Visiting South Africa this December: Add this restaurant to your bucket list
Salsify at the Roundhouse celebrates a hat-trick of heritage and innovation, one of the best locations in Cape Town, and South Africa’s number one chef.
Anyone heading to warmer weather in South Africa – and in particular, Cape Town – over the next few months need to make sure they visit South Africa’s number one Chef, Ryan Cole. His restaurant, Salsify at the Roundhouse not only boasts one of the most iconic locations in the Mother City it also has a menu that showcases the heritage and nostalgia of South African food, presented as modern fine dining.
The restaurant, which recently turned six, is widely recognised as one of Cape Town’s landmark fine dining destinations. The restaurant’s latest summer menu weaves in the team’s passion for preserving heritage – paying homage to history, stories, and ingredients while crafting light, delicate dishes that resonate with the warmer weather.
Executive Chef and Co-Owner, Ryan Cole, together with Head Chef Nina du Toit and their team have curated a series of dishes on their chef’s menu that offer up a selection of locally sourced proteins, foraged herbs, ancient grains and preserved elements from previous seasons – like mushrooms and cherries.
The fish served in the restaurant is mostly caught by Chef Ryan or his brother. Ensuring not only its freshness but also peace of mind that it has been ethically sourced, underlining his dedication to sustainability.
Chef Nina revels in the ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, taking the humblest ingredients and elevating them to the most impressive of forms, seeking pleasure in the complexities of the seemingly simple.
Stand-out menu items include the “Rys Vleis en Aartappel” – a coal-roasted oyster with Spekboom and ginger, charred West Coast Abalone with squid Ink custard and Madagascar caviar, and the rice wine steamed pork jowl with sultana and pork skin crumb. There’s also Karoo Wagyu beef sirloin served alongside beef shin baked rice and chakalaka. For dessert, Bertie’s pecan nuts have been combined with ancient grains to create a delectable crumble and topped with cherries preserved from summer 2023.
The menu brings the life the restaurant’s most recent décor evolution which leant further into Salsify’s ongoing tribute to heritage. The Preservation Chamber showcases the original masonry of the historic Roundhouse building, juxtaposed with vibrant, graffitied murals by renowned street artist Louis de Villiers (aka Skull Boy). This art installation narrates the rebellious story of Dr. James Barry, one of the building’s earliest and most fascinating inhabitants, offering a striking contrast between past and present.
In the Seasonal Room, an immersive ceiling installation of thousands of meticulously folded flowers made from old Salsify menus – dating back to the restaurant’s opening – symbolises both the evolution of the restaurant and its commitment to sustainability. Each flower tells a story of culinary creativity and the team’s dedication to reducing waste and preserving the essence of what Salsify stands for.
Salsify is open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, and on Sundays for lunch. Due to high demand, booking is essential. Visit www.salsify.co.za/reservations.
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