Guests can expect only the finest produce available with plenty of table side theatrics.
Guests can expect only the finest produce available with plenty of table side theatrics.
Image: Supplied

The award-winning restaurant group La Colombe will be opening two new restaurants at the V&A Waterfront, both on the water in the Pierhead district — Pier and The Waterside Restaurant. Pier, a 40-seater multi-course modern fine-dining restaurant, will be headed by Chef John Norris-Rogers, who previously was head chef at the group’s La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek.

Guests can expect only the finest produce available, while plenty of table-side theatrics will be sure to create an unforgettable experience. Drawing from the new locale, both dishes and theatre will be inspired by the sea.

Aaron Farquhar, who has been with La Colombe for 10 years, will run the front of house as well as the wine service, which promises to offer the same incredible choices patrons have come to expect from La Colombe’s other establishments. The aim here is quite clearly to compete with the country’s best, with every detail carefully considered and executed — even the crockery has been designed and created for each specific dish.

Offering but a glimpse of what to expect, the chefs share that they’re working on an oyster dish unlike anything they’ve done before: it’ll be cooked table-side on a trolley by the chef. The Waterside Restaurant will be on the ground floor of the same building, in a slightly larger space seating up to 60 people. It will use the same highest-quality ingredients, beautifully served in a slightly simpler way.

Malay tuna with avocado and coriander at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe - drawing from their new locale, there will be both dishes and theatre inspired by the sea.
Malay tuna with avocado and coriander at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe - drawing from their new locale, there will be both dishes and theatre inspired by the sea.
Image: Supplied
The multi-course menu will enthral guests from start to finish.
The multi-course menu will enthral guests from start to finish.
Image: Supplied
The multi-course menu will enthral guests from start to finish.
The multi-course menu will enthral guests from start to finish.
Image: Supplied

Expect a classic fine-dining experience where flavour is key. The space offers both inside and outside deck-seating areas. Chef Roxy Mudie will be heading up the kitchen, previously having worked as sous chef at both Protégé in Franschhoek and La Colombe in Constantia. The menu will feature three, five, and seven courses, making it ideal for everything from quick business meals to longer, more relaxed experiences for those who choose the seven-course option.

Chef John Norris-Rogers.
Chef John Norris-Rogers.
Image: Supplied
Chef Roxy Mudie.
Chef Roxy Mudie.
Image: Supplied

Van Zyl Van der Merwe will be heading up the front-of-house team, having been a big part of the success of La Colombe over the past five years. The restaurants will be situated in the Pierhead district, the harbour section of property on the water’s edge, in a two-storey building between the National Sea Rescue Institute and Life Grand Cafe. The entrance will take shape in the form of a magnificent walk-through wine cellar, with panoramic views over the yachts in the harbour — possibly the best view at the V&A Waterfront — as the backdrop. The interiors are being done by Hayley Turner, the director of Bone Interior Design Studio, which also did La Colombe and sister restaurant Foxcroft.

Pier and The Waterside Restaurant will open their doors this summer. 

Bread and butter at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe - expect similar theatrics at fine dining restaurant Pier.
Bread and butter at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe - expect similar theatrics at fine dining restaurant Pier.
Image: Supplied
John Norris Rogers' Karoo lamb, pumpkin, salsa verde, smoked olive at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe.
John Norris Rogers' Karoo lamb, pumpkin, salsa verde, smoked olive at sister restaurant La Petite Colombe.
Image: Supplied

 From the November edition of Wanted, 2021.

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