Ferndale Ridge Restaurants

Lovingly run by a husband and wife team who specialise in homemade specialities made the Portuguese way. Tucked away in Ferndale with a loyal seafood following and homely décor, 1920 Portuguese Restaurant welcomes patrons with warm smiles, family photos dominated by football memorabilia and the lingering aroma of mouth-watering cuisine. The service is friendly and attentive; the menu brims with Portuguese delights and good selection of imported beers and wines using fresh ingredients and family recipes passed down from generations. Enjoy an array of homemade Madeiran specialties like Fejoada – a traditional pork, beef, chourico, and bean stew, fall-off-the-bone oxtail, porco com amêijoa - pork and clam casserole, tender calamari and succulent prawn rissoles. If prawns beguile, try the LM Mozambique prawns, served with a delicious homemade peri-peri and hand-cut potato chips or rice. The espetada, skewered cubes of rump steak, grilled the traditional way and served with milho frito, pan-fried squares of creamy polenta with kale, is a must-try. Tantalise the taste buds with a journey of the Portuguese islands at this homely and welcoming restaurant in Ferndale, Randburg.

Dine alfresco on the terrace, decks or within the beautiful grounds of St Stithians College. This funky restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinners with an exciting selection of a la carte meals, daily specials and international flavour all prepared fresh and seasonal. Visit Higher Ground Restaurant for a global and culinary experience in relaxed ambiance and breathtaking surrounds.

The exotic menu pleases with classic dishes that are both balanced and satisfying, catering for meat lovers in French fine dining style. Signature dishes such as the braised duckling off the bone, with a creamy green peppercorn sauce, flamed in gin and garnished with lychees in melt-in-the-mouth pleasure along with the mango and prawn hors d’ oeuvre dressed in a light curry mayonnaise. Dine to flickering candlelight in secluded privacy in private nooks and crannies enjoying classic dishes and daily specials at the beautiful Tudor style Coachman’s Inn.

Serving the best in authentic and aromatic North Indian cuisine, Ghazal proffers superb traditional foods from this intriguing culinary centre of the world.A diverse menu created with a passion for Indian food offers a wonderful choice of dishes. Enthusiastic world-class chefs create masterpieces of Indian cuisine using the finest natural herbs and spices. There is a wide selection of breads to accompany your choices and for the vegetarians there is a superb selection of meat-free options.Take a journey through India to remember.

Famous for the finest grain fed and free range beef, this family friendly restaurant secures daily offerings for lunch and dinner accompanied by a well paired boutique and extensive wine list. The décor invites a clean and simple approach with contrasting black and white mosaics, wooden floors and a daily specials school blackboard. The menu sets the pace for grill specialties such as the Falkland Islands Calamari prepared with sweet chilli jam and lemon butter cream, fresh line fish, gourmet salads, vegetarian dishes, and freshly shucked oysters. The Local Grill provides a family friendly, relaxed setting perfect for indulging in succulent grills.

This local haunt serves authentic Thai cuisine, perfectly balanced with sweet, savour and salty flavours and an intimate wine list to compliment each meal. All ingredients are fresh and freshly prepared to enhance the exotic dining experience, try a soup, salad, curry and some fish, meat and vegetable dishes. Specialities include tom yum goong, crab curry, prawn cashew and the famous pad Thai. Kai Thai wraps the palate in colourful surrounds, bamboo lights and exotic atmosphere, reminiscent of sultry Thailand beaches.

Located in Strijdom Park, this family run business delivers consistency, personal service and excellence with each experience. Boasting outstanding Portuguese fair, such as Maderia espatada braai’s and famous prawns, chicken and tinchalo dishes, Cesco’s embraces the hearty palate with finger licking cuisine and comfortable ambiance. Alongside traditional spreads, diners enjoy daily specials, salads, light meals complimented by Portuguese wines, all in the comfort and splendour of authentic Portuguese styles.

