There was a time not to long ago when any conversation about Knysna and Leisure Isle would eventually turn to The Pink Umbrella. A place where one could eat amazing food, drink aromatic coffee, and indulge in delightful pastries. Unfortunately the premises were sold to a developer and the coffee shop, with it’s charm, and all the gastronomic delights, became part of the sad “Development” that has changed, and is still changing, the character and feel of Knysna.
It was therefore a real delight when the Leisure Isle Coffee Shop opened it’s doors for business. At first a tiny little place behind the Wiles Art Gallery, but still the site of a unique experience. Here one can sit under the giant wild fig trees while enjoying the company of a friend or friends, without the rumble of trucks and the unrelenting traffic noise that increasingly destroys the unique character that once prevailed in the main street of Knysna.
It is as if one has stepped back in time to the kind of lifestyle that our grandparents would have experienced. No rush, no noise, no hustle and bustle of frenetic shoppers or pedestrians. The flowers growing along the garden wall, the birds that land on the empty tables and cock their heads at the visitors, as if to urge the visitors to leave, so that the crumbs, from the delicious scones or other pastries, can be accessed and consumed.
Children are left to wander about without the parents being on high alert for the dangers that plague city malls and shopping centres, and If you didn’t walk from your place of residence on the Island, your unlocked car, in which you arrived, is parked on the lawn in full view of all the patrons. So there is no stress about safety and security while your attention is focussed on pastries, a meal, tea, or coffee.
As Nadine and her friendly friends attend to your orders you can wonder through the adjoining gallery or simply sit back and bask in the tranquillity. This is not your run of the mill experience, and you will certainly want to repeat, perhaps a few times, this balm of Gilliad to heal your jaded soul, before you return to the money mill.

Contributed by Peter Dijkstra who runs a Property concierge service and a web site Knysna Properties for Sale