. It started with a three-wick burner with the intensity of 15,000 candles and flashed once every 20 seconds. Now the lamp power is 2,750,000 candles, and it flashes every 5 seconds.
Nestled at its base is the very unique Nevermind.
Picture Perfect
The most striking element of Nevermind Bar and Restaurant is the lighthouse. It is dominant, looming over the bar. Comforting and solid, it is in every image, and it is what your eyes wander to when having a drink or a bite to eat. At night, it is even better.
The Menu
The food is exquisite. Chef Wesley Randles offers special meals, with all produce sourced locally and prepared with minute details to perfection. With St. Francis Bay being a harbour town, there is always fresh fare coming out of the sea. Chef Randles performs his magic on this fresh produce daily.
This menu changes with the seasons and with the availability of seafood. Burgers are around $8, and a lobster roll is $12.50. There is a comprehensive cocktail menu, a great selection of imported and craft beers, and a curated wine list of some of South Africa's finest.
The Scene
Nevermind Bar and Restaurant is quite an idyllic place to chill with some gentle live music, a few drinks and a bunch of friends. The ocean's constant roar and the cozy location exudes nothing but good vibes. It is the ideal place to forget the stress of life, the hardships and craziness of COVID-19, and the fact that we're all here to have as much fun as fast as we can before we leave this place. The sun goes down behind the restaurant, but it glints and reflects off the lighthouse until the dying moments, making it one of the most picturesque settings in the world for a sundowner.
When Nevermind really comes to life is when there is a live band playing. Recently, well-known South African surfer and musician Robin Auld came for an afternoon jam. The crowd was a mix of board shorts and flip-flops, glamorous models, and distinguished older crew in the area, singing and clapping along as they enjoyed cold beers and fine food.
It does get busy, and on a perfect summer's evening after a good day's surf, booking is essential if you want to eat. So when it gets a bit crowded, and you're just keen on a drink, the revellers spill out onto the expansive grass. This is all under the watchful eye of the Seal Point Lighthouse, looking in four directions — over the rocky wild side (the reason for its existence), the Nevermind Bar and Restaurant, the distant bumpy horizon and the zippering waves of Seal Point.
Waves and Surfers
Located a stone's throw from some of the best waves on the Eastern Cape, there are always surfers finishing off a late session at Seal Point and heading over for a few quick beers and a meal. They are always stoked and in a good mood after a few excellent waves, dictating the festive spirit of the location when the waves are favorable. The outside bar area is also ideally situated to be out of the predominant south-westerly wind. It's a wind that brings a chill to the bones, but it is also offshore on the long right-hand pointbreak waves that these surfers enjoy.
Nevermind is a place where everyone is welcome. It is a place that embraces locals and visitors alike, and it is a place filled with happiness and gentleness. No rowdy vibes and no rude visitors to be found here. Those people are not to be found on Cape St. Francis, a place with charm and cuteness along with fine, top-end establishments like Nevermind.
To learn more about Nevermind, visit sealpointlighthouse.com/restaurant or follow them on Instagram @nevermind_capestfrancis.
Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Issue 7 (Winter 2022). Story by Craig Jarvis. Photography by Caroline J. Photography and S. Coffey.
