Don’t Miss Out on Half-Price Tapas Nights at HQ! [Review]
Ladies, Thursdays just got a little bit sweeter. Of course, we all love Thursdays because they signal the near-end to the working week but HQ is making Thursdays a day to remember with their oh-so-awesome half-price tapas evenings every Thursday. So, if you’re looking for a place to get the weekend started early with your girlfriends or a special lad (or lass) in your life then HQ is the place. The vibe at this spot is all kinds of awesome and the food and cocktails are divine. Long story short, it offers all the ingredients you need for a good night out and at half the price – what a win!
Located in the Cape Town CBD, HQ is well-known for its incredibly simple, but brilliant steak, chips and salad menu but it’s their tapas menu and laid-back lounge vibe that keeps me and my friends coming back time and time again. Like I said, all the right ingredients are there and it’s just one of those places that you want to make into your regular hangout. I love nothing more than heading to HQ for a night out with friends because we can find a spot on the comfy lounge chairs and chat for hours over a few cocktails while bobbing our heads and tapping our feet along to the funky house beats streaming through the speakers. I also love that diners can choose to sit at a small table for two near the bar (perfect for date night!) or in the lounge area which offers coffee tables and banquette-style seating for larger groups.
But let’s get into the food – oh the food! To put it simply; the tapas at HQ are sublime. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from the tapas menu and I’ve tried almost the entire menu (an achievement I am quite proud of). Some of my favourite things on the menu include the Three Cheese Parcels (R50 normal price | R25 half price), Chorizo Chilli Poppers (R70 | R35 ), Lamb Sliders (R86 | R43), and the Sirloin Cubes (R56 | R28). The chilli poppers at HQ are a taste sensation and while they offer a serious kick the chilli isn’t too overpowering. The lamb sliders are also a must-try! We order them every time we go and in our group of mates, we’re almost always fighting over who gets the last one. The portion sizes of the servings are also very impressive – especially the lamb sliders serving because you expect them to serve just three tiny sliders on a plate when in fact you get about 6!
Another small, but oh-so-convenient perk of enjoying half-price tapas at HQ is that the eatery have adapted their menu to cater for the regular half-price tapas nights – you can see the specials price right next to the usual price so there’s no need to do complicated maths after a cocktail or three. Speaking of cocktails, there are so many delicious house cocktails to try on the comprehensive cocktail menu. My favourite is the Pink G&T Martini (Tanqueray Gin shaken cold with fresh Grapefruit juice, Rose syrup, bitters and our curiously homemade tonic and botanical syrup – R60) and the HQ Watering Can (a fresh and fragrant mix of lavender infused Tanqueray Gin, mint, basil, cucumber, and apple-plum cordial shaken and served in their signature watering can – R55).
Find HQ at 100 Shortmarket Street, Cape Town. For more information on HQ visit their website or say Hi to HQ on Facebook.
