The BEST restaurants in Joburg right now!

When you think of the best things to do in Joburg, eating like royalty is one of the first activities that come to mind. But there’s no denying that Joburg’s dining scene has changed dramatically over the past few months. Restaurants innovated, they pivoted and some even opened – there’s never been a time that the City of Gold needed its restaurants more and, as always, they were there for us. We realise that everyone is moving at a different pace: While some people are excited to dine out, others are sticking to restaurants that deliver for the foreseeable future. But no matter your comfort level, if you love food and live in Joburg, we suggest you check out our must-try list of the best new restaurants Joburg has to offer. Don’t forget to wear a mask, respect social distancing and tip generously!

EDITOR’S PICK: ECLIPSE RESTAURANT

Dinner and a show doesn’t have to mean pizza and Netflix. After all, what’s the point of eating out if you’re just looking at your plate? Boring! The African-chic Eclipse Restaurant, located on the fourth floor of the brandnew Hotel Sky in Sandton, is a dinner theatre that’s rolling dinner and a show into one creative (and tasty) package. Sit back in the opulent, overthe-top dining room – with animal print dining chairs, crystal chandeliers that make for a glittering attraction and a myriad of unique accessories to add the final touches – and be transported to settings as diverse as a Russian cabaret and a Tokyo nightclub while gazing at magnificent vistas and having a delicious meal. A destination for its setting alone, with huge windows that look over the glitzy malls and impressive office blocks of Sandton, this might be the most truly immersive dinner theatre experience in the city. As diners tuck into cold starters like oysters that beautifully combine exotic flavours in a bite-sized morsel or salmon tiradito with aji amarillo for a gentle, fruity hint of chilli, beauties suspend from the ceiling, leap through hoops and dance on poles. The full experience includes feasting on the Private School – a wagyu primal cut that’s prepared to highlight its unique flavour, complemented by truffle salt and roots. We also like the indulgent Return of the Mac, which features a cheese sauce loaded with heavy cream and tender chunks of lobster baked together with pasta to gooey perfection. The pièce de résistance is the Deep Forest: Made with dark chocolate mousse, cherry sorbet, mascarpone vanilla whip and Aero chocolate, this dessert is a cut above the rest and will blow your mind. We aren’t doing this place justice, but we also don’t want to spoil the surprises in store for you (and there are many!). Bookings are essential, so book in advance if you fancy something a little more exciting than your typical date night or mundane dinner experience.

150 West Street, Sandton 010 880 0132 www.eclipserestaurant.co.za

COOBS

Chef James Diack is passionate about making sustainable eating easy – and delicious – and nowhere is his obsession more evident than at Coobs. After closing down in Parkhurst last year, this paddock-to-plate eatery has since reopened in Parktown North where it enjoys one of the city’s most enviable addresses. The gorgeously appointed restaurant, with a dining room and outside deck that keep the vibe romantic and rustic, is still about as big-ticket as restaurants get – but the intimate and unpretentious mood will make you feel right at home. The menu is contemporary country in style, featuring sustainable produce such as fruit and vegetables as well as wagyu beef from James’ family’s farm, Brightside Farm in Magaliesburg. So, what’s good? All of it, but for starters, specifically the beef tartare with aioli, quail egg yolk, homemade ketchup and a black pepper lavash, which is a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. James’ skills with pasta dough have garnered him a loyal following, so the goat cheese tortellini is still on the menu for good reason – swimming in a broad bean crème, it comes with good levels of warmth and sharpness plus some texture from the asparagus. Now it’s time to luxuriate in the sweet life for mains. There’s Asian grilled duck breast, burnt citrus glazed pork belly, an organic veg pot pie and the famous wild boar ragu served with homemade pappardelle on the menu. However, our top pick is the plate of risotto dyed heavy metal black with squid ink, one of the city’s most luxe plates of rice. A scattering of crispy calamari and line fish break up this silky suspension, and any sauce left over should be mopped up with light-as-air house bread. Order the banoffee dessert – roasted banana parfait, dulce de leche, hazelnut brittle and Kahlua ice cream – for a perfect finish. Even if you’ve dined at Coobs a dozen times, chef James Diack’s vibrant, visceral cooking keeps you coming back.

19 4th Avenue, Parktown North 010 880 4793

PROUD MARY

Stimulate your senses and prepare to have your taste buds tickled by the best small and café plates at Proud Mary, the latest project by restaurateurs Gary Hollywood and Warren Murley, previously behind La Boqueria. Located on the ground floor of The Bank, Rosebank’s latest multipurpose development, this hotspot features a globally-inspired menu, Instagram-ready cocktails and an excellent raw bar stocked with plenty of oysters, salmon sashimi, sea bass ceviche, tuna tartare and marinated octopus. From the building’s modern black brick exterior to the quirky midcentury interiors – we’re talking textures of brass, terrazzo and natural wood with contrasting tones of teal, oxblood and emerald – the clean, elegant space flows seamlessly and has a very New York feel. The impressive bar does a lot of things fantastically, including cocktails like the Gin Blossom Tea that not only dazzles in presentation, but allows customers to see their drink’s flavours of Sipsmith Gin, cherry blossom and pink tonic birthed before their eyes. The menu spoils both vegetarians and meat lovers for choice: There’s mouthwatering burrata with orange pickled fennel and fresh dill, a soul-soothing coconut red curry with crispy ginger and nut gremolata, must-order sticky pork belly topped with sesame seeds and fresh coriander and a noteworthy wagyu burger on a seeded bun with silky béarnaise sauce and triple fried chips. It also relishes the taste of the sea with delicacies like octopus roasted over an open coal fireplace and al dente crab linguine with fresh herbs, chilli, garlic, white wine and lemon butter. There will undoubtedly be a wait for a table, but put in the time or book in advance and you’ll find yourself seated in an airy space full of stylish diners that will make your afternoon or evening unforgettable. The outside dining area can get loud on busy nights, so ask to be seated inside if you want a quieter experience.

