Everyone in Johannesburg knows about The Saxon and The Westcliff (Soon to be Four Seasons), but very few people have heard about Morrells: a 5 star boutique hotel and venue in Northcliff.
It’s breathtaking; autumnal trees and rose bushes dapple the courtyards, Edith Piaf and water fountains gently sooth away any stresses from your day, whilst walls bejeweled in hanging ivy lead you through archways to the unique and elegant dining areas, both inside and out…If it sounds like a fairytale, that’s because it is.
Morrells dining facilities used to be exclusively for use of the hotel patrons, but they’ve just opened their doors and extended an invitation to those who wish to share memorable experiences in the venue’s recently-launched bistro.
Tyrone Geduld, their newly appointed chef, comes from a family of artists and compares a dinner plate to a canvas on which he delights in making magic happen. He’s a charming, likeable and talented young chef who I think is going to go far.
He created a gorgeous 5-course lunch for us including a salad of herb-marinated leeks, prawns and feta with a red currant vinaigrette, a main of fillet with a rustic butternut mash and a red wine caramel sauce and, for dessert, the most exquisite pineapple cake with nougat ice cream and a salted-caramel sauce. Each dish was perfectly cooked and presented and subsequently devoured by all!
The bistro is romantic, French-inspired, flower-adorned and unlike anything I’ve seen in Johannesburg, except perhaps for Shepstone gardens (which is a venue rather than a restaurant). The service is excellent and the exceptional staff will make you feel completely at ease.
There are so many things to enjoy here – they’re new and dynamic pastry chef Eli Williams now offers elaborate and intricate High Teas (which we also indulged in); you can enjoy your high tea in a private room or in the gardens, expecting nothing less than a cacophony of ‘Alice in Wondeland’ style decadence. The tiered cake stands were laden in tartlets, mini red velvet and cheese cakes, flourless chocolate tarts and crème brulees in little tea cups, plus an array of savories including smoke salmon mousse on crostinis, katafi wrapped prawns and delicate ham, gruyere and spinach spring rolls. This is something truly special and a treat that any mum, daughter, bride or mother-to-be would never forget.
There’s a quaint little shop selling orchids and all that is pretty, a spa offering massages, pedis and facials (if you haven’t indulged enough) and they’re looking at hosting fine-dining evenings, which will suit any special occasion.
This is a magical place run by magical people who simply wish to please you – it’s service with a genuine smile and I cannot recommend it enough.
And finally, the cost: high tea will set you back R250 a person but this gives you the option to personally design your menu. The Bistro menu: starters and desserts costs between R60 and R80 and mains between R150 and R215.
For all reservation enquiries please contact Morrells Boutique Venue by email on reservations@morrells.co.za or by telephone on (011) 476 9495