In this month’s edition of our restaurant news blog we bring you the lowdown on Melville’s newest cafe The Table at 27 Boxes, a fresh new look for Stanley Beer Yard and Sandton’s The Bull Run steakhouse, a cool new underground bar coming to a heritage building on Gandhi Square, plus Marble’s David Higgs launches his own cookbook and Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa’s presents its chic new fine dining restaurant Grei.
Harvest table dining at The Table in 27 Boxes
The latest addition to Melville’s new look 27 Boxes centre,which has been undergoing an exciting revamp this year, is The Table. Launched by the same time behind 27 Boxes steampunk-chic restaurant The Countess, The Table is a harvest table restaurant focused on fresh food and ‘clean eating’. Expect good looking salads that taste as delicious as they look and an easy-going family-friendly atmosphere.
Stanley Beer Yard closing for renovations from May 19 to June 8
One of Joburg’s most-loved craft beer hangouts Stanley Beer Yard is getting a fresh new look this month. The bar is hosting a last hurrah on Friday May 18 from 17:00 with special offers on beers and tequila and vinyl DJs Brett Dugmore (of Mr Vinyl), The Klassikist and Charles Leonard on the decks. Don’t miss the auction happening at the bar from 19:15 when there’s a chance to take home a piece of Stanley Beer Yard’s iconic decor. And what to expect when the doors reopen on Friday June 8? “Modern boho décor and original music, food and drinks” and an intriguing soon-to-be-announced new name.
The Bull Run at Protea Hotel Balalaika gets a slick new look
The Bull Run at the Protea Hotel Balalaika in Sandton is getting a stunning revamp this winter to the tune of some R12 million. The new look is the first major overhaul that the long-running restaurant has had after 16 years in the business. The restaurant opposite the Johannesburg Stock Exchange sits right in the heart of a major new development, The Marc, that is set to transform this corner of Sandton and which link directly to hotel’s lobby. As the Protea Hotel Balalaika’s GM Jörg Zwinscher explained “with a trendy new development springing up next door, the time has come for a complete refurbishment”. Renovations are already underway headed by award-winning interior designer Tristan Du Plessis who is taking his inspiration from the New York Stock Exchange and that city’s famous upmarket grill houses. The new look Bull Run is set to open in early July.
New underground bar Zwipi to open on Gandhi Square
The beautiful heritage building Somerset House on Gandhi Square is getting an exciting face lift this winter with Thunder Walker, a multi-functional space that takes advantage of the historic building’s many period features. The building on Gandhi Square which is linked to the adjacent street by an early 20th Century tiled arcade, is being transformed with the help of JoburgPlaces (who also kick-started the pop-up food markets and bars at 1 Fox and One Eloff) in partnership with building owners Olitiziki Property Holdings. Downstairs, the old bank vaults of the United Building Society are being turned into the Zwipi Underground Bar and private dining rooms, while upstairs two floors of the building are being converted into the Balcony Gardens Apartment Hotel. Currently under development, the first phase of the venue, The Zwipi Underground Bar, is set to open in June.
Mile 8 by David Higgs: A book about cooking
Co-owner of Marble restaurant in Keyes Art Mile and co-presenter of the popular cooking show My Kitchen Rules, David Higgs presents his first ever cookbook, 8 Mile, due to hit big shops in October 2018. The beautifully illustrated book presents Higgs’ personal food journey, from the Namibian coastal town of Walvis Bay where he grew up, to the cowboy kitchens of Cape Town in the 90’s and South Africa’s lush winelands and to his live fire restaurant Marble in Joburg. The book promises over 90 dishes and 150 recipes that bring together unique and interesting flavours from across southern Africa including everying from a classic malva pudding to impala tartare.
New fine dining restaurant Grei opens at Saxon Hotel Villas & Spa
After 13 years at the Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa, Chef Candice Philip has taken the helm of the hotel’s new fine dining restaurant Grei. Loosely translated from Portuguese the name Grei means “a society of people” and the restaurant’s décor and menu is inspired by Scandinavian design and culinary philosophy, promising a simple, minimalist and sophisticated approach to ingredients and plating. At Grei, Phillips is serving up gourmet six-course menus that bring together her knack for unusual pairings, intricate plating and a love of herbaceous flavours. Grei is open Tuesday to Saturday from 18:30. Reservations are essential. To book call +27 11 292 6000.