The Bank, 26 Cradock Avenue, Rosebank 010 023 3316 www.proudmary.co.za

WICKLEYS STEAKHOUSE

In the buzz of Fourways (especially in Fourways Mall), a serene lunch or dinner spot is truly a special find. Not only is the meat at Wickleys Steakhouse top-notch, with fillet, rib eye, sirloin and T-bone among the most popular cuts – it’s a slick operation and the restaurant just oozes charm. Unlike the usual cave-like, wood-paneled steak joints in Joburg, this thoroughly welcoming grill room feels fresh and elegant with a plant-laden verandah and a main room that’s no less glamorous, done out in brilliant jewel tone colours such as ruby and sapphire. If the menu has a star, it has to be the extraordinary, melt-on-the-tongue rib eye, which has unrivalled sweetness and tenderness, decadently dressed with a silky-smooth Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 and peppercorn sauce. However, the rump and tomahawk also have their story – they’re rich, complex and not easily forgotten – and the sides are equally worthy, particularly the crumbed mushrooms and onion rings. You’ll quickly believe the rumours about this new meat-focused restaurant! Of course, the wines are as spectacular as you’d expect, so great beef and great reds go hand in hand. If you’re feeling a bit girly and want to eat lite, try the perfectly pink peppercrusted ostrich fillets. Aside from the grills, the chef also whips up delicate rainbow rolls (with your choice of salmon or panko prawn), butterflied queen prawns in a luscious lemon butter sauce and Norwegian salmon that’s moist and flaky within with a golden crust. Also make sure you try a starter like the wings tossed in Jack Daniel’s hot sauce, or the ‘firecracker’ prawns in a fresh tomato-based sauce with a splash of ouzo … heavenly beyond words! They’re served alongside specialty cocktails from the Watermelon & Ginger Mojito to the Crisp Cucumber Crush. And the red velvet cake, with a soft ‘velvet’ texture slathered in cream cheese icing, is so fluffy you can definitely fit it in. We promise!

Shop 22-24, Fourways Mall, Corner of William Nicol Drive and Fourways Boulevard, Fourways 011 516 0218 www.wickleyssteakhouse.co.za

BLUE ROCK BAR & GRILL

Raise a glass to Blue Rock Bar & Grill. With a laidback vibe and memorable cocktails that run the gamut from the sophisticated to the eccentric, this new eatery is making a name for itself among 4th Avenue Parkhurst’s foodie scene. The space is unfussy but thoughtfully designed, with bartenders swirling libations to the retro soundtrack of R&B from behind a swanky bar. On weekends, don’t be surprised to find the bar crowded with people who are all digging into sharing platters and reaching for their cocktail jugs. Simple but perfectly executed lounge fare is just what you want when the terrific cocktails include complex ingredients and are layered with artisan spirits and flavourful tinctures. Pretty much anything on the appetisers menu is worth ordering: The golden crumbed mushrooms, jalapeño-heaped nachos, pan-fried squid heads in a lemon butter sauce and jalapeño poppers with a crispy exterior and cream cheese filling. While you decide, order a round of excellent, gin-focused cocktails like the cinnamon-spiced Cape Kiss made with gin, apple, strawberry and cinnamon sticks. We also recommend the sweet, delicious Chichi Blue – made with rum, blue curaçao, pineapple and a dash of coconut milk, it’s sure to give you a taste of the tropics. Be warned: These beautiful, smooth-tasting cocktails are highly potent! If you try one thing on the main menu, make sure it’s the queen prawns with a decadent garlic butter sauce or the thick, richly marbled rib eye that’s dry-aged and then grilled to a deep char. Other tasty plates include the vegetarian grilled black mushrooms with spinach, feta and rocket as well as the grilled butternut stuffed with creamy spinach and topped with melted mozzarella. For dessert, whoever said it couldn’t be enjoyed by the glass? Kick back with the rose petal-infused Turkish Delite cocktail – vodka, cranberry, rose water and lime – which proves that treats can be just as tasty when in cocktail form.

38 4th Avenue, Parkhurst 082 783 4994 www.blue-rock-bar-and-grill.business.site

MORNING GLORY CAFÉ

We’ve got a crush on blush! Pink is hot right now – not just ice-cream parlour colours like pastel pink, but hot pink and millennial pink. At Morning Glory Café, pink has cast off its sugary fluffiness and been reborn tougher. Who would’ve thought breakfast and interior design would form such a happy marriage? With its dusty pink walls, exposed brick, subway tiles and neon signage flashing ‘rise and grind’, owner and architect Chad Brandon Paul wrote the handbook for Instagrammable coffee shops. This is the new place to be for breakfast on weekends, but it’s worth a stop for a morning fuel-up or a linger over a strong and stiff coffee any day. The killer menu spans everything from Posh Oats with apple crumble, flaked almonds and cinnamon to the Classic Bacon Bun – a toasted roll with farm butter, crispy bacon and greens. Breakfast highlights include the delicious, always-fresh espresso drinks with impressive foam work, egg-in-a-hole bagel, cornflake-coated French toast stack and the open toasted croissant topped with two poached eggs, bacon, rocket and hollandaise sauce. For a kinky treat, try the Banana Rama – gently toasted old-fashioned banana bread served with a fluffy espresso cream and cashew nut brittle. They’re open until 13h00 on weekends for those craving breakfast or lunch.

Park Corner, 146 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood 064 544 6556 www.morning-glory-cafe.com