Must-do venues: Johannesburg’s Zioux Luxury Cocktail Bar, Hacienda in the centre of Cape Town, Chinchilla Rooftop Bar also in the Mother City and 14 on Chartwell, Durban. Photo: Supplied
Tis the season to indulge, with the Easter holidays just around the corner, and as Restaurant Week South Africa is upon us. What better way to celebrate than over some delicious food from some of the countries top restaurants — without breaking the bank. The event runs from 31 March to 30 April.
If you’re unfamiliar with this annual international culinary event, it’s aimed at bringing more exposure to the local dining scene, while giving foodies a chance to experience a variety of dishes at affordable prices.
Restaurant Week isn’t a new phenomenon. It was established in 1992 by Tim Zagat, co-founder of the Zagat Survey, an online platform that gathers restaurant ratings and reviews by diners. It was not only created as a marketing strategy for eateries but as an opportunity for the public to dine at discounted prices, allowing them to sample numerous dishes, including the more expensive meals they might not usually be able to afford.
This culinary experience doesn’t just happen in the course of seven days, it typically runs for roughly 31 days with more than 100 of the country’s top restaurants participating. This year, there are 125 eateries involved from various parts of the country. These establishments will usually provide a two, three, four or five-course menu, which people can view before booking.
Making a reservation is imperative and is done online through the Restaurant Week platform. It is also important to note that the menus are mainly crafted for afternoon and evening meals. Each restaurant’s menu is designed to encourage customers to try the interesting and diverse flavours they have to offer — a wonderful opportunity to expose foodies to new spots.
What’s great about the Restaurant Week booking system is how simple and efficient it is to use. There’s numerous search options that allow you to find the right spot based on dining experience; location; price; type of menu and restaurant and dietary requirements.
Some of the eateries participating include 2022 Eat Out Restaurant of the Year Award-winner LivingRoom at Summerhill Guest Estate in Durban, Salsify at the Roundhouse in Cape Town, which took home a three-star rating award at Eat Out in the same year, and Zioux, which was given a two-star and VISI Style Award at the ceremony.
Salsify recently bagged a three-star rating at the Eat Out Awards 2022 and took home the award for the best restaurant in South Africa at the South African Luxe 100 Best Awards. Photo: Supplied
The LivingRoom’s chef, Johannes Richter, is passionate about exploring diversity through his dishes by using locally sourced and indigenous ingredients to create an exceptional dining experience. When you’re in the restaurant, you feel as though you’ve been invited to a dinner party as the atmosphere is cosy and intimate.
They will be serving a five-course sample meal at R650, involving a variety of ingredients, such as sweet potato, salted beef, curried beans, rhubarb, spanspek and sourdough bread, creatively prepared in delicious meals.
Salsify will also be offering a five-course meal at R650, which comes with a glass of bubbly. Some of the dishes include smoked springbok; grapefruit and cured sashimi; slow-cooked pork belly; pan-roasted linefish; beef fillet and hazelnut and bitter chocolate tart. Head chef Ryan Cole’s dishes are largely driven by seasonality, nature and a love for different flavours.
The restaurant is in a national monument that dates back to 1786. It has been renovated with a modern design aesthetic that still draws on the history of the site. It has beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Marble’s group’s luxury cocktail bar and champagne lounge Zioux is also a popular choice for Restaurant Week, with a two and three-course lunch menu at R350 and R450, respectively. There’s seared game, pork belly taco, pan-fried kingklip, chilli con carne, hibiscus jelly and churros to choose from.
Exclusive: Zioux is a great place to get away from the busy city and enjoy a fine dinning experience. Photo: Elsa Young
Head chef Besele Moses Moloi, who has been working at the restaurant since it opened in December 2021, says: “We have taken a different approach. Our menu is Mexican-Peruvian-inspired using amazing local produce. The menu is constantly changing and my team is continuously working on new dishes. Seasonality doesn’t really affect us; it actually keeps us innovative and creative in the sense that we adjust to produce that is available.”
Other restaurants from across South Africa, mainly in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, that will be participating in the event include Sejour in Houghton, Dusk in Stellenbosch and 9th Avenue Waterside, near Durban harbour.
Booking is a must if you want to attend Restaurant Week, which will be taking place from 31 March to 30 April.
Here is how you can participate
Click here to log on to the events website. In the search bar, type the name of the participating city or province for the restaurant you’d like to visit and pick the eatery of your choice from the list provided.
Select the place, choose a date and time, fill in the number of people you are making a reservation for, click the course you are interested in, fill in your details on the form that appears and click reserve. It’s that simple.