Fine Dining in Durban

Durban is a stunning coastal city, that is often overshadowed by Johannesburg and Cape Town. The city, however, exudes a vibrant creative energy, evident from its tantalizing restaurant scene. Even with this tantalizing restaurant scene, there is not even one Michelin Star restaurant in Durban and it begs the question – why is that? The reason has everything to do with how the Michelin guides work, and nothing to do with the quality of chefs and/or restaurants in this beautiful city. Also, this does not stop us from telling you about restaurants that serve absolutely Michelin Star quality food.

9^th Avenue Waterside

This restaurant is one of the favorite of the locals. Run by a husband and wife team of Graham and Gina Neilson, the kitchen of 9^th Avenue waterside is famous for bringing to table locally sourced seasonal cuisine, cooked with attention to detail and full of flavor. The restaurant offers an A’la carte menu for guests and a function-tasting menu if you want to book the restaurant for a private event. Each dish on the menu is a carefully curated medley of produce and flavor. Among the starters, Creamy Shellfish Orzo is must and among mains Roast duck breast is mouth-watering. If you have a sweet-tooth then you would have a hard time to pick one from the dessert menu – as all of the dessert dishes are an absolute delight. No meal is quite complete without a good wine, so Gina has carefully picked a great selection of wine and is always happy to recommend the best wine to pair with your meal.

The Royal Court Grill

Situated in the heart of the 5-star Royal Sibaya Hotel, a visit to The Royal Court grill will leave you longing for more. It offers a fine dining experience like none other place in Durban. An intimate setting with plush leather and warm lighting makes it the best setting for romantic dinners. You and your loved ones will be pampered by their impeccable service and treated to delicious and flavorful cuisine. A delicious variety of meals on the menu includes tender meat dishes, curries, seafood and vegetarian items. We would suggest that you do not miss the Chef’s signature dish of Rosemary & Raspberry Lamb Loin, tender and infused served on a bed of Calamata olive roasted garlic & mashed potato splashed with rosemary and raspberry jus.

Restaurant Ile Maurice

A 44-year-old heritage passed down to generations is what distinguishes Ile Maurice from any other restaurant in Durban. Their great Mauritian and French cuisine was carefully monitored under the personal guidance of the famous Elsie Mauvis who worked until the ripe age of 90 years old. She has since passed on all her best recipes to her son Jean Mauvis who today takes even more care to the quality of the food from their kitchen. With excellent ocean views, the restaurant is inviting at any time of the day. Their facilities include a cocktail bar and a lounge area, ideal for those pre-dinner aperitif or after-dinner liqueurs. An A’la carte menu celebrates the produce of the ocean and pairs it with some of the best wine available. They even have a selection of vegetarian dishes to suit the palate of vegetarians. When it comes to desserts, don’t miss the Poires au vin rouge, which is fresh pears poached in red wine and cinnamon and served with vanilla crème and almond flakes.

Beluga Gateway

If you want to leave a restaurant delighted with food, satisfied with service and happy about the wonderful setting you spent your time in, Beluga Gateway is the place to be. It boasts of a team of innovative chefs who continuously strive to evolve the menu so you can always expect something new and interesting. The kitchen at Beluga is dedicated to the adventure of trying new flavors and cuisine creations. They even experiment with molecular gastronomy and it is included on the menu. Food items that prove to be very popular includes the sesame seed encrusted tuna steaks, calamari with a peanut sauce and deep-fried Lindt balls. Their wine list is comprehensive for pairing with the different food types and we encourage you to ask for pairing recommendation from their very knowledgeable staff. For those who enjoy concocted potions, their professional mixologist create a wonderful array of delicious cocktails.

Bel Punto

An authentic Italian fine dining restaurant, even owned and run by an Italian family, sits at the heart of Durban food scene. Bel Punto has been serving delicious food at a most panoramic ocean view setting for last 16 years. They have both indoor and outdoor seating area, which are both spacious and comfortable. Well known for its seafood, you can expect starters to comprise of oysters, calamari, steamed mussels, prawn skewers, butternut cappuccino (butternut soup with a delightful chive froth), stuffed cherry tomatoes, and grilled snails. For the main course, you can choose from roasted crayfish, stuffed calamari, grilled baby chicken, beef fillet done in a number of ways, grilled and wood-fired quail and other options. Also, Italian staples like pastas, pizzas, and risotto hit the spot. Considering it’s a favorite with both locals and tourists alike, there are sometimes delays with the food when the restaurant is packed. So, try to go with time to spare and bask in the gorgeous sea views of the Indian Ocean.

Wodka Restaurant

Only restaurant that serves Teppanyaki in Durban and that makes Wodka Restaurant stand out from the rest. It is said that the Japanese style Teppanyaki is an art and the chef at Wodka is Picasso. This onsite restaurant of The Waterfront Hotel is particularly known for its interactive fusion menu carefully designed by its renowned chef. Apart from a Teppanyaki station, the restaurant also offers an array of dishes such as the Homemade Fish and Lamb Burgers, Duck and Chicken Breasts and Steak. The chef also utilizes Asian influences, evident in the Wok Stir Fry dishes. Among desserts, the most notable is the Banana Samoosa, which is served with hot caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. With stunning indoor and outdoor spaces, the restaurant is ideal for dining throughout the year.

Jack Salmon

Extraordinary Seafood at unbeatable prices, if that sounds like music to your ears, head out to Jack Salmon Fish & Grill in Durban. With a menu purely inspired by the sea and a promise that their catches are the freshest in town, this is heaven for seafood lovers. Along with the usual suspects on a seafood menu like grilled fish, prawns, calamari and mussels, you would be surprised with the Greek inspired seafood meze menu which boasts of small plates of lame-grilled prawns, grilled artichokes, pickled octopus, freshly shucked oysters and mussels, calamari saganaki or fish keftede. Desserts includes classic favorites like Crème Brulee and Death by Brownie and are scrumptious. You can also expect a good selection of wine and bubbles and they have recently introduced a special gin cocktails menu. Overall, it is a very vibrant restaurant with stunning views of the Indian Ocean. 

Café 1999

Chef Marcelle Roberts award winning contemporary Mediterranean cuisine is designed around the Middle Eastern sentiment of sharing meals with family and friends. For past two decades, Café 1999 has been a wonderful vegetarian friendly eatery serving both locals and tourists alike. When your fork and fingers wander between dishes like breaded olives stuffed with ricotta cheese and beef skewers with peanut satay and crisp sheets of pancetta, you would find it difficult to put the food down. The triple-chocolate brownies with white chocolate and poppy seed ice-cream makes for a sweet finish.

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