Chef Luke Dale Roberts brings The Shortmarket Club to Joburg

The original Shortmarket Club in Cape Town has seen much success and garnered rave reviews since it’s opening in 2016, including placing in the 50 Best Discovery category for Restaurant & Bars at the World’s 50 Best Awards and being selected as one of the Top 20 Restaurants in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Eat Out Restaurant Awards.

Co-owned by internationally recognised chef Luke Dale Roberts from award-winning The Pot Luck Club and The Test Kitchen, and property and entertainment entrepreneurs, Heinz Rynners and Brad Cilliers of The Greenhouse JHB and Babylon Bar, the Joburg establishment promises to deliver in the same vein yet with a few unique differences.

I’m extremely excited to finally lay permanent roots in Joburg with the addition of The Shortmarket Club JHB. It’s been a long time coming so to make this move during a global pandemic and multiple lockdowns makes this achievement all the more special!” comments Dale Roberts.

The restaurant aims to open in October this year and will offer diners contemporary global cuisine from Head Chef, Taryn Smith in an elegant setting. Unlike the Cape Town restaurant, the Joburg location will offer both inside and outside seating perfect for social distancing and summer dining.

The menu will offer fine dining meets bistro dishes that are simple in preparation yet complex in flavour, such as crispy calamari with Japanese pancake, yuzu dressing and a burnt honey and soy glaze as well as BBQ pork belly with coconut and lemongrass and crispy duck breast with shiitake broth, udon noodles and toasted sesame oil.

“The philosophy behind my cooking is more about discovery. With food there is always something new to pursue. With an Asian twist, my aim is to make simple food taste complex and intricate.” Says Taryn Smith.

The interior designer of the The Shortmaket Club in Cape Town, Sandalene Dale Roberts says The Shortmarket Club JHB will offer a similar aesthetic and feeling of stylish comfort as the Cape Town establishment.

“Diners can expect elements such as rich deep tones, warm lighting, old fashioned touches and accents of leather, brass and fluted glass all artfully staged in a heritage brasserie and smoky cigar lounge type setting,” comments Sandalene. “When it comes to art, inspiration will be taken from the famous hand burnt butterfly installation by artist Mark Rautenbach seen in the Cape Town restaurant.”

The Shortmarket Club JHB opens at 1 Oxford Parks, Rosebank, Joburg in October.