Mogau Seshoene

Food

Bellagio is a firm Joburg favourite. It’s a little pricy but the delicious food and great service make it worth every penny. The pasta and steaks are spectacular, perfectly cooked to melt in your mouth. Seafood is a highlight and the seafood risotto with clams, mussels, calamari and prawns was wonderfully creamy and well presented.

They have a good selection of vegetarian options as well as gluten-free pastas. For starters, there’s a souffle of three cheeses served with a salad of baby spinach, caramelised walnuts, sliced pears and mint vinaigrette. Or opt for an oyster shooter with tobiko, sake, ponzu sauce and spring onion.

For mains, try the spaghettini with smoked salmon, vodka, sour cream, dill and caviar, or the seared salmon served on a bed of asparagus, new potatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes and salsa verde.

The dessert menu changes weekly, but the chocolate-based ones are irresistible.

Drinks

Bellagio has a wide variety of local and international wines as well as cocktails.

Service

Be sure to make a reservation. Staff are welcoming, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the menu. Take their excellent recommendations for wine pairings. Waiters are attentive and constantly check on the tables but in a non-intrusive way.

Ambience

This small and cosy restaurant is situated in an office park in a quiet, almost secluded area. It’s small and cosy but offers a fine dining experience complete with crisp tablecloths and a romantic and formal vibe that matches the food. The crowd is older and formal, but not so it’s uncomfortable.

Best for…

A romantic dinner, first date or intimate birthday dinner.

(August 2019)

Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay for their meals in full. Read our full editorial policy here.