(Image: Marble on left, and Bolton Road Collection on right, by Charles Johnstone)
Rosebank is seeing an art explosion as well as a restaurant revolution. There’s building and construction on every street and new coffee pop-ups and multi-million rand dining sensations…
New Coffee Spots:
Priest Espresso Bar
A coffee-shop-come-art-gallery, Priest serves up Urban Grind’s finest alongside delectable croissants, pasteis de nata and freshly-made sandwiches all amidst the work of up and coming artists. It’s a little bit hipster and very trendy, but we like it that way.
Voodoo Lily, Tyrwhitt Avenue
The youngest addition to the Voodoo family, it’s still very new and finding its feet. Go for freshly-squeezed juices, Bean There coffee and simple sandwiches.
Roast Republic Container,Corner of Jan Smuts and 7th Avenue
‘Coffee with a conscience’ is their motto and it’s a statement they really abide by – 50% of their profits go toward education development programs. Their current coffee blend is made up of beans form Tanzania, Guatemala and Brazil and gives you a medium-bodied chocolatey cup of goodness. They also serve paninis, wraps and salads that are brought in from their flagship café on Craddock Avenue.
New Restaurants:
The corner of Bolton and Jan Smuts has seen a makeover of immense proportions, the most celebrated of which is: The Collection
They opened their doors to the public two weeks ago and we’re delighted to say it’s a knockout! The restaurant is all about fine-dining without the frippery and the adjoining bar, serving outrageously good cocktails, is packed to the rafters on a nightly basis. The seared tuna starter with puffed rice, smoked daikon, apple, spiced ponzu and a horseradish snow is sultry and salacious. For mains it’s a toss up between the rump with triple-cooked, beef fat fries, the roasted seabass with a cauliflower puree and garam masala sauce and the fresh, West Coast mussels in apple cider, calvados and thyme.
The Coalition
They’re putting the final touches onto this Neapolitan pizza joint located just up from The Collection on Bolton Road. It’s the same guys that brought us Eatery JHB and Parliament so expect simple and delicious when it comes to the menu: everything will be made in the pizza oven.
The Keyes Art Mile:
BGR
They used to be Rosebank’s best kept secret, tucked behind the Shell Garage on the corner of Jan Smuts and Jellicoe, but now they’re shining bright with a permanent spot on the Keyes Art Mile. It’s an American diner-style burger joint serving up bottomless lemonade and the best cheeseburger in town. The menu couldn’t be simpler: choose between a classic, cheese or double burger with any number of toppings, with or without chips. That’s it.
The wonderfully eccentric design and décor will instantly put you in a great mood: bright colours, a shweshwe overload, vintage drinks display cabinets, hanging plants galore and walls covered from top to bottom in wooden artifacts. It’s a site to be seen. It’s both a bar and a laid-back restaurant serving bunny chows, salads, boerie rolls and sandwiches, coffees and cocktails. It’s a great place to hang out both day and night and the vibe is just fantastic.
David Higgs’ new multi-million rand venture needs no introduction. It’s all about live fire, open flame cooking that takes braaing to the next level. It’s an expensive, but rewarding, dining excursion with a view (as well as design and décor) to make you weep. The bar, which is separate from the restaurant, is the perfect place for a spoiling cocktail with great service, in fact, it’s fast becoming the place to see and be seen. READ Food24’s review.
Just up the road from Keyes Avenue, on the corner of Sturdee and Jellicoe, you’ll find a gem of restaurant; a little sanctuary in the midst of rambunctious Rosebank. The boutique hotel opened their restaurant doors to the public a year ago serving up exquisitely plated, fine-dining dinners, showcasing clean, delicate flavours. They’ve also just launched ‘Champagne and Oyster Fridays’ from 4pm-7pm offering 6 Namibian Oysters and a glass of Degrendel MCC for R195.
First Thursdays
First Thursday’s in Rosebank sees 11 galleries along Jan Smuts and Keyes Avenue (including Everard Read, CIRCA, The Goodman Gallery, David Krut and The Goethe-Institut) opening their doors to the public on the first Thursday of every month from 5pm until late. Along with this amazing art walk, you’ll find a hub of music, food and cocktails at the end of the Keyes Art Mile. The street is closed off allowing food trucks and mobile bars to set the scene for an evening of outdoor entertainment and merriment.
My suggested route:
Start at the Goodman gallery on Jan Smuts, then cross the road to Priest for a good, strong espresso and a meander through the four galleries there. Pop into The Collection for a cheeky cocktail. Walk up to Keyes Avenue and have a peak at the boutique shops and galleries before heading up to Marble for a sundowner at the bar. Then mosey on up to Everard Read and make your way down to Circa. Finish in the street with more delicious offerings from the fabulous array of food trucks and mobile bars (Ice creams from 2 scoops, Pizzas from Bearded Fella, Tacos from Amexicano, gourmet hotdogs from The Filthy Moustache, Drinks from The Union Bar)
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