Restaurant review: Café Del Sol Botanico, Joburg

For contemporary Italian in a casual yet sophisticated setting, Café Del Sol Botanico is hard to beat, writes Catherine Black

On the back of the popular family-run Italian eatery Café Del Sol Classico in Olivedale comes Café Del Sol Botanico, the sister restaurant in Bryanston launched by the same owners. With a huge reputation to live up to, the new kid on the block doesn’t seem daunted by the task: well over six months after it first opened its doors, it’s tricky to get a table here without booking way in advance.

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Café Del Sol’s botanical-themed décor really does make you feel like you’re in a sophisticated greenhouse – no mean feat considering you’re inside Bryanston Shopping Centre. Along with the abundance of potted plants and motifs of foliage and flowers dotted on light green interior walls, a real vertical garden forms a dramatic focal point on one interior wall.

As chic as the décor is though, it’s the food that’s the real star of the show. The menu of contemporary Italian dishes with a twist focuses on “food that nurtures”, so everything is made with fresh organic produce where possible.

For starters, we shared the beef carpaccio with truffles, and the grilled bruschetta with toppings like salmon, tomato salsa, gorgonzola and strawberries – a great way to pack in the flavours into just one dish.

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For mains, the seafood risotto with prawns, smoked salmon and calamari was tangy, light and deceptively filling. My husband had the beef fillet with balsamic and port syrup that was, we agreed, equally as good.

Despite tempting dessert favourites like panna cotta, pavlova and chocolate meringue brownie, we went for three scoops of homemade ice cream which turned out to be the perfect ending to a perfectly balanced meal. 

While Café Del Sol Botanico has a fresh and casual feel, it’s by no means unsophisticated. Its winning combination of striking décor, impeccable service and thoughtful food that’s packed with flavour makes it the perfect choice for a business lunch where you need to impress, or for a special occasion with friends or family.

Visit: Bryanston Shopping Centre, Corner of William Nicol & Ballyclare Dr, Bryanston, Johannesburg. Call 011-463-0207.

This article was originally published in Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Johannesburg. Visit yourneighbourhood.co.za, like YourNeighbourhoodZA on Facebook and follow YourHoodZA on Twitter