The table resembled a royal feast, plates and platters spread in a colourful array beneath the soft hum of conversation. On the quiet outdoor patio of The Maslow Sandton’s Lacuna Bistro, anticipation built as we gathered to experience the restaurant’s new menu. Served family-style, the spread invited shared bites, debate over favourites and the kind of conviviality that food, at its best, inspires.
Located in the heart of Sandton, a short drive from Sandton City, The Maslow attracts both local and international visitors, an influence reflected in Lacuna Bistro’s new culinary identity. “It’s Mediterranean with a twist — refined yet accessible,” explained food and beverage manager Ofentse Morake, capturing the essence of the new offering.
The tasting began with the restaurant’s signature starter, the Maslow Avocado Ritz, their contemporary riff on the nostalgic shrimp cocktail. A creamy half avocado was paired with grilled lemon and garlic-and-herb prawns, all brought together by a luscious homemade marinara aioli. Fresh, indulgent and effortlessly balanced, it was a standout start. As a thoughtful touch, guests were gifted a small bottle of the aioli, destined, in my case, for an indulgent prego roll later in the week.
It was a hard act to follow. Scanning the menu, I was torn between the pan-roasted salmon, hot honey pork Tomahawk, and a deconstructed cobb salad. Fortunately, the family-style approach allowed us to sample each dish. The Maslow beef lasagna stood out as a triumph with layers of overnight-braised short rib ragout, tender pasta sheets, and a silken béchamel that stopped all conversation for a moment, always a good sign. Morake and executive sous chef Thokozane Shongwe recommend pairing it with a glass of Boschendal Nicolas, a robust red blend that would echo the dish’s depth beautifully.
For those leaning plant-forward, the kitchen proves equally imaginative including their cauliflower steak, served on white bean purée with pickled vegetables and chimichurri. The chili oil noodles, tossed with garlic, ginger, lemon and a house-made chili crisp, delivered just the right amount of heat. Impressively, the kitchen also catered effortlessly to one guest’s seafood allergy, replacing the prawns in the Avocado Ritz with crispy popcorn chicken, a considerate and well-executed touch.
The menu’s global influence is subtle yet present throughout, with local ingredients and classics reimagined. The pap fritters shaped Africa’s most traditional staple into crisp, rectangular loaves, while the pap “parancini” with chakalaka purée transformed two culinary traditions into one: crisp, Parmesan-dusted spheres with the familiar warmth of home.
As with any ambitious menu, not every dish hit the same high note. The chicken puttanesca paired with tomato risotto was technically sound but lacked the boldness of its Mediterranean namesake, and the seasonal vegetables felt timid by comparison. Still, these were minor quibbles in a line-up that largely impressed.
Dessert, of course, was redemption served sweet. The milk tart honoured its SA roots, all buttery pastry and creamy, cinnamon-scented filling, while the chocolate opera cake was unapologetically rich, its syrup-soaked sponge and chocolate ganache alternating in decadent layers. The portion was generous enough to require restraint, though it’s hard to resent abundance when it tastes this good.
I left Lacuna Bistro full, content and impressed. Marrying locally sourced ingredients, authentic SA flavours and subtle global influences, the restaurant’s new menu feels both contemporary and comforting. For international guests, it’s an inspired taste of SA; for locals, a reminder of how familiar flavours can be reborn with imagination and grace.
In a city that never stops evolving, Lacuna Bistro reminds us that reinvention, like good food, is best served with soul.
