Joburg fine dining has stepped up a notch with the opening of Ethos

Oxford Parks is evolving into the epicentre of fine dining in Joburg with the latest arrival of new restaurant Ethos. Situated a couple of blocks from the hub of Rosebank, the new centre opened late last year. It almost appeared to miraculously emerge out of the rubble on the corner of Jellicoe and Oxford Road. It’s a beautiful space and surprisingly serene corner of the city.  

On one side you can’t miss the brand new Radisson RED with a stunning rooftop pool and bar and the glorious vistas over the suburbs. There are a handful of restaurants and a couple of shops, with the promise of more to come.

Chef Luke Dale Roberts was the first to be brave enough to open a restaurant here, the new iteration of his Cape Town Shortmarket Club.

And now there’s three fancy restaurants with the addition of the latest Mediterranean-inspired Ethos restaurant which has found a new home at Oxford Parks.

Stepping into Ethos, one is immediately struck by the décor and design. It’s maybe not to everyone’s taste, yet one can’t fail to be impressed by the grandeur of it all. Your eye is drawn to the ceiling, which is covered with what the owners call a baffle — a fabric finish suspended from the ceiling made from specially imported material from France. There’s a huge bar, with one of the longest counters I’ve ever seen, which is sure to be a hit.

It feels like a tranquil space thanks to the use of beige and cream colours in different shades and textures to create a peaceful haven with bold splashes of greenery. The centre piece is the most striking — an enormous olive tree, yes real, that sets the tone. Giorgio Tatsakis, 21, is responsible for the interior design and together with his father and founder of Ethos, Chris Tatsakis, travelled the globe in search of  inspiration — and it shows.  

Newly appointed executive chef Ken Phuduhudu is at the helm of the kitchen having teamed up with Dale Roberts to design a new menu for Ethos.

The large menu is filled with many inspiring ideas, with Mediterranean cuisine at the core of the dishes. It’s the kind of food that multitalented chef Ken truly loves and he has woven a nice mix of traditional and modern interpretations of dishes into the menu.

A recent quick light lunch was just an introduction to this special place. Over a glass of chilled wine a friend and I caught up over a clever Ethos salad — thin layers of crispy filo pastry rounds interspersed with spinach and feta filling and a side helping of sour cream.  A lovely mix of crispiness and softness, almost too good looking to eat.

I chose a light dish of stuffed calamari tubes — six plump tubes in a circle, artistically laid out on slices of aubergine topped with a delicious nest of the crispiest topping, the stuffing piquant, yet creamy and tasty, with just the right amount of bite. A very good introduction. We’ll be back for more.

Bookings: reservations@ethoserestaurant.co.za

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