Solo
Solo Restaurant in Sandton is a fine dining take on African fusion. Resident chef Ashley Murison-Johnson specialises in mixed African flavours with European influences, and turns out dishes you won't forget. Like the Bunny Chow tapa - constructed using slow-roasted lamb neck curry, mango atchaar, mojito yoghurt and dombolo, (better known as dumpling). Or the Salmon and Tiger Prawns offering complete with morogo (wild spinach), raw garlic dressing and a lemon and mustard remoulade is for you. This is the type of soul-stirring cuisine that will make you wish you can have a bigger stomach, just so you can consume more.
Queen Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant
Let's travel to Addis Ababa! With aromatic spices and flavours like these and an authentic dining experience, you'll feel as if you're no longer in Joburg. The Queen Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant serves quality traditional dishes, paying special attention to vegetarians, vegans, the health conscious, and the adventurous eaters among their customers. Visit this
website to find out more.
Little Addis Traditional Ethiopian Food
I'm pretty sure you've heard about this amazing place. Another Ethiopian cuisine hotspot,
Little Addis at 44 Stanley is a must-try. Serving their famous meat and veggie combo injera platters, as well as several traditional Ethiopian delicacies, the kitchen is open from Tuesday to Sunday. And their food is simply soulful.
Exotically Divine Ital
It's strictly vegetarian this side, guys! But even if you're not a vegetarian, we promise you will enjoy the amazing food at Exotically Divine Ital. It's hip and happening here too. Stating that they're believers in the power of Ital – the secret in healthy food, that magic, the zing – and the many benefits of a vegetarian diet. With that said, ladies and gentlemen, Ital is vital. Let's embrace healthy, vegetarian African food. Visit their
Facebook page or this
website for more information.
The Roving Bantu Kitchen
Okay let's get one thing straight, The Roving Bantu Kitchen is NOT a restaurant. They define themselves as an eatery, a living museum, a 'kultural base' showcasing what it is to be African, South African, past and present. They promise an experience that's unique but familiar and as many have said, you feel right at home in their kitchen. It's all about afro soul food and while their menu changes often, you'll always find some of your favourites when you go there. Check them out
here for more information.
Sakhumzi
What do the millennials say? I think they say, "
Issa vibe." And at Sakhumzi, they really do have a vibe. The restaurant is in Soweto, in the hip and happening Vilakazi Street, the tourist Mecca of Soweto. Opening its doors to everyone who wants an authentic African experience from the drinks to the food to the overall atmosphere, it's a popular place and highly recommended. Visit their
website for more information.
1947 on Vilikazi
No list of African cuisine is complete without mentioning the restaurant in our most famous street -
1947 on Vilikazi. Here you'll find an eclectic mix of both traditional South African and Western dishes to delight a variety of tastes. If it's a traditional meal you’re after, then you might like to try the lamb trotters (amangqina) - a favourite among regulars, and a twist from the usual pork variety, or a generous portion of mogodu with dombolo (tripe with steamed bread).
Chafpozi
It's not an African restaurant list without a place that offers chisa nyama. And Chafpozi is where you want to go as they do it the Mzansi way. So you can be sure it's amazing. This place reflects how vibrant Soweto is, so rich in culture. Make sure you visit at least once, take our word for it, you'll come back for more. Visit this
website for more information about Chafpozi.
Vuyo's Restaurant
I get hungry just looking at their
website. Check it out, you'll understand! If you visit Soweto, Vuyo's is a definite must-see, must-eat kind of place. We did mention that it's also on Vilakazi Street, the trendy hub of Soweto? We didn't? Ok, let's rephrase… the
whole of Soweto is hip and happening but Vilakazi is just where it's at.
HomBaze African Cuisine
Let's end the list with one BIG BANB! HomBaze gives you the whole continent in one place. Serving traditional dishes from particularly the East, West, Central and Southern Africa, this is an upmarket place and you'll find them in Parkmore, Sandton and also in Pretoria. Visit their
Facebook for more.
A note on Moyo...
You may be looking for Moyo and wondering why it's not on our list, seeing at the words 'African cuisine' and Moyo have become synonymous in Joburg. Unfortunately, well-known African eatery Moyo's Zoo Lake and Melrose Arch branches are both closed. We suspect Covid-19 had alot to do with that. The good news is that Moyo still has a branch in Kirstenbosch, so be sure to make a date if you're ever in the Cape again. For more information on Moyo visit this
website.
