Want to spoil yourself and do a mall crawl this weekend? Here’s our round-up of Pretoria’s great mall restaurants.

Geet Indian Restaurant (Brooklyn Mall) ? 

Gita Jivan of Geet is on a mission to show the world that Indian food can be presented in a way that is modern, contemporary, and sometimes even inspired by molecular gastronomy. This means that the menu changes often and the décor and style of the restaurant do too. All this because Gita sees the restaurant as a theatre for entertaining guests. Unfortunately, the closest entrance from the Brooklyn Mall is permanently closed, but walking through the mall and around the outside is worth the detour. Expect innovative food outside of the ordinary Indian mould, such as pan-fried beetroot and sweet potato rounds with corn and raita, or apricot-filled potato cake with yoghurt and tamarind chutney – to name only a few.

? Available for online bookings on the Eat Out app. 

Lucky Bread Company (Brooklyn)

Modern and trendy, this is the ultimate place to rest one’s feet after some serious shopping. The cappuccinos are arguably the best in town, and the staff do not hover or engage in unnecessary up-selling. This is a place where people like to grab a quick bite to eat before they get going again. A bonus is that you can purchase any of their baked goods and breads at the little service counter – there truly are no better breads in Pretoria. Don’t miss their seed loaf.

 

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A post shared by Lucky Bread Company (@luckybreadco) on Nov 2, 2018 at 2:19am PDT

Matsuya (Park View Mall)

One of Pretoria’s first, and probably the only remaining authentic Japanese restaurant in town. The interior with wood panelling and screens speaks of elegantly refined Japanese dining. They offer excellent sushi and sashimi, but also a teppanyaki grill station for lovely one-on-one chef interaction. For those addicted to bowls of slurpy soupy ramen, Matsuya makes superb versions, and if you’re a DIY cooking enthusiast, try the shabu-shabu nabemono (hot pot).

Nikos (The Grove) ? 

Nikos specialises in marrying contemporary dining with traditional homely Greek food. Mezes include a brinjal stack, zucchini fries, or loaded hummus with pomegranate, feta, red onion, pine kernels, chickpeas and pita. For meat eaters, they offer a wonderfully flavourful souvlaki made with chicken, pork or beef fillet, or a yummy Greek burger.

? Available for online bookings on the Eat Out app. 

 

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A post shared by NIKOS Grove (@nikosgrove) on Nov 15, 2018 at 6:02am PST

Priva Gastrolounge (Waterkloof Heights Centre) ? 

This is the place to go for designer cocktails that co-owner Marko Jovankic will easily conjure up tableside with the flourish of an alchemist. They have a small, casual menu that allows one to have a burger, a delicious drink, and finish with a cigar if time allows. They have live music most evenings of the week, and over weekends the jazz vibe is pumped up. It’s the sort of restaurant where you can feel glamorous yet have a great deal of fun.

? Available for online bookings on the Eat Out app. 

 

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A post shared by Priva (@privalounge) on Oct 11, 2018 at 3:26am PDT

Signature Restaurant (Brooklyn Bridge Centre)

Even though you need to hop a street by way of a suspension bridge from Brooklyn Mall to Brooklyn Bridge, and even though the prices might cause a double take, this is a great restaurant. Signature Restaurant is professional and smart, ticking all the boxes. Chicken confit, chicken liver parfait and blue cheese baked figs are just a few examples of starters. The mains are well presented and delicious, and at night they have extremely cool, listenable live music.

Spice – The Indian Kitchen (Lynnridge Mall)

Wedged in between two very large bake shops, this is the kind of small restaurant you want in a mall that offers specialised shopping. From fried prawns, fish Pakoda to tandoori chicken Reshmi kebabs, paneer tikka, chicken daal, lamb vindaloo and many more, this is an authentic place where one can feel confident about any of the menu choices.

Eat In Italian (Sinoville Centre)

Although the original VSG is still safely ensconced at the Wonderboom Airport, this is the brand’s newer, second establishment that allows you to combine shopping and good food. It’s a family-owned establishment so it’s great to see several generations of the Maiorana family involved in the day-to-day running of the shops as the younger generation grows up in the wings, ready to take their place. Villa San Giovanni offers everything Italian, from simple antipasto to delicious desserts of almond cherry ice cream.

 

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A post shared by Eat In Italian – VSG Sinoville (@eatinitalian) on Oct 2, 2018 at 2:52am PDT

Wok ‘n Roll (Woodlands Boulevard)

Enjoy contemporary Asian cuisine in a delightfully modern and funky atmosphere, where the interior is fresh, lively and playful. The food is equally inventive and edgy. The Tornado Roll is made with crab salad, sweet bean curd and avocado and served with eel, prawn, mayo, eel sauce, spring onion, sesame oil and caviar.

 

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A post shared by woknroll.woodlands boulevard (@woknroll_woodlandsboulevard) on May 28, 2018 at 11:10pm PDT

Wood & Fire (Brooklyn Mall)

Wood & Fire has been around for a couple of months now and the service has improved greatly. The steamed buns alone are worth the trouble of making a shopping detour. Also try the tempura prawns with avocado mayo and Vietnamese salad, and if you should have a craving for something heartier, try one of the best steak-and-fries combos in Pretoria.

 

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A post shared by Wood & Fire (@woodandfire_brooklyn) on Aug 9, 2018 at 5:13am PDT

Did we miss your favourite mall restaurant? Let us know in the comments below and remember to review it using our free app.