Eat Out critic Thando Ndabezitha visits Bolton Road Collection, a hip new spot in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Fast facts

Cost: R150 for average main course
Food type: Gourmet and patisserie fare and bar
Parking: There’s ample and secure parking on Newport Road
Star rating: Food 4, service 4, ambience 5

The light urban interior at Bolton Road Collection. Photo supplied.

Food

Following the trend of serving small or large plates, rather than a formal order of courses, the menu at Bolton Road Collection has an interesting selection of dishes that encourage sharing. Mouthwatering platters can be enjoyed by individuals, too, but not before taking a snap to share on social media first. It’s understandable: the presentation is stellar.

The heritage salad. Photo supplied.

Start with the highly recommended slow-roasted beef short rib; the flavour of the crumbed tender shredded beef with radish, watercress emulsion and pickled egg yolk is explosive. This small plate, along with the already popular grilled sea bass (as a big plate), are part of the reason for the great reputation of chef Andrew Green and his team.

The seabass at Bolton Road Collection. Photo supplied.

Being a patisserie, Bolton Road Collection offers great desserts in the form of freshly baked tantalising cakes on display. It would be hard to resist the tonka-bean panna cotta on the menu, though: not only is the presentation beautiful, but the addition of honeycomb to the dish takes it to a whole new exciting level.

Drinks

Speciality Origin coffees (cappuccinos, macchiatos, lattes, etc) are welcome wake-up drinks, especially if you’re here for a morning meeting and quick brekkie or are planning to have a late night. The drinks menu is fairly comprehensive, with a focus on quality rather than quantity, from cocktails and whiskeys to craft beers on tap and by the bottle. There’s a fair number of wines available by the glass and even more to order by the bottle or to pop open for a celebration.

A cocktail at Bolton Road Collection. Photo supplied.

Service

Staff are professional and helpful. It’s advisable to call for a reservation in advance.

Ambience

It’s easy to see why this is fast becoming one of the most popular Joburg hipster hangouts. Located along the city’s art strip on Jan Smuts, where a fast-growing hub of great coffee places is also exploding, Bolton Road Collection is making its own unique imprint. The industrial-chic look of the restaurant is consistent with its location and, although tending toward a modern, minimalistic look, there’s a lot of attention to detail, from the low lighting to pops of green in pot plants and vases around the restaurant. Ultimately, it’s the type of place that promises good food and vibes, and invites you to chill until the wee hours of the morning without even noticing the passage of time.

The warm decor at Bolton Road Collection. Photo supplied.

And…

They use a smart and efficient SMS system to confirm your reservation and follow up on the day. Millenials (if not everyone) should love this.

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