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EAT GOOD ...

The best restaurants in Joburg to dine at this March

One thing is for sure: You don’t need to spend thousands of Rands in the City of Gold to have an exquisite dining experience. We’ve crisscrossed the city to dine our way throughout Joburg to bring you these places that you actually can (and really want to) eat at, whether you’re looking to splurge a little or it’s rent week.

GAUCHO RESTAURANT Best for: A dining chair tour of South America This brand-new addition to Linden’s dining scene doesn’t muck around! The people have spoken, and the people want meat. Gaucho Restaurant, translating to a native cowboy of the South American pampas, is devoted to the food cultures of South America, from the steak-loving plates of Argentina to the simple everyday dining of Chilean family meals. The restaurant lays its carnivorous scene at the entrance with an impressive black bull’s head sculpture. The interiors are verymasculine –think a blend of charcoal and wooden walls, blackwooden furniture, hanginglightfixtures and pot plants, and touches of black and gold décor throughout. Dining here is like being transported to Buenos Aires, where cowhide in its various forms covers the menu ... and every other available surface. Chef Nikita Zoulis’s uncomplicated menu holds a few surprises, though patrons are pleased to discoverthatalmosteverythingis flamedover an open fire. Keep in mindwhen plottingyour mealthatthisisnotasmall-platerestaurant–the portions are generous and rich. We recommend starting with some freshly made empanadas: Beef with root vegetables, lemon chicken with leeks and fresh herbs or spinach with creamy Danishfeta.Inouropinion,thesepocketsofflaky, buttery pastry are the best in town! Or try the

stuffedbrown mushrooms servedwith toasted walnuts, garlic andparsley–aclassic, crowdpleasing appetiser with a warm and hearty flavourcombination.

For mains, the rump steak is the perfect cut for theboldflavoursofthechimichurrisonthetable–order it with a side of the red cabbage and carrot slaw. Another specialty that packs a punch is the grilled Chilean sea bass with a toasted almond salsa, which is complemented well by a side of roastedbabybrinjals.Themenualsooffersmains like a whole spring chicken marinated in lemon, rosemary and garlic, an aubergine parmigiana and braised black bean chilli. Three courses may defeat even the heartiest of appetites, but if you can manage dessert, you’ll be spoilt for choice with options like crêpes with strawberries, oldfashioned gingerbread with molasses whipped cream and sorbet.

We must also mention that the wine list is extensive with a great selection of meat-friendly winesplusthe waitingstaffarepassionate about meat and delight in sharing their knowledge. We highly recommend Gaucho for a casual date night ... or a night where the food is more important than the conversation.

67 7th Street, Linden m 087 655 4480 k gauchorestaurant.co.za E @gauchoza Q @gaucho_za

FEEL GOOD

SOTTO SOPRA Best for: Carbo-loading like a true Italian If you’re craving fritto misto di pesce, melanzane alla parmigiana, aglio olio e peperoncino and the best pizza in Joburg, you’ve come to the right place. In the Trumpet Building Atrium situated at the heart of Keyes Art Mile art precinct in Rosebankyou’llfindtrendyauthentic Italian restaurant, Sotto Sopra that opened its doors late last year. Translating to ‘upside down’ or ‘topsy turvy’, the restaurant’s name pays homage to its bold, dynamic, playful and colourful aesthetic. There aretwo levels –the firstareaextends the idea of the traditional Italian trattoria experience and serves thin-base Roman style pizza and in-house handmade pasta in an open, relaxing andflamboyantdiningarea,whiletheotherarea offers aluxurious diningexperience in aspace deckedwith aluscious floor-to-ceilingplant wall and comfortable, cosy seating all behind glass doors looking out onto the buzzing city. Sotto Sopra uses the ethos that Italian food is all about using fresh ingredients to create extraordinary dishes as its foundation, and simply adds its own ‘spice’ to the food to make it suitable

HALLMARK HOTEL Best for: Brunch … mimosa … repeat We like to live by the words ‘work hard, brunch harder’, so seeking out the best brunch in Jozi is a weekend ritual for us. Sure, we want fresh oysters and perfect eggs benedict, but we’re lookingformore than justbreakfast–it’s a bottomless boozy brunch we’re seeking to make it feel like it’s truly the weekend. The good news is that we’ve finally found it at the historic Hallmark Hotel in Maboneng. Interesting fact? The Hallmark House was built in 1970 andusedto be adiamond-polishing centre. Today, the 46-room HallmarkHotel offers two in-house restaurants –The Marabi Club on the groundfloorandthe 999 Rooftop on the rooftop. Upon arrival for Sunday brunch, you’re taken up to the 15th floorandseatedat the newly renovated rooftop restaurant, which offersunparalleledviewsofthecityskyline (get your phone cameras ready!). Here, chef Katlego Mlambo, the 2019 EatOutNederburgRising Star award winner, cooks up a brunch feast that’s tailor-made for imbibing. Hisbuffetbrunchmenufeaturesdisheslikeflaky, buttery and deliciously authentic croissants; an epic charcuterie boardfilledwith curedmeats,

to the South African palette. Start with an order of Sotto Foccacia generously topped with prosciutto crudo, burrata, roasted peppers, marinated aubergines and pesto or the crispy blend of fried seafood and the paper-thin, tender slices of rare sirloin. Then dig into a bowl of carbonara with seasoned pork cheeks and silky spaghetti smothered in some of the creamiest, cheesiest sauce we’ve ever tasted. There are plenty of mains to choose from, but you can’t go wrongwith pizza –especially if you’re ordering the La Collina crowned with gorgonzola, avocado, chilli and garlic or the Prawn Paradiso garnished with peri-peri prawns. Fordessert,there’stiramisu,limonmisu,affogato, vanilla panna cotta and more. You can also expect to indulge in classic Italian cocktails like the Aperol Spritz, Negroni and Americano as well as Malfy G&Ts. Sotto Sopra is turning Italian cuisine notonlywith its àlacarte offering, but six and nine course tasting menus with wine pairings too.

21 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank m 010 824 0777 K www.sottosopra.co.za E @sottosopra.za Q @sottosopra.trumpet

cheeses, nuts, olives and more; his tried and true Asian-style oysters and ceviche; salmon gravlax with a beautiful dill crust; and sushi, sashimi and build-your-own poké bowls. You’ll also get to choose one hot dish from the àlacartemenu–wehighlyrecommendtheeggs royale for a luxurious yet lazy brunch. Once you’ve filledyourfacewithallthesavourybits(andwe do mean all the savoury bits), check out the giant dessert table. Brunch costs R350 perperson andruns from 11h00 to15h00 withlive DJsstartingat12h00. It’s a good thing that cocktails are easy drinking because you’ll want more than one at the Hallmark Hotel’s Sunday brunch service. For an extraR250, you can orderunlimitedcreative concoctions like the Smoked VSOP or Sunset Kiss, which will entice you to lounge all day and stretch brunch for hours. A cash bar and DJs continuefrom15h00andat17h00atapasmenu is offered. Be sure to bookatleastaweekin advance as tables fillup quickly!

54 Siemert Street, New Doornfontein m 011 402 0086 K www.hallmarkhotel.co.za k reservations@hallmarkhotel.co.za E @hallmarkhotelmaboneng Q @hallmark_hotel Words Candice May Images Supplied