Pretoria
Dining And Drinking

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Since Pretoria is home to artists, academics and ambassadorial personnel from across the globe, it stands to reason that, albeit relatively few in number, some of the countries best restaurants are to be found in this splendid garden city.

It is said that the Sputnik (ersatz or otherwise - mashed potato wrapped around a Vienna sausage of indistinguishable age) is the meal of choice for the majority of locals. However, considering that the majority of the dining-out population consist of poor students with voracious appetites, statistics in this case serve merely to baffle the unsuspecting visitor.

The Pretoria palate is in fact very sophisticated. This city, for instance, boasts more French restaurants than any other city in South Africa. La Madeleine in Sunnyside, for instance, is included in the international Courvousier Book of the Best. Then of course there’s the excellent and charming Brasserie de Paris, with its art nouveau touches, in nearby Hatfield.

You are spoilt for choice when choosing an Indian restaurant. For instance, there’s The Pride of India in the suburb of Groenkloof, where Eastern mysticism is embodied in the very atmosphere of this restaurant.

One of Pretoria’s most successful and popular restaurants, La Pentola, now in its fifth year of existence, has a creative and charming chef/patron Shane Sauvage still at the helm. Like its owner, this Pan-African place has character. Not only does the menu offer an excellent variety of dishes to choose from, but the blackboard ‘specials’ are truly special. The newly revamped wine list boasts some of South Africa’s finest.

Want Chinese? The Capital Chinese Restaurant in Hatfield is one of the most charming. In fact, this artist and student suburb is positively cooking with good international restaurants and interesting ‘Boere chic’ eateries.

This is also where you’ll find The Greek Easy, a busy ouzerie in an old cottage, with a long list of meze, renowned specialties and a lively plate-breaking atmosphere on a good night.

Speaking of Boere chic, the Gerhard Moerdyk, in Arcadia (named after the architect of the Voortrekker Monument), is luxurious, elegant, and offers fine South African cuisine.

If, in fact, fine dining is what you’re after, there’s the multiple award-winning, Lynnwood's Hillside Tavern, or the dignified La Perla, with its classic Swiss-Italian menu.

There’s also Thai fine dining – and the best is Wangthai. It is top-drawer, elegant and authentic, whereas Phuket Island offers easy Thai eating.

Want Portuguese? Outside of Portugal, South Africa boasts the largest Portuguese community in the world. And in Villo Do Mar, in the upmarket Waterkloof Heights, Pretoria has one of the best, with good Portuguese brandies and Ports.

Unequivocally the best and the busiest Portuguese restaurant, that boasts top-of-the-range quality seafood, reflected in the prices, is Vilamoura (there’s also one in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town). This is a huge, gastronomic success story with seafood platters and Portuguese national dishes of note.

Italians love Pretoria, and Pretoria loves Italian food. There’s top-of-the-range Ritrovo Ristorante in the smart suburb of Waterkloof Heights, which boasts authentic Neapolitan cuisine and panoramic vistas. There’s also Villa di’Amici in a charming ‘villa’, reminiscent of the aristocracy of old Italy. They specialize in traditional Italian cuisine with the emphasis on seafood dishes.

For easy Italian eating there’s Bistango in Arcadia, where French-trained, South African, Elizabeth Mafoko adds hints of the Far East to her French cooking.

The Gala Deli and Restaurant was one of the first in the city. Sit inside or ‘outside’ (it’s in a shopping mall) and watch the shoppers parade by. Eat authentic, freshly made pasta, or Italian rolls with delicious toppings while quaffing a glass of reasonably-priced Italian wine.

When in a multi-University city such as this one, Bohemian elements will always show their eccentric qualities. Café Riche, on Church Square, is one such place. The oldest café in Pretoria, this art nouveau, national monument is, in fact, the favorite of lawyers, diplomats, business people, students, theatre-goers and tourists alike. Sit outside on a fine Sunday and listen to gentle jazz while watching people feed birds on the square.

It stands to reason that there would also be a number of excellent steakhouses, given the exceptional quality and reputation of South African beef. There’s the previously mentioned Hillside Tavern and the writer’s special favorite, Pachas, which boasts a number of awards, as a result of offering the perfect formula—good food, an outstanding wine list, a choice of the best international cigar brands, and charming hosts.