At SALON Sarah Kingdom discovers a fabulous blend of global influences, seasonal local produce, and theatrical yet thoughtful service.
Arriving feels a little like we’re being invited into a secret world: one-part elegant European drawing-room, one-part gastronomic adventure. Located on the first floor of the historic silo building in the Old Biscuit Mill, in Cape Town’s Woodstock, SALON is a fabulous fine-dining restaurant from celebrated chef Luke Dale Roberts.
The dining room is elegant without being ostentatious; crisp white tablecloths, bespoke crockery, and gorgeous glassware set the tone. The ‘salon style’ design aesthetic is a subtle nod to European drawing rooms, softened by the heritage building, the marble-topped bistro tables and an interior décor scheme that harmonises classic and contemporary.
This is not your average restaurant. It is, above all, an immersive evening, a slow, sensory celebration. The kitchen, led by Executive Chef Carla Schulze, in close collaboration with Luke Dale Roberts, produces menus that draw on Roberts’s decades-long global culinary journey, while remaining closely tied to the Cape’s seasonal produce. The dining concept is a ‘Global Tasting Menu’, a nine-course culinary trip around the world, stopping in England, France, Japan, the Mediterranean, as well as, of course, South Africa.
The menu is Sussex-born chef Luke Dale Roberts’s autobiography made edible. “I really wanted this menu to be small, focused and interactive, for people to come along on a voyage that shows my evolution and influences as a chef,” says Dale Roberts. “It’s a snapshot of my life as a chef. It takes my decades of travelling, tasting and cooking in some incredible kitchens around the world, and condenses it all into an exploration of all the wonderful flavours and dishes I’ve encountered along the way.”
While originally inspired by Dale Roberts’ travels over the last twenty years, since opening in April 2023, the menu has evolved to emphasise seasonality, incorporating global influences from the flavours and ingredients that inspire both Dale Roberts and Executive Chef Carla Schulze, all the while maintaining a spirit of constant innovation. The tasting menu that once focused on Dale Roberts’ travels, has shifted towards a more fluid and seasonal approach, with Schulze leading its direction – “As we move the menu forward into our third year, we’re increasingly spotlighting seasonal ingredients,” she says.
“We’re focused on using produce when it’s truly at its peak in terms of flavour and texture, and pairing that with the global-inspired flavours and creativity that have always been the hallmark of SALON.” What results is a menu that impresses with its ambition. From the snacks served at the beginning, through to the final flourish, the menu traverses cuisines and continents. Seasonal local ingredients sit alongside flavours and techniques drawn from across the globe.
The meal begins with a selection of delicate SALON SNACKS, modest in size, but varied and intriguing. Among them a rhubarb smoked-trout, a citrus taco, Slangetjie (a type of spicy Indian snack mix), a corn-chawanmushi (a Japanese savoury steamed egg custard), and an amadumbi & wagyu biltong (South African air-dried, cured meat). These morsels introduce the flavours, textures and tone of the meal that is to come.
Next up a ‘Summer Soup’, of garden peas, with courgette, scallop and langoustine. Simple and delicious – simply delicious.
Then the bread course, deceptively modest but deeply satisfying: cheese and Branston pickle. Reimagined with finesse and fine dining poise, it’s an unexpected yet comforting union – a nod to British sensibilities and Dale Robert’s roots. Local cheese is shaved, tableside, on a girolle, the resulting delicate rosettes served with a brioche-style roll – a humble dish elevated. The contrast between the pickle’s tang and the cheese’s richness is a palate cleanser of sorts, and also an interlude that allows us to anticipate the rest of the menu.
Next is a stop in the Mediterranean, for octopus and mussels with Roma tomato and fig leaf. The dish was perfectly paired with Alheit Vineyard’s ‘Hemelrand’ White Blend 2024. A highly-regarded South African white blend from the cold and windy Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, near Hermanus. The wine is known for its profile of stone fruit, citrus, and mineral notes, and has a long, peppery finish, showcasing the unique terroir of the vineyard.
Then it’s back to the UK for a dish inspired by a traditional Sunday Roast with ‘all the trimmings’. Though in SALON, this takes the shape of a delectable roast quail, paired with a glass of South African star winemaker Adi Badenhorst’s ‘Ramnasgras’ Cinsault 2018, which comes from a single 1.5ha vineyard planted in 1956.
A hop, skip and jump has us across the Channel to France, for Duck Suzette, a 7-day-aged duck breast, flambéed tableside and plated with a citrus emulsion and silky duck jus. This was a standout dish, a modern riff on a French classic. A dish where finesse met flavour: rich but balanced, familiar yet surprising.
Finally, coming home to South Africa was a triumph with Num Num, an indigenous edible fruit, not unlike a sweet/sour plum. This was followed by fynbos honey, with malt barley, pear and local mead. Fynbos is a unique, biodiverse shrubby vegetation found only in South Africa’s Cape Floral Kingdom in the Western Cape. It seemed fitting that a gastronomic global journey should finish with indigenous elements found not far from where we were sitting.
No fine-dining experience is complete without judicious drinks, and at SALON, the drink menu feels intimately entwined with the food philosophy. Curated by rising sommelier, Zimbabwean born Tadiswa Chikwanha, the pairings, whether the wines from boutique Cape producers or the seasonal cocktails, all complement rather than compete with the food.
After the dessert course had been cleared, and with the gentle ring of a brass bell, the Nightcap Trolley arrived tableside. Stocked with a selection of local spirits and liqueurs, we ended the evening with a nightcap. This was the perfect accompaniment to one last surprise from the kitchen – the final taste, a Romany Cream macaroon. “We end the evening with a tribute to our location,” says Executive Chef Carla Schulze.
“The first biscuit made here in the Old Biscuit Mill was a Romany Cream, a classic South African chocolate biscuit dating back to the 1920s, and so we wanted to celebrate where we are with our own take on this classic.” It’s a thoughtful, playful ritual as the meal draws to a close.
That SALON has already earned top accolades should come as no surprise. In 2024 it was voted Africa’s Best New Restaurant, by the World Culinary Awards. More recently, at the 2025 Luxe Awards, SALON received the title Restaurant of the Year, while Executive Chef, Carla Schulze, was awarded the Culinary Innovation Award. These are not vanity titles. For a restaurant not yet three years old, these awards reflect consistent creativity, execution, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
In Cape Town, a city famed for its natural beauty and vibrant food scene, SALON stands out not just as another spot to eat, but as an experience worth planning for.
Pot Luck Club 1 Photo by Michael Le-Grange.
Tell me more about SALON in Cape Town
SALON, Ist Floor Silo Building, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town.
T: +27 (0)87 093 5890 E: hello@salonct.co.za
Opening hours: DINNER Tuesday to Saturday, 18h00 to 20h00 (last orders 20h30)
Price: £85/$114per person, with beverage pairings starting from £43/$58
