Epicure Restaurant Sandton

Wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!! The most excellent meal experience I've had in SA. Delicious Pan-African menu was clearly described by our waiter and we chose a selection of starters and mains. Such brilliant flavours and a variety of textures and a luscious taste extravaganza! Our waiter was quietly efficient and the sweeping decor was just beautiful. Such an wonderful experience - highly recommended. This fabulous jewel puts Joburg on the fine-dining map!

One of the best meals I've had. I went with some friends and I do not regret it. The food was delicious, the portions generous. The staff friendly and so was the owner. We ordered different dishes and I sampled each of my friends' dishes as well. They were all delicious. Definitely a place to visit again. Oh, and the chocolate mousse cake with chilli .... yum

An exceptional restaurant in the extremely competitive Sandton area. I came here for breakfast with my partner, after checking scores of restaurants online, this was our choice out of all the places in Sandton. The food was delicious, the coffee bold and the aesthetic incredible. The menu has a wide range of dishes that have roots deep in Africa, with an added touch of flair. The wine list is the most extensive and informative I've ever seen. I had Grandma's Gift Ouma bread french toast with fresh whipped cream and apricot compote. My partner had the Bosveld Breakfast Vetkock fritters with boerewors mince and chakalaka relish. Both were delicious, and fairly priced. When we got there just before 9 am we weren't very pleased to find the staff still busy cleaning. We had to sit outside, which is fine, but I believe that when you come to a place like this, there shouldn't be such inconveniences. This made us want to leave at first, but we decided to stay... my initial perception changed for the better with every passing minute. Even with the inconvenience, I'm still rating this 5 stars... which should tell you something.

The starters intended as sharing plates are substantial but the more expensive mains are not much larger. Plenty of spice and interesting inspirations and ingredients from around Africa, with modern flair. Plating was okay and the service attentive. There are several vegetarian and vegan starters but only one vegetarian main, which seemed odd. Dessert for me was yet more fried food and the unadvertised doughnuts were too heavy. Evening lighting was too dim for photos and made it hard to read the menu and see the food. The menu needs to be printed fresh more often and presented in something lighter than clumsy and worn wooden folders. The wine list is extensive with a good international lineup and some popular wines available by the glass, but also some pretty eye-watering prices at the top end. It deserves to have a sommelier or trained staff who can advise on pairings for the food, if diners are unfamiliar with the dishes. Food prices were moderate to expensive for the category; the overall impression was only of moderate value, but the Sandton location may have an impact. It would be nice to see the offering raised to match the cost. It is in a relaxed and quiet setting in the quadrangle of a modern mixed use development yet to be fully built and occupied. Good for parties, couples and business diners alike.

My husband and I had our joint 40th last night at Epicure. Chef Coco went above and beyond to make the evening an experience our friends will remember forever! The food was spectacular, drinks pairing absolutely perfect and the service second to none. From start to finish this was the most phenomenal experience! We are so grateful that we decided to have our 40th here...can’t recommend it highly enough! Thanks Chef Coco to you and your staff for an unforgettable evening!

