There’s no doubt that Rosebank is developing, literally, by the day with the rapid construction and expansion happening in this hip suburb of Johannesburg. While it may seem the place for celebs, businesspeople and creative types to see and be seen, Rosebank actually provides a wide a scope of entertainment – particularly with its huge food culture.

Besides the pricey popular franchises you’ll find in other high-end Joburg shopping centres, or the overseas brands that have thousands queuing for hours, there are plenty of excellent establishments unique to this area. Thando Ndabezitha gives her pick of where to eat in Rosebank.

For genuinely traditional curry – Bombay Blues

Having being recently revamped, the restaurant maintains its chic dining atmosphere, albeit with a lighter, more welcoming ambience than before. Traditional favourites which are highly recommended include murg makhwanala (butter chicken curry), murg vindaloo (chicken vindaloo curry), and lamb gosht padami. The comprehensive menu boasts more than 100 dishes, including Indian desserts, and certainly makes the establishment stand out for those who love food with a bit of a kick and loads of character.

A photo posted by Elanie van den Berg (@elanie464) on Feb 21, 2016 at 6:51am PST

For keeping-it-real coffee-shop vibes – Priest Espressobar

With its artsy, independent coffee-house vibe, Priest not only provides a unique type of venue to chill and catch up with work or friends, but it’s also quite reasonably priced. Located away from the hustle and bustle of Rosebank’s popular shopping centres, Priest has quirky black-and-white wall art and a hand-written menu to add personality. Don’t miss out on the chickpea fudge.

Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream. Photo supplied.

For handmade ice cream – Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream

Although not strictly unique to Rosebank, this branch of Paul’s homemade ice cream gets both ice-cream aficionados and wannabes excited. This is gourmet ice cream at its best, with flavours such as birthday cake, roasted banana, and peppermint crisp tart, which taste startlingly and delightfully real. One of my favourites is buttered popcorn.

Clico Restaurant. Photo supplied.

For special occasion dining – Clico Restaurant

The Clico Boutique Hotel has regularly been recognised as one of the country’s best fine dining venues. It maintains this reputation with its discreet yet upmarket location in Sturdee Avenue, beautiful setting and contemporary South Africa menu. While you may need to budget a little more than you would normally for a dinner out with this one, I highly recommend trying out the five-course tasting menu. For the wine novices and the connoisseurs, there is a recommended tipple for each dish. Inquire after the seasonal menu.

The interior of Katzy’s. Photo supplied.

For great steak, drinks, cigars and music – Katzy’s and The Grillhouse

When driving along Biermann Avenue from Thursday evening on to the weekend, you’ll have to have a will of steel to resist the smell of good food coming from Katzy’s, the top-drawer steakhouse with a live music venue attached to the restaurant. The Grillhouse boasts a first-class wine cellar as well as a wide variety of whiskies, cognacs and bourbons. The fine dining venue also has a cigar bar. Look forward to live music from resident bands. For mains, try out their saddle lamb cutlets, or if you don’t feel like eating much but want to be there for the music and the festive atmosphere, get their biltong bucket.

The Patisserie in Rosebank. Photo supplied.

For tea and cake with friends – The Patisserie

This pretty and inviting French-styled bakery and restaurant offers a wide range of delicious cakes, loaves, tarts, biscuits and tarts. They also serve breakfast and the location in a lovely open area off The Zone is a great spot to sit and relax while the children play near the water features. The prices may seem steep, with a slice of cake costing almost what you’d pay for a full cake in a chain supermarket store, but, as with all things of high quality, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. The cakes are fresh and made from the best ingredients. The cashew nut chocolate cake comes highly recommended for those with a bias for the choc-and-nut taste. You can also order full cakes for birthdays or any other special events.u

Coming soon – Marble Restaurant

World-renowned chef David Higgs is opening his Marble Restaurant in Rosebank soon, which is expected to broaden the suburb’s horizons.