José da Mata enjoying a traditional 1920 Portuguese espresso at Caravela.

A caravela is an ancient small manoeuvrable sailboat that was known for its agility and capacity for sailing upwind. They were used by the Portuguese for voyages of exploration during the 16th century.
In short this describes José da Mata’s journey from his hometown in Madeira to Hartbeespoort.
José opened the first authentic Portuguese restaurant in Hartbeespoort 25 years ago and Caravela soon became a favourite dining experience not only for locals but visitors from all over the country (and world) made it a must stop culinary destination.
“It is not only about our good food,” says José, “Our excellent service and atmosphere is just as important for our many regular (and new) customers.”
But the success of Caravela did not come easy. “Since I was a child in Madeira I am used to work 16 hours a day – 7 days a week. I only take a short break every two years.” Caravela and José soon became synonyms. Walking into the restaurant José will be spotted hovering between tables interacting with diners. “Talking to people and making sure that they enjoy themselves – this is what keeps me going,” says José.
“The hospitality industry is my life. Building Caravela to what it is today was hard work. I had to keep on reinvesting into it to make it a success. But I enjoyed every moment. This is what makes me happy.” José occasionally wanders off to the bar area to keep an eye on the European soccer and world news on television. “I love sport and I want to know what is happening in the rest of the world.”
Caravela specialises in Portuguese style prawns, fish, chicken and meat. They will be celebrating their 25th birthday on 8 – 9 August with live Portuguese music and a great variety of specials.