A place for good food and deep conversation… this is the therapy we didn’t know we needed
What could be more therapeutic than sitting round a table enjoying good conversation and good food, a glass of excellent wine or a cocktail or two? That’s what legendary Cape Town-born and Khayelitsha-bred DJs and creatives, Loyiso Mdebuka and Vincent Mvelase Manzini (aka DJ Loyd and Sir Vincent) had in mind when they came up with the idea for this upmarket new eatery just off Kloof Street.
“More than just a restaurant we wanted a space where we join as a community,” says Vincent. “A place that speaks to the kind of people we are. Conversations that are meaningful happen in such spaces.” Therapy is all about being an inclusive space in the heart of the city where all are welcome.
“Interestingly, in African languages there is no word for therapy,” says Loyiso. “It’s taboo to attend therapy. So one of the ideas was to address that, so it becomes part of the language. It feels therapeutic to have honest deep chats with your friends over great food.”
And it is a place to settle in to unwind and relax in the comfortable booths lined with banquettes, and upholstered dining chairs around intimate marble tables. There’s a space that can double as a stage for live music evenings, and glass doors spilling out onto a wide front terrace with more tables and couches.
Heart-warming soul food
For the menu they called on consultant chef Paolo Santo of Gemelli in Joburg who has devised a winning combination of heart-warming flavours presented as generous small plates and well-portioned mains: share the sticky lamb ribs on couscous salad with pistachios, and buttermilk fried chicken thighs with apple slaw, a spicy bowl of chorizo and harissa pasta, or a whole plate of sole with fennel salad. And leave room for dessert: a rather gorgeous baked cheesecake and a panna cotta liberally topped with candied hazelnuts.
“We all know what the past was like,”says Vincent. “For us to go forward it needs all of us to be inclusive. A restaurant speaks to us in food, creating community and it’s therapy. This is what is missing in the city, in the country, in the world as well. Come feeling heavy, leave feeling lighter.”
Opened September 2023
Opening times Sunday – Wednesday, 12pm – 10pm
Thursday – Saturday. 12pm – 11pm
Contact 021 109 0112
Where to find it 5 Park Road, Gardens, Cape Town
Book through DinePlan
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