Joburg’s restaurants may have temporarily closed their doors, but if you’ve had enough of supermarket pastas and poke bowls, you can take advantage of some of the City of Gold’s top restaurants now doing home delivery. The delivery man’s arrival will make you feel a childhood sense of excitement – a glimmer of normality when everything else is awry. And the best outcome of that familiar thud on the doormat is a parcel you can open and devour in seconds – think a Naples-style pizza topped with tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, burrata and basil, or a wagyu Denver wellington with vegetables and mustard velouté. If you fancy eating in style while self-isolating, here’s our pick!
PS: Companies such as UberEats and Mr D Food – who are now offering a no-contact drop-off service – already provide extensive Joburg coverage, these restaurants are taking matters into their own hands. Also, remember that details change all the time, so always check their websites or social media channels for the latest info.
Our top pick for an anniversary: Est Est Alea
Eating at Est Est Alea in Parktown North is pretty fancy at the best of times. Getting a takeaway delivered is a whole next-level decadent ridiculousness, but hey. If you have the wherewithal, the very finest three, five or seven-course dinner can be yours. You have two options – either you can have all components, including the dish elements, plates and cutlery, delivered in a pre-packaged box with full instructions on how to cook the dishes. Or, you can opt for home-cooked meals that you simply heat and eat, also delivered to your doorstep. The menu includes the likes of soup shots, Japanese beef and salad of pickled and smoked octopus for starters; duck and stone fruit, grilled line fish and liquorice quail for mains; and chocolate textures, crispy kataifi and winter pudding for mains.
How to order: Call the restaurant on 082 422 8158 or email bookings @estestalea.co.za
Delivery notes: The prices are as follows: R500 per person for three courses (including breads and condiments), R700 per person for five courses or R850 per person for seven courses. The restaurant requires two days’ notice to prepare and source your menu, which you put together yourself by selecting your dishes from the large variety on their website. All boxes will be delivered by 17h30 and collected the following day by 11h00.
Facebook: @cubetastingkitchen
Instagram: @cubetastingkitchen
Our top pick for a birthday: Aurum Restaurant
Esteemed chef and culinary consultant, Paulo Santo’s ‘modern-day golden experience’ restaurant in Sandton has been forced to shut, which is a real shame considering how much anticipation there was about it opening earlier this year. However, they’re still dishing out with their new COOKS @ HOME delivery offering. The menu is divided into salads, snacks, starters, mains, sides, dessert, pizzas, flatbread and wood-fired ‘naan’. We highly recommend the teriyaki glazed sweet potato or the smoked and flaked salmon tortellini to start, followed by the exotic mushroom risotto or the braised beef short rib for mains. Those with a sweet tooth are spoilt for choice with desserts ranging from a white chocolate cheesecake to the baked apple with cinnamon and tonka bean crème anglaise.
How to order: Call the restaurant on 087 536 0100 or email bookings@aurumrestaurant.co.za
Delivery notes: Delivery is available within a 10km radius of Sandton CBD, but the restaurant will consider orders outside of this range on a case by case basis. A service and delivery fee of 12.5% is added to all orders, with minimum orders starting at R200. 40% of sales proceeds go directly to their staff wage bill.
Facebook: @aurumrestaurant
Twitter: @aurumsandton
Instagram: @aurumrestaurantza
Our top pick for an at-home date night: DW Eleven-13
The Dunkeld West stalwart is offering a self-proclaimed ‘fine dining at home’ menu by chef-owner Marthinus Ferreira. Starter options comprise of cauliflower velouté with croutons, charred mushrooms and truffle oil; pumpkin velouté with croutons, fried seeds and rosemary; pulled lamb shoulder with fried polenta, cauliflower purée, dates, pine nuts, mint and goat cheese; and fried polenta with spinach purée, cranberry and pecan butter. For mains, the roast chicken with roast potatoes, green beans, beets, confit onions, carrots, herb stuffing and jus gras is our favourite, however, a wagyu Denver wellington and paella style seafood rice are also available. Pear and dark chocolate ripple gelato, chocolate caramel tart and treacle tart round off the meal.
How to order: WhatsApp the restaurant on 011 341 0663
Delivery notes: Delivery is available within a 10km radius. The delivery menu has two delivery times – lunch (12h30 to 13h30) and dinner (17h30 to 18h30). For lunch deliveries, you must place your order by 18h00 the day before. For dinner deliveries, you must place your order by 12h00 on the day. The menu is available from Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and on Sunday for lunch only. Delivery costs R25 within 2.5km, R50 within 5km, R75 within 7.5km or R100 within 10km.
Facebook: @restaurantdweleven13
Twitter: @dweleven13
Instagram: @dweleven_13
Our top pick for a Treat Yo’self Tuesday: Café 28
Inanda’s cutesy pizza joint overlooking a golf course and the Sandton skyline is doing their own deliveries within 15km and via UberEats within 5km. On the special COVID-19 delivery menu, you can choose from a selection of antipasti, pizza, pasta, burgers and desserts. We recommend ordering the Caprese di Burrata antipasti tossed with ripe tomatoes, fresh burrata cheese filled with cream and fragrant basil as well one of the authentic Neapolitan pizzas. The Montanara is our top pick – this pizza topped with fior di latte mozzarella, Parmigiano fondue, Italian sausage and porcini mushroom dust will transport you to a balmy terrace in southern Italy. While you’re at it, why not go all out and order the creamy, dreamy vanilla panna cotta with crushed pistachios and caramel too?
How to order: Phone the restaurant on 011 083 7873 or order via UberEats
Facebook: @cafe28sandton
Instagram: @cafe_28_inanda
Which other delivery restaurants do you recommend for a special occasion? Let us know in the comments below!
Caffeine & Cashmere 