Chef Coco and Épicure An epicure is a person who takes particular delight in fine food and drink, here we were calling ourselves foodies, we should've called ourselves Epics. Spot on as this definition is properly suited to describe Chef Coco and his elegant restaurant Épicure. This new restaurant opened right in the heart of Sandton. Luckily Chef Coco, formerly from Sel et Poivre, stayed in South Africa to share his African journey through food with all of us epicureans. You walk into a very intriguing Afro-chic décor setting, with rich fabrics in a wide range of textures, woven into each other to create vivid geometric designs. It is lit more than well enough to see your food and other people around the table, but the tables and pillars are arranged in such a way that you are not too close to anyone else, which makes the evening more romantic and private. They even have a walk-in wine hallway, if you will, where you can go to choose your wine for the evening. This area is enclosed with glass to separate the smoking from the non-smoking areas. Epic Food Épicure is definitely a step outside of your comfort zone as most dishes are odd sounding, to say the least, but the flavours are all that matter, and this place really did pack a punch. As we sat down we were given this little bowl with a tiny chicken leg in a chilli relish that would have you singing Africa from Toto, we kid you not. For our starter, we were greeted by Moroccan-style duck samosas with dry fruit chutney. The only bad part about this dish is that we had to fight over the last piece because these little pieces of heaven are why we got into this business. Next up is what made us fall in love with the place. The first main was the Flic and Flac Magic, which was truly magical. It is a Vadouvan-spiced sea bass with black rice and tamarind, and if we had no self-discipline we would've drank the tamarind just like that. Not only was the sea bass perfectly cooked, it paired so well with the rice to make it our dish of the evening. Our next main was the Dukkah Delight, an Egyptian dukkah-spiced rib eye with bulgur wheat and roasted baba ganoush. What a mouthful indeed. This was a dish on the richer side but also, just as tasty as the sea bass. We cannot forget about dessert, now can we? This was quite an interesting and an all-over-the-place plate. This dessert brought together three different countries, Zanzibar, the DRC and Senegal. Épicure sure is out there with there dishes but this one takes the cake. This dish contained vermicelli, a type of pasta, with rum and raisin ice-cream, peanut butter and bissap ice-cream on top of sweet fritters, and caramelized ripe plantain. Phew, that was a plateful indeed and certainly containing something you will enjoy. Everything else The waiters were attentive but it would have been nice if they understood the story and ingredients behind every dish. Épicure is all about the African food journey and contains a lot of new flavours to a lot of people. It is something small but would make us appreciate the dishes even more if we knew where and how they were born. On the point of value, phew *wipes the sweat off forehead*! It is quite expensive to dine here. Also, don't be fooled into going into the wine closet and picking a wine without asking the price. It would have been nice to be able to afford more evenings here to experience their entire menu. TTT’s rating out of 5: Food - 4.5 Service - 4 Atmosphere – 5 Value – 4 Epicure gets a 'Fist Bump' from Two Tasty Tummies You go Chef Coco!

Absolutely an amazing restaurant. Food, service, wine, decor, atmosphere, location and overall vibe is great. I highly recommend it.

Really good Pan-African Fusion. From nyama choma to rolex, suya to oysters. I loved how they reimagined African cuisine. The plantain gnocchi was delicious as well as the oysters. Fantastic wine selection. A must visit in Joburg.

Absolutely amazing african food. Surprisingly, there are not many venues in Johannesburg when you can taste african food taken to a higher level but this is definitely one of them. Their menu is full of inspirations from the whole african continent and this is a real fine-dining. Prices are quite high so is the quality of food and service. In my opinion, it's a must-go when you are in Sandton, especially if you feel like trying something else than classical steak.

“The Man” and I have now been in the position to take advantage of “The Epicure Restaurant” multiple experiences. The sumptuous restaurant with its innovative, interesting yet not overwhelming menu; to the bar area which like the restaurant, can open right up weather permitting , to open air seating and garden surrounds . Further exploration you’ll find yourself in the “cigar lounge” decadently decorated in African silk and satin oversized sètees, couches, pillows, just inviting you to stay and stay and while away your time in the best possible way and comfortably so ! Epicure has covered all bases in that it also has their outlet “the deli” which is adjoined to the Epicure kitchen. Tho not actually providing the restaurant menu food it does give access to one and all out about during office hours, a variety of “takeaway or eat in takes on the familiar such as wraps and salads but with the epicurean chefs flair definitely predominant. “The Man” and I were very keen on trying out the restaurant having had just moved in Nov 2018 as a vegetarian I wasn’t disappointed with the variety to choose from and had to enlist the wait staff to assist in my decision making ! Aside from the menu itself, it’s physicality impressive being of solid wood and opening up like a box with hinges, it’s your drink being served with a frozen metal straw to ensure that to the very last sip that there is no variance in temperature plus they look SO cool! In keeping with public demands and needs Epicure has now introduced a Friday night “special” in the bar area where you can kick back after your hectic week with your fav beverage and the staff will come round with trays of complimentary canapès, epicurean themed of course ... and listen to the dj of the weeks grooves. It all sets the mood for a great weekend to come ... I enjoy how the staff now remember what cocktail I have AND how I prefer it and not just Gossett, the wait person who seemingly appears magically every time we frequent Epicure , but all the staff remember our preferences , I enjoy how attentive yet unobtrusive they are.and it’s this attention to detail , the courteous friendly manner that is applied to every aspects & every detail with regards to the Epicure Restaurant and that’s why we’ll keep going back ! As a footnote, one day after posting this review we have indeed returned to Epicure being a Friday night and all and armed with the knowledge of a menu revamp, more clientele but an assurance of on par quality ...