Balata Restaurant invites a culinary feast boasting fresh produce and great attention to detail. Overlooking the famous Randpark Golf Course, boasting exceptional breakfasts, and Sunday buffet lunches, diners enjoy the tranquil surrounds and tantalising menu. Pamper the palate with seared line fish fillet dressed in aubergine caviar or the grilled rack of veal with parmesan potato puree and garlic chips. Desert seduces with roasted strawberries and meringue on ginger shortbread companied with basil fluid gel and berry coulis. Balata Restaurant at The Fairway Hotel displays vibrant décor, bold colours and roaring fires for an intimate fine dining experience in Randpark.

This gastronomic gem in the heart of Craighall brims with slick upmarket aesthetics and numerous accolades that make this much love restaurant an iconic dining establishment in Johannesburg. The state-of-the-art kitchen entices with decadent and enticing dishes ranging from pizzas, pastas and signature dishes. Using only the best local and imported ingredients paired with an extensive wine list, diners immerse the senses in signature dishes, such as tagliatta al rucola (sirloin steak with rocket and parmesan shavings) and Umbrian inspired Salsiccia with grapes. With wine from Italy, Spain and France, including bio certified organic house wine to compliment the meal, complete the dining experience with tempting delights such as homemade crème brulee, panacotta, lemon sorbet, and pistachio ice-cream with pistachio brittle. Relax and enjoy good honest food in welcoming ambiance, where passion and people come together to share in the love of good food and company.

Stylish yet laid back, Ami Restaurant and Champagne Bar hints glamour and true white table cloth hospitality for an intimate dining experience with contemporary French touches. The décor whispers bold black, white and gold décor with a boutique feel that touches on elegant French classics yet remaining contemporary. Dining at Ami Restaurant and Champagne Bar is a grand affair. The menu captures dishes with recettes de cuisine and a fusion of South African, French and traditional. Whether dining on breakfast, lunch or a la carte, Ami Restaurant and Champagne Bar marries one of the best wine and champagne lists in Johannesburg alongside a dedicated desert menu. Diners enrobe the palate in delights such as Chinese beef - teriyaki beef strips, nectarines, tomato, sprouts, mushroom and the Mediterranean calamari - grilled with kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Dinner calls for secluded intimacy laced with champagne blanched duck with aubergine and cinnamon stuffed cos lettuce, flambéed in a sweet orange and gran marnier sauce. The tender, melt-in-the-mouth Moroccan lamb shank with coriander mash spring rolls and roasted mushrooms leave the palate yearning in nostalgia concluded by delicately sinful lavender crème brulé. Ami Restaurant and Champagne Bar provides opulent sophistication and decadent dining for a true white table cloth hospitality experience.

Suan Thai caters for an unpretentious crowed, who enjoy well priced food from the exotic shores of Thailand. The décor beams a fun and colourful ambiance perfectly complimenting the cuisine and classic chilled tunes. Start with a Tom Yum Goong Soup, a heavenly fusion of lemongrass, chilli and coriander and prawns. For mains, move onto the Chicken and Litchi Curry, decadently sweet spiced red curry with ginger laced with creamy coconut milk. For a hearty main, try the Lamb, Peanut and Sweet Potato Massaman Curry, infused with nutmeg, cloves and cardamom for a delicious Thai delight concluded by Banana, chocolate and hazelnut spring roll served with coconut ice cream. Dine indoors immersed in Thai ambiance or alfresco beneath the thatched terrace savouring a slice of exotic Thailand.

Inspired dishes from North and South India grace the menu and wet the appetite with and infusion of spices lingering through the air. Skilful chefs prepare perfectly balanced dishes that brim with exotic taste and aromatic flair. Sit down and enjoy an Indian dining affair with the likes of a 3 course dinner for a truly festive dining experience. Sitar hits the spot perfectly, when nothing other than Indian will do.

The décor captures the mood with ornate arched windows, warm earthy tones and colourful murals flanked by a large wine display. La Campagnola warms the palate with delicious Italian cuisine and an a la carte menu that boasts delightful starters, salads and pastas. Starter recommendations include the pan-fried calf brains with brandy and cream, and the smoked salmon carpaccio. Salads and pastas offer substantial choices with an array of vegetarian options such as the penne Campagnola with cashew nuts, mushrooms and ricotta cheese. Main course specialities include a tender rack of Lamb, veal escalopes with asparagus, and a superb beef fillet, served only upon the whim of what is seasonal. Dine within the warm surrounds or alfresco on the pleasant terrace wrapped in shrubs and trees, perfect for balmy summers. La Campagnola satisfies with delightful Italian delicacies that demand many return visits, so booking is essential.

