Surgeon caters for hearty appetites

Press, 4 March 1980, Page 11

Surgeon caters for hearty appetites

Visitors to Cape Town can now wine and dine at a restaurant owned and operated by the world famous South African heart-transplant surgeon, Professor Christiaan Barnard. Restaurateur Barnard tool: over the La Vita in the Newlands area of. the city a couple of months ago.

“My father was very interested in food,” Professor Barnard said. “He could sit - and read recipes like a book, but I never did any cooking myself until recently. Mind you, I always liked to buy food. Now I do a lot of buying for La Vita.” Professor Barnard has set a high standard at La Vita, which offers international cuisine with a strong Italian flavour. “The food must be good,” he said. “I have stopped all pre-cooking even if a customer has to wait 45 minutes.” The professor and his wife, Barbara (who arranges the flowers at the restaurant), eat at La Vita about three times a week. “Local people don’t come to see me, although some tourists might,” he said. “Friends have often said I should make more use of my name, but a name cannot sell something that is not good!”

Professor Barnard, whose restaurant has a monthly turnover of about R 30.000 ($NZ38,500), derives a great deal of pleasure from La Vita (“the life”). “I am not interested in the

money side of it,” he said. “I have put more into it than I have taken out. I believe you must run a service. There is no more gratifying way of running a service than with food.” As might be expected, Professor Barnard is as outspoken about the restaurant business as he is about heart surgery. “I think I run my restaurant the same way I do heart surgery,” he.said, “I take the blame for everything that happens.” The Professor intends applying for

a wine and malt licence, but he will not ’ stop people from bringing their own wine—"l won’t charge them for ’ corkage either.” What are Professor Barnard’s plans '■ for the future? He is planning a menu offering special dishes aimed at the i health-conscious businessman, a V.I.P. | credit card for diners and, in about ; September, to open a second La Vita : in the Golden Acre at the heart of : Cape Town’s central business district. —Courtesy “Hotelier and Caterer” magazine