Melrose Arch
M'Arch (as the area is known to regulars) has always attracted a well-heeled crowd, most notably to its famous pan African restaurant Moyo, but it's an even more chi-chi crowd that is now beating down the giant Zanzibarian doors heralding the entrance to The M'Arch Hotel and its impossibly stylish restaurant, March.
The restaurant shares floor space with the lengthy hotel reception because at The M'Arch Hotel there are no such things as boundaries. Space simply flows - and it makes for an extraordinarily spacious, contemporary and unfussy look.
Drawing its inspiration from all four corners of the globe, the hotel has defined its style with space, lighting and music. The music throbs at perfect pitch, beating out a collection of African and Arabic tunes while the lighting wows in the open-plan, double volume space. With a definite nod to international hotelier Ian Shrager and designer Philippe Starck, the restaurant's 24-seater table is the attention-grabbing focal point.
Lit from below as well as from above, the marble-slab table radiates a soft golden light. High stools dressed in textured velvet of different colours heighten the sense of drama. The rest of the restaurant is split - not that you'd notice it - into different sections. Commodious armchairs provide a more loungy feel while a red and black décor scheme adds dash.
Some form of sustenance is available throughout the day. Breakfasts are distinctly different with the inclusion of a smoothie and frozen yoghurt bar. Cakes and pastries are served throughout the day, as are March Aways - gourmet pizzas from the wood-burning oven - but it's the dinner menu that really wows.
Mike Bassett, of Ginja and Shoga fame, conceptualised the menu with March's head chef Ewan Hendersen. The new menu is most notable for its tandoori-style cooking. Mike has had two tandoor ovens installed in the show kitchen - but don't expect North Indian cuisine. Instead, you'll experience the same unbeatable smoky tandoori flavour with pork masala with mustard, apple and ginger dipping, twice cooked duck with hoisin dipping and miso-crusted fillet with sour plum dipping.
Ewan claims to be most proud of the starters - lightly crumbed oysters served on a Bloody Mary granita, Asian duck broth with spring onion crêpes, springbok tataki with caramelised pepper vinaigrette.
Desserts are equally trend-setting and there's a substantial choice for chocaholics. The Macadamia nut chocolate brownie, served with a dollop of homemade white chocolate ice cream, is heavenly, as is the unusual combination of lemon lime Alaska with gingered apricots and dondurma kaymalki.
We loved sitting at a table with strangers. Well, not ordinarily, but in these urbane surrounds you end up dining in very cosmopolitan company. And you get to feel terribly New York at the same time! If you prefer something more intimate, there are tables set for couples and foursomes.
The winelist is just one page, and gives no descriptions, no vintages - and not much indication of styles. Just what will tourists make of Flagstone Dragon Tree or Blaauwklippen Barouche? And surely a note about Pinotage would stimulate interest? There is a selection of Goederust wines by the glass (the Cab/Merlot is R39) but no off-dry wine to complement the fare. The small selection of imports is also listed without vintages, save for Château Capion (connected to Saxenburg and made by their winemaker). All reds are over R100, while most are R200 and up.
When you've finished dinner, retire to the library for whiskies, cognacs and cigars or cross the cobbles and pass the fairy lights on Melrose Square to Moyo.
In its first incarnation, Moyo was a small and enviably popular spot on Norwood's Grant Avenue. In making the move to Melrose Arch, it grew by storeys, by dishes, by patrons and by reputation. Undeniably one of Jo'burg's finest, it's booked up months in advance.
Every level at Moyo tells a story. Enter via a collection of mosaic tables, flaming outdoor fireplaces and waiters done up in grand African finery to the candlelit bar beyond. One flight up and you're in the open plan smoking area, one flight down and the tables are clustered around a stage where a colourful band is belting out African rhythms. Another spiral downward and you'll find yourself in the cigar lounge. Its terracotta walls are aglow with candles and its lounge furniture makes a long night very comfortable.
Another flight down - yes, you are by now in the bowels of the earth
- and the walls are a rock face so you can tuck up for private dining
and some spelunking!
The menu is one part African, one part Arabic - and does cater for the
faint-hearted. You won't find mopane worms but you will find tender lamb
tagine, crispy prawns with tequila and lime dip, seared calamari with
molasses, toasted peanuts and chilli, chicken breast served with pickled
lemons and olives and a decadent pistachio baklava.
A wide-ranging winelist (winner of a 2002 Diners Club Platinum Award) is backed by an enticing cellar list - with an invitation to visit the cellar "to view more of the selection". The standard list, sadly lacking vintages, is delightfully eclectic, ranging from unusual white varietals - which include off-dry wines to complement the spicy food (including Villiera Gewürztraminer at R80 and Simonsvlei Bukettraube at R65). New producers feature under the cultivar headings. There are reds under R100, but we balked at Jordan Cobblers Hill at R510, particularly when no vintage is given. A good selection of wines by the glass (including off-dry) simplifies wine and food matching. But to price Haute Cabrière Tranquille at R18,50 a glass (R110 a bottle) is pushing it.
If Moyo's too exotic, The Meat Co, with its signature central tower wine cellar, is a favourite for carnivores. The restaurant's crisp napery and heavy silver cutlery buy into formal grill house ideals and the steaks more than match expectations. Sit outside so that you can catch the vibe on the Square.
JB's offers an equally good vibe, gourmet pizzas (with toppings that extend from Gor-gonzola to caviar) and Champagne, while at Giovanni's, you can experience the tastiest risottos and most generous portions of pastas and hearty sauces.
It's been said before, but the idea is dine at M'Arch, dance at Kilimanjaro. Yes, Kilimanjaro does boast an African restaurant but with so many utterly superb choices within the district, there's not much reason to settle in one place for the night. After a long evening's dining, head over to this scalding hot African nightclub and take to the dance floor.
By Sam Alexander
March at The Melrose Arch Hotel. Tel 011 214 6666. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. BYO: not advised. Average three-course meal: R155.
Moyo. Tel 011 6841477/8. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Corkage R35. Average three-course meal: R150.
The Meat Co. Tel 011 684 1788. Open
daily for lunch and dinner. Corkage: R30. Average three-course meal: R150.
JB's Corner. Tel 011 684 2999. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Corkage:
R15. Average three-course meal: R100
Giovanni's. Tel 011 684 1007. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Corkage: R30. Average three-course meal: R120.
Kilimanjaro. Tel 011 214 4300. Open nights only. Corkage: not advised. Average three-course meal: R180. Secure underground parking throughout.
MOYO - PAN AFRICAN CATEGORY
Food
Winelist
Ambience
Service
Value
Address: March at The Melrose Arch Hotel. Tel 011 214 6666. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. BYO: not advised. Average three-course meal: R155.
Food: 4.5
Wine list2
Ambience: 4.5
Service: 4.5
Value: 4
