Andrew

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Reviewed by Andrew

The drums beat an invitation. The feet of the Xhosa and Congolese dancers tell the story of Africa. The unaccompanied singers sing songs from all over the continent. It is this soup of African influences which welcome you to Gold.Located in the heart of Strand Street, the inviting venue opens its arms to local and international guests every day for lunch (a paired down version of the extensive dinner menu) and dinner which features the full African food journey through southern and central Africa. Add to this a healthy dose of Cape Malay cuisine and you have the freshest, most interestingly African menu in the Cape.Gold manages to seamlessly combine the gastronomic and entertainment elements of Southern, Western and Central Africa and the Cape into a dining experience which is as easy on the palate as it is on the pocket. The fact there is no couvert charge for the excellent Malian puppet theatre, dance and drum troupe put together by UCT dramatist Janni Younge is a bonus. You could be in Congo or Senegal but you quickly forget you are within 5 minutes of the Cape Town waterfront.The interactive djembe drumming and acapella singing of the highest quality ultimately had the most reserved of guests either on the dance floor or singng along to the infectious rhythms.Expect to find such interesting combinations as Bobotie Samoosas with Chutney Cream, Maize Nut Fritters with Apple & Mint Raita and West African Peanut Chicken on the menu.While affording a wonderfully personal dining experience for each table, the venue is also well suited to larger group bookings. A tour through the adjacent Gold Museum is also an option. While Gold should be on the list of any foreign visitor to Cape Town, locals (who would perhaps not usually support a restaurant with an African theme) should not miss the opportunity to savour something truly Cape/African in taste and flavour, and who knows, you may just be reminded of the amazing culinary and cultural experiences there are to be found on our doorstep at the foot of Africa.(Review shortened).