Planning a group dinner or special occasion? Then a restaurant with a private room is a necessity. Fortunately, Joburg’s restaurants with private rooms are nearly as varied as Joburg itself. With our handy roundup of the best private dining spaces, you should be able to find exactly what you’re after. We’ll assume our invite’s in the post!
Ethos
Best for: Friday lunch when you’re not going back to work
Private room: Fully private dining room
If your group cares more about the food than most, Ethos has got to be the pick. Operating out of a bright space with high ceilings, this magnificent new restaurant and bar is a pleasure in every way. The Tatsakis family AKA the Hellenic heroes at this stylish gaff are in the business of interpreting Mediterranean classics to an impressive effect. The flavours may be reassuringly authentic, but the presentation is progressive – note the coal grilled octopus dressed in olive oil and lemon, burrata cheese filled with a roasted rosemary and garlic dressing, crab moussaka layered with crab and tomato ragu as well as the whole line fish rubbed with herbs and olive oil and filled with layers of tomato, olive and red onion. Local wines rule when it comes to the wine list and corkage can be pre-arranged.
Shop 5 Sandton Court, 183 Rivonia Road, Morningside
010 446 9906
reservations@ethosrestaurant.co.za
Facebook: @ethos.sa
Instagram: @ethos.sa
Aurum Restaurant
Best for: Going all out in decadent surrounds
Private room: Choice of a fully private boardroom, semi-private chef’s table and wine library
Looking to make a big impression? Aurum will do the trick. Fine dining technique paired with intricate dishes can tend to feel stuffy, but at well-known chef and culinary consultant Paulo Santo’s stellar all-day spot that’s just opened on the seventh floor of The Leonardo, the kitchen’s classic training somehow feels fresh. The luxurious restaurant turns out some of the best contemporary European dishes in Jozi, including cured springbok, slow-braised pork belly and Norwegian salmon. During the day the restaurant offers a ‘Light’ menu for lunch, and in the evenings a ‘Dark’ menu for dinner. Aurum also shines with an exquisite wine list. This is just the place to go if you’re looking to take your group on a nostalgic culinary journey that fuses old-world service with new-world cuisine.
Level 7 The Leonardo, 75 Maude Street, Sandton
Facebook: @aurumrestaurant
Twitter: @aurumsandton
Instagram: @aurumrestaurantza
Epicure Restaurant
Best for: Classy carnivores
Private room: 40-seater private dining room
Want to dig into sambusas, doro wat, complex stews and more sublime African food? Grab the escalator inside the super-smart apartment building that shoots you straight up and spits you out into this slick and sprawling restaurant. Chef-owner Coco Reinarhz uses slow methods of cooking mingled with flavours of West African spices to make classic yet innovative dishes – think signature entrées such as beef fillet on the bone, Yassa baby deboned chicken, Vadouvan spiced sea bass and West African style goat. And what’s more, when the sky-high spice levels start to kick in, you’ll be able to hide the tears in your eyes. Whether it’s a leisurely lunch, a quick catchup or a matter best settled over a few beverages, Epicure is ideal for discrete business discussions.
3 Lower Road, Morningside
010 594 5336
Facebook: @epicuresandton
Instagram: @epicure_restaurant
Caffeine & Cashmere 