Tag Archives: Restaurant

Pigalle, Melrose Arch, Johannesburg

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Sparkling Glasses. Clinking Cutlery. Love Restaurants!

Good Food. Good Drink. Good Friends. Good Times.It’s not exactly a state secret that I eat out at Melrose Arch a lot. One of the only restaurants that I had not yet tried was Pigalle, and I jumped at the chance to go there with two overseas visitors. The name alone conjures up images of delicious decadence in Paris, the raw, smoky atmosphere of the cabaret and gastronomic indulgence. The décor in the restaurant almost gets there with the elaborate Murano glasswork in the entrance, creamy granite surfaces and opulent gold embellishment on the chairs and couches.

The food, however, can be labelled as “silver medal”; it was good, but not great; flavourful, but not exuberant. I had a sesame seed encrusted tuna with a teriyaki sauce, which was nice, and we all know that nice is the fall-back adjective when you can’t actually think of anything earth shattering to say. The teriyaki sauce tasted exactly like the bottle of sweet and sour sauce from Woolies (whether that is a recommendation for Woolies or a black mark against Pigalle I don’t know). The tuna was lightly seared and first impressions were great, but it was certainly the understudy to the offering at Koi on flavour. The bit that really bothered me was the sour, vinegary, sauerkraut-like bed of something that it was placed on. I really did not feel that this German-Asian fusion worked at all. I can’t speak for my guests, but the impression that I got was that the lamb was nice, but not up to Zaff standards, and the fish was nice, but did not measure up against the Fishmonger in the Firs.

The wine list is extensive, and features an excellent selection of wines across all price ranges. We had a bottle of the Springfield “Life from Stone”; a controversial, love/hate wine. It certainly delivered on a very crisp, green, sharp body with some fruity esters on the nose. I’m glad I tried it, and enjoyed it, but I’m not sure I’d choose it over an easier drinking sauvignon blanc.Pigalle Resturant Melrose Arch Johannesburg South Africa Where is the splendour of Paris

The service was not bad, but certainly over the top. It was as if our waiter had read a book on how to be a waiter, but had no real experience. For one he swirled the wine around as if demonstrating laboratory centrifugation. It was not the type of service that made one feel at ease; comfortable to enjoy an exquisite meal where you can let yourself explore the flavours of the dish and get lost in deep conversation.

Nice seems to be the word for Pigalle, but at the price they need to provide something far better for Johannesburg. With such a name they need to bring the flamboyance of the cabaret, the grunginess of Quartier Pigalle, the unique atmosphere of Paris to us. Nice just doesn’t quite cut it.  I wish I had chosen Mezepoli, which was just below our feet.

Beirut, Parkmore, Johannesburg

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Sparkling Glasses. Clinking Cutlery. Love Restaurants!

Good Food. Good Drink. Good Friends. Good Times.Beirut in Parkmore is one of those shape-shifting entities that you just can’t quite pin down. First impressions are of a fairly rundown Cape Dutch style building adjoining a strip of shops and a decrepit looking petrol station on a busy road of an affluent part of Johannesburg, but this impression may just be an homage to the state of things in the Lebanese capital. On entering it becomes a blue-collar cafeteria style diner, complete with the harsh white of fluorescent lights and glass enclosed stainless steel deli area. Then you notice that the shelves around the mish-mash of chairs and tables are stocked with Lebanese delicacies; from rose water to tahini there is anything you need to host a Lebanese evening at home. Upstairs is an open-air bar area, and the restaurant itself is a dimly lit space to the side of the supermarket-slash-cafeteria, where the wafts of hookah smoke and subdued hubbub makes for a relaxed atmosphere.

Turkish Coffee and Lebanes Cuisine at Beirut Parkmore Bedfordview JohannesburgThe mix of cultures on the night was an interesting cross-section of Johannesburg, including a table of 40 or so local Lebanese that reinforced every stereotype of them! We tried out many of the items from the extensive menu meze-style, and the waiter was very honest in recommending that we stick to the small platter sizes. The food was not as elegantly presented as at other meze and tapas style restaurants we’ve tried, but it was incredibly good. One of our party was Greek, and she commented on the similarities between the dishes of the two cultures, the only difference being the names. From hummus, pita, and tahini through tabbouleh, baba ghannouj and on to falafel and schwarma, we enjoyed a broad sweep of the offerings. The only dish I gave a skip was the kebbeh, which is the Lebanese version of steak tartare, as I have a mental block against eating raw meat. The food is also very good value for money, and we ate like kings, or emirs, with a very reasonable bill.

We ended the night off with a Turkish coffee, which I had been warned was stronger than Conan the Barbarian hopped up on anabolics. It had a lovely bitterness and burnt, roasted notes, but perhaps I drink too much coffee, as I didn’t find it all that strong, and slept like a rock.

Beirut is not the height of fine dining, and does not present one with the elegant clink of silver cutlery and crystal glasses, but the food makes it well worth a visit. The traditional Lebanese and Middle-Eastern fare of Beirut can also be experienced in their Bedfordview restaurant and bookings are recommended. It is also  a good choice for vegetarians tired of pasta dishes.

Sophia’s Rosebank, Johannesburg

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Sparkling Glasses. Clinking Cutlery. Love Restaurants!

Good Food. Good Drink. Good Friends. Good Times.The first restaurant I went to with my wife and her parents, back when I was just the boyfriend, was Sophia’s in Rosebank. Named after the now 77 year old film star, Sophia Loren, the restaurant’s Italian village themed décor displays pictures of the actress on its walls and menu. The balcony, overlooking the Rosebank Mall entrance from the Zone, is adorned with an Andy Warhol-esque triptych of the great beauty in her prime.

The atmosphere is quiet and serene, in contrast to the newer bustling, trendy eateries in the area, and the music is provided by an interesting acoustic guitarist with beautiful instrumental covers of everything from Stairway to Heaven to Fur Elise. It is pleasant to be able to enjoy the conversation of good company without having to lean over the table to hear.

If you are looking for cutting edge experimental eating this is not the place. The food is simple, hearty Mediterranean fare, that is big on flavour and presented without fuss or fiddle. The kleftiko, my usual, is a treat for the carnivorous type with a hearty appetite, and I’ve been told that the fish is delicious. I know that the pizzas are very good from tasting other people’s, and the pasta is rich and indulgent, but beware the helpings are generous! The wine list has a fair selection but possibly could do with a few lower price bottles for more frivolous quaffing.Sophia's Mediterranean, Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg Italian Food and Sophia Loren

Desserts are good but not exceptional. My favourite, chocolate mousse, is a dark and slightly bitter treat, which is complemented by the great coffee to cut through the richness. My wife, who is on a mission to try every crème brulee in the world, has never order anything else, even though that first night I almost had my head taken off by a gesticulating Italian with a blowtorch.

My pet peeve, poor service, is fortunately lacking at Sophia’s, and the waiters all conduct themselves with quiet, measured efficiency that demonstrates their wealth of experience. They are all also well acquainted with the menu, ingredients and specials.

Although Sophia’s ticks all the boxes there is still something that is niggling me. It may be the slightly dog-eared corners of the menu, or the almost imperceptible greying of the table linen. My niggling may possibly be the fear that Sophia’s needs to bring back a bit of flair, or a new dish to the menu, to keep itself relevant in Joburg: a city that is rapidly moving to embrace contemporary dining and the excitement of culinary innovation. That being said Sophia’s will remain a firm favourite, and perhaps the newer Sophia’s Bistro  in Illovo will provide the modern twist for the brand.