Lord Prawn stands among seafood establishments as the lord of prawns. With reasonably priced seafood and platters for two, abundant wine to compliment each meal and a friendly comfortable ambiance - dining at Lord Prawn becomes a festive occasion. Enjoy a seafood platter for two bursting with queen prawns, calamari, mussels, rice and chips. Or tasty curries, medium to strong, mouth watering ribs and traditional British-style fish and chips. Combos consisting of rib and prawns or calamari and prawns appeal to those who can’t decide while sushi delights with delicious choices. Round off the meal with a chewy Turkish delight ice cream with white port. Lord Prawn caters for seafood lovers who enjoy reasonable prices and value for money in comfortable surrounds.

Brimming with cakes, cupcakes, tarts, deserts and just about anything else that could sway you from your diet, this warm and gorgeous boutique is slice of decadent heaven on a plate. From baked delights to scrumptious meals and sinful desert tastings every month, who needs an excuse to indulge, just pop into Scrumptious: Patisserie and Food Studio when the sugar fairy tempts you.

The cuisine is consistent and good brimming with Mandarin and Cantonese dishes, good wine and beers. With popular signature dishes such as the Peking duck, delicious dumplings and the best cucumber salad and calamari with black beans. The service is friendly and traditional with gentle drapes of red and gold warming this open and airy establishment in Hyde Park Corner.

This take on social dining, Dim Sum, embraces soul dining, which loosely translated means ‘Touch the Heart’ The décor stages sleek, sexy and bold accents, embracing a minimalist and calm ambiance, heighted only by contented chatter from satisfied diners. Whether dining over a quick lunch, languid luncheons or intimate dinners, So Yum’s vibrant culinary experience entices with authentic Asian flavours. The menu brims with a high variety of quality meats, seafood and vegetable dishes, expertly crafted by skilled craftsman. Compliment delicious Asian style salads, tasty wok stir fries, aromatic curries and mouth watering noodle dishes with flavoursome freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices or fragrant teas, exquisitely brewed in exclusive tea pots. So Yum sets the trend for evolved standards of dining, where healthy, wholesome and perfectly crafted morsel wet the appetite for a sublimely decadent dining experience.

Traditional Italian fair and unique ambiance is what Bongo’s is all about. The menu serves up Italian delights such as pizza, pasta and delectable deserts. A large selection of vegetarian dishes graces the menu alongside standard fair, carefully prepared and created to satisfy all tastes. Relax and chill out sampling delicious Italian feasts at Bongo’s in Randburg.

The chic interior blended with sophistication and cooking palates of green and browns seduces with elegant ambiance and understated intimacy. The modern, European cuisine wets the appetite with starters of fillet steak tartar and beer battered prawns, whilst main course recommendations lean towards delicately poached Scottish salmon with oyster mushrooms, and slow roasted chicken with truffle mash potato. Desserts entices with classics infused with a South African twist - Eton mess with passion fruit and paw paw, and panna cotta in a variety of flavours. DW Eleven – 13 emphasises on quality and fresh ingredients dressed in optimum flavours and flawless presentation. The wine list extends with a small yet well chosen local wines and imported champagnes. Step into a world of serene simplicity and fine dining at DW Eleven -13 located at Dunkeld West.

Satori enchants with quirky décor and colourful Italian mosaics, complimented by bold and bright artwork and moderate prices. Awarded Best Neighbourhood Restaurant, loyal patrons like to keep this hidden gem to themselves as they wine on the small quality menu enriched with salads, pastas and pizza. With enormous variety and choice and satisfying portions, the pizzas come highly recommended – thin based and baked in true Italian wood burning oven style. Dine in the intimate surrounds or alfresco on the terrace, fully enclosed for winter or open air for summer. Satori is one of those hidden gems, every neighbourhood wished they had, but for now travelling to Satori will just have to do.