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Belly of the Beast

6 Reviews
Contemporary fare, Fine-dining food, International, South African
Phone Number 0762205458 Opening Hours Lunch Dinner

Lunch: Tuesday to Saturday 12.30pm

Dinner: Monday to Saturday 6.45pm



Menu

Menu - Inquire At The Restaurant

Details

Cost
Lunch R650; Dinner R850
Food
Contemporary fare, Fine-dining food, International, South African
Corkage
1 x 750ml bottle per table @ R100
Cost
Lunch R650; Dinner R850
Ambience
Groups, Local cuisine, Special occasions
Payment
Mastercard, Snapscan, Visa
Facilities
Accepts credit cards, Booking required, Dinner, Food, Lunch, Serves food, Vegetarian, Wheelchair

Critic's review

Food
Chefs Anouchka Horn and Neil Swart head up this intimate 30-seater situated in the heart of the city, crafting fine-dining fare inspired by traditional South African cuisine, with an unwavering commitment to using local, seasonal and sustainably sourced ingredients. Tasting menus are presented on blackboards and vary in length depending on what the chefs have in mind for the day. The dishes are well balanced and lean on techniques including pickling, chargrilling and marinating to punch up the ingredients’ innate flavours. An inspired take on the traditional bread course is the roosterkoek with vegetable tartare and creamy mushroom pâté. The bread is cooked on an open fire, its smokiness perfectly offset by the marinated veggies’ acidic, herbaceous crunch, and the creaminess of the richly savoury mushroom pâté. And a main course of charred broccoli, served on a creamy onion risotto with grilled onion rings, Parmesan crisp and spice oil, nails the balance between texture and flavour, and offers bucketloads of complexity. Fishier fare includes a main course of local pan-fried hake – cooked to perfection – and enlivened with a tomato curry sauce, basmati rice foam, tomato salsa and crispy onions. Meat lovers are taken great care of with the likes of beef tongue and caramelised onion wontons with sweet mustard sauce, masala pickle onion and curry oil. Ending on a high note, the coconut koeksister babka cake with creme anglaise, salted caramel-and-coconut ice cream, and a spiced biscuit crunch is light and delicious – perfectly sweet, creamy and crunchy, with all the flavours singing in harmony.

Drinks
Each dish on the tasting menu is paired with a local wine, including new varietals from small garagiste producers, and sulphite-free and biodynamic wines – all introduced by the sommelier. Wine is poured at the bar and not in front of the guests, which some diners might find unusual.

Service
The reception is warm and friendly, but there seems to be some inconsistency. The speed is on point, but can be a bit incoherent, perhaps due to a lack of communication among the servers on the floor.

Ambience
The decor is the perfect backdrop for the food – a little bit edgy, dark and moody, but classic and tasteful, with hints of industrial chic. The open kitchen and its live-fire cooking is the main point of focus, adding a definite energy and dynamism to the space.

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User reviews

6 Reviews
    I have been in the tourism and events industry since 1994. I have entertained and been entertained an unimaginable number of times over the years. BOTB rates as one of my personal top 3 experiences. The intimate 30 seater set-up is cosy (not stuffy!) and welcoming. The smiling faces on arrival made me feel like a regular, back for more. The level of service was up there from start to finish; yet never in your face. Each little course was a surprise and culinary delight. I have never ooh'd and aah'd so many times during a meal, wondering how the next course could possibly top the one before. But they did not disappoint; right down to the last crumb of the peanut butter cookie and Milo foam! Flavour flavour FLAVOUR! Thanks to the chefs and their teams for a memorable evening.
    We were invited as part of a party of 12. What a spectacular evening. The best food and wine pairing I have experienced and tasted in a very long time! Long live Belly of the beast! Xxx
    What an amazing experience! Anouchka & Neil are Alchemists Supreme! Wow Wow Wow
    One of the best eating experiences I have had. Everything was delicious and the service was outstanding - warm, friendly and informative but never overbearing. Highly recommend.
    My absolute favorite restaurant in Cape Town! We celebrated our wedding anniversary at Belly of the Beast earlier this year. The smallish space is very stylishly decorated and has an open plan plating area. Dinner starts at 7pm sharp for everyone,and no changes can be made to the set menu (unless you notify them of allergies beforehand) Very friendly, professional service, without being too chummy and obvious. The set menu is such great value for money (R599 per person) I LOVED every single dish, which is very rare, but the dessert was the overall winner. I love their no-nonsense approach to dining and we'll be back for every special occasion in the future

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