New flame: Nirox Sculpture Park reopens with a hot new eatery and exhibition space

After being closed for many months due to Covid-19, the Nirox Sculpture Park has reopened with a bang. In addition to boasting the most beautiful gardens in Gauteng, Nirox is now home to a delicious new eatery brought to you by those South American barbecue wizards from Che Argentine Grill, as well as a new exhibition space.

A weekend outing beyond Joburg’s city limits is always a good idea, especially when there is a leisurely walk, art, and a special meal involved. and then there was fire (that’s right, no caps. This is termed an “anti-brand”) is the new restaurant at Nirox, open from 10am to 6pm, Thursdays to Sundays. It’s situated where the old pavilion used to be and its menu offers a wood-fired grill, a tapas café, and a farm table option. Bits on the menu that grabbed our attention are naturally grass-fed beef and acorn-fed pork on the grill as well as tapas such as Chorizo Argentino, flat bread with morcilla and apple, and fish ceviche.

The exhibition space has opened with a showcase of new work by Nicholas Hlobo, and look out for the magnificent rammed-earth architecture of the structure. And there are more exciting developments coming from the Nirox team next year. 58 is a holistic wellness retreat that will be opening across the road and has been billed as a place to “reconnect to ourselves, others and nature”. After what we have been through in 2020, we’ll be joining the queue.

• From the December edition of Wanted, 2020.