Stylish Hyde Park restaurant, Life Grand Café mixes slick, opulent finishes with raw textures for a beautiful, contemporary space.
 
The restaurant:
Our latest nominee for the Boschendal Style Award is owned by husband and wife team, John and Maira Koutsoudakis, who also own design company, Life Interiors + Architecture + Creative Direction, (who were also responsible for several of the Tashas stores).
 
The food:
An extensive and eclectic menu showcases a range of home-made dishes. Start the day with a decadent breakfast like the French toast with Madagascan vanilla mascarpone, berries, bacon and maple syrup, a pain aux chocolat with Nutella, or one of the three varieties of eggs Benedict. Lunch and dinner dishes include a range of pastas (we love the sound of pesto, cream, roasted courgettes, peas and goat’s cheese), sandwiches, as well as a range of ‘kitchen’ dishes, such as bound fillet, wrapped in bacon and served with crushed baby potatoes.
 
A sushi bar, salad bar and patisserie counter, add to the options, along with a wood-burning oven turning out home-made pizzas. Visiting in the evening? Try something from the tapas menu with your glass of bubbly.
 
The x-factor:
Being both client and designer allowed Maira and John the freedom to experiment with this project, and it shows.
 
Glamour meets comfort as slick marble are juxtaposed with raw finishes like concrete, and a cosy fireplace. On the floors, hundreds of used bullets, collected by John from local rifle ranges, create a deceptive, glittering mosaic.
 
Don’t miss the organic chandeliers above the Salad and Champagne Bars, which are comprised of thousands of glass balls, reminiscent of effervescent champagne bubbles, the roof art by top SA artist Willem Boshoff or the custom-made backlit wall of golden stone, which radiates light onto hand-beaten brass bars.
 
This Saturday also marked the launch of the restaurant’s brand new Champagne and Raw Bar.
 
Does Life Grand Café have what it takes to win the Boschendal Style Award at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards?
 
Photographs: Dook