5 minute read
MUST-VISIT new additions to the SA foodie scene
Must Visit
New additions to the SA foodie scene.
Advertisement
PIER RESTAURANT
Praise be, the La Colombe group has added another jewel to its crown of sensational restaurants; two, in fact! The fi rst, PIER Restaurant, is located on the fi rst fl oor of the Pierhead Building at the V&A Waterfront and o ers an intimate, multi-course fi nedining experience in, truly, one of the city’s most beloved destinations. Step away from the chaos of the shopping district for an afternoon or evening of wave-upon-wave of ultra-fi ne, oceanside dining, accompanied by the iconic views the Cape Town harbour is adored for. Chef John NorrisRogers, previously of La Colombe and La Petite Colombe, is at the helm of the kitchen, so diners can expect genuine haute cuisine. Think oysters poached in local MCC, Thai-style tuna with furikake, and nitrogenpoached citrus fruit to cleanse your palate. PIER Restaurant will send you home reeling with the artistry and table-side theatre of it all.
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town www.pier.restaurant
How do you prefer your fine dining experiences? Ocean-side, multi-course and multi-sensory with a view of the harbour’s constellation of lights? Or ensconced in wild and untamed yet opulent surroundings with a nitro espresso martini in your paw? Or how about in a luxurious poolside cabana, cocktails and tapas plates littering the table in front of you and your friends? Or an ubertrendy supper club, where you can dine, drink and then party in style? Well, whatever your particular preference or mood, there’s a place on the South African food scene to cater to it and here are some of the newbies we’re most excited about.
ZIOUX
“Uncage yourself,” says Zioux. And given this mantra, it’s perfectly unsurprising that there is scarcely a recognisable cocktail or food item on the menu at this new, uber-trendy champagne bar and cocktail lounge in Sandton. And by recognisable, I mean done before. The untethered brainchild of chef David Higgs, Zioux turns away from the rigidity of traditional ideals of luxury and embraces savage creativity, wildness of mind, and intrepid experimentation, encouraging guests to “get in touch with their wild side”. Here, food truly is art, which means rules are thrown completely out the window with the most delicious and enchanting consequences. The décor is spectacular: a blend of wild print, sultry dark wood and paintings of animals... wearing clothing? And they offer a rather intriguing cocktail and food pairing, like the boerewors Old Fashioned paired with lamb or the caper martini and salmon. Sandton, Johannesburg | www.zioux.com
THE WATERSIDE RESTAURANT
And the second addition to the La Colombe crown is The Waterside Restaurant, which resides on the ground fl oor of the Pierhead Building, right beneath PIER. Here, the vibe is still sophisticated but a touch more casual than upstairs, with a vibrant and eclectic multi-course fi ne dining menu that guests can enjoy both indoors and on the outdoor sun-drenched deck. Ruling the kitchen is another La Colombe alumnus, head chef Roxy Mudie, who previously worked as sous chef at both La Colombe and Protégé in Franschhoek. Once again, diners can expect dishes like Cape Malay crayfi sh salad or Asian pork belly with scallops that are multi-sensory works of art that oscillate between delightfully playful and genuinely mind-blowing.
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town www.thewaterside.restaurant
CABO BEACH CLUB
Step aside Shimmy Beach Club, legendary though you may be, because a new era has dawned, and its name is the Cabo Beach Club! Located right on the Atlantic waters of the V&A Waterfront, Cabo promises many things. It’s a contemporary, cosmopolitan beach club, where casual dining and endless cocktails are the order of the day, enjoyed liberally against a backdrop of white beach sand and fathomless sky. It’s a pool complete with luxurious loungers, day beds and poolside cabanas, fully serviced with food, cocktail and wine menus. And it’s a sophisticated lounge, a peaceful and exclusive location to conduct business or just duck out of the chaos of the working day or weekend revelry. Cabo Beach Club proudly carries forth the traditions of its predecessor, just reimagined and all the more glamorous for it!
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town www.cabobeachclub.co.za
MONARCH SANDTON
Inspired by the luxury and Mediterranean lifestyles of Saint-Tropez, Mykonos and Monaco, Monarch is Sandton’s newest “supper club” and a most trendy addition to Johannesburg’s day and nightlife scene. It’s the kind of place you walk into on a red carpet, spend the day ploughing through delicious tapas-style plates and platters, inventive cocktails, French champagne, ending up with an evening on the dance fl oor with a Champagne ‘pyrotechnic’ fountain in your hand. Playing on themes of royalty and butterfl ies, Monarch’s immense space is aesthetically spectacular, o ering sumptuously comfortable booths and upscale fi ne dining seating, catering to a spectrum of tastes and agendas, from a sophisticated lunch or dinner to raunchy dancefl oor escapades.
