Head chef Taryn Smith plating BBQ pork belly.
Head chef Taryn Smith plating BBQ pork belly.
Image: Claire Gunn

Luke Dale Roberts is no stranger to Joburg, having successfully run a series of Jozi pop-ups over the course of the last few years, so it's perhaps no surprise that the multi-award winning chef is finally opening a permanent spot in the city.

The Shortmarket Club will open its doors within the Oxford Parks precinct in the foodie-centric suburb of Rosebank. In line with its sexy Cape Town predecessor, the Joburg iteration will offer a slightly less formal (compared with some of Dale Roberts’s other establishments), yet no less indulgent setting to enjoy the chef’s fine fare.  

“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!” says Dale Roberts.

Heading up the kitchen will be chef Taryn Smith, the Dale Roberts protégé who has spent the last few months mentoring trainees at Dale Roberts’s social upliftment project The Test Kitchen Fledglings.

The globally-inspired small plate menu sees fine dining meet bistro-style cooking and will be complemented by a selection of succulent prime cuts, and decadent seafood platters. It’s deceivingly simple food that delivers big, bold, complex flavours without the fuss.

Chef Luke Dale Roberts.
Chef Luke Dale Roberts.

Guests can expect the likes of crispy calamari served on top of Japanese pancake with a yuzu dressing and a burnt honey and soy glaze, as well as BBQ pork belly with coconut and lemon grass, and crispy duck breast with shiitake broth, udon noodles and toasted sesame oil.

Staying true to the feel of the Cape Town eatery, interior designer Sandalene Dale Roberts says Rosebank’s The Shortmarket Club will offer a similar aesthetic and feeling of stylish yet laid-back comfort as its namesake.

“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,” says 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 eatery, co-owned by the chef together with Johannesburg-based property and entertainment entrepreneurs, Heinz Rynners and Brad Cilliers, promises to deliver in the same vein as its Cape Town counterpart with a little bit of a Joburg twist.

A selection of Shortmarket Club dishes.
A selection of Shortmarket Club dishes.
Image: Claire Gunn
Aged beef rump, duck fat roasted paprika potato wedges, green veg with with a lemon vinaigrette.
Aged beef rump, duck fat roasted paprika potato wedges, green veg with with a lemon vinaigrette.
Image: Claire Gunn

Opening in early October 2021, The Shortmarket Club will no doubt be a thrilling and welcome addition to the city’s bustling food scene.

The Shortmarket Club JHB

1 Oxford Parks, 199 Oxford Rd, Rosebank

© Wanted 2024 - If you would like to reproduce this article please email us.
X