Hennie Fisher ventures off the beaten track to The Crocodile River Valley in Pretoria, where Restaurant Mosaic turns out stylish, beautiful food at The Orient Hotel in the Francolin Conservation Area.

Food

Chantel Dartnall’s food style is distinctive, managing to be playful without being frivolous. Menus are often linked to the seasons or the earth, such as a beetroot and basil parfait, to convey the essence of the forest; or a sweetbread cornet with avocado and wild mushroom roulade to evoke the soil. The grand degustation menu might include such delights as terrine of baby beetroots with horseradish sorbet, and sea scallops with hazelnut and vanilla from Madagascar. You might also be treated to fresh truffles and hand-selected spices from France and Europe. Plating is individualistic with lots of unusual edible flowers and petit herbs for those inimitable little flourishes that distinguish the food here at Mosaic. At most top-end establishments, sourcing the best ingredients is as much part of the drill as preparing it, so expect to enjoy the likes of matured beef rib-eye with creamed morels, or a Kobe beef rump.

Chantel Dartnall

Wine 

Not only did Restaurant Mosaic manage the coup of employing one of SA’s best sommeliers, Germain Lehody, but the team undertook a wine sourcing expedition to Europe. This dedication and commitment of the team is reflected not only in the unparalleled wine list and cellar, but in the overall knowledge and service of wine.

Service

The importance of a friendly welcome has clearly been entrenched in all staff; it is not only the restaurant staff that welcome visitors with warm smiles and heartfelt hospitality, but also the gate keeper, security staff and doorman will go out of their way to make your visit a really exceptional experience. Most of the service staff have been around for a while, ensuring that service is always slick and polished. The only gripe could be that, despite the thought and cost that must have gone into custom-designing and creating specific utensils for some of the courses, some of them are so cute and dainty that they become somewhat complicated to negotiate.

Ambience 

People either love or loathe the interior of Restaurant Mosaic, which is firmly rooted in the Belle Époque. Whatever your feelings, it is wonderful to arrive at a place with a sense of anticipation and occasion and to be enveloped in a truly caring environment where none of the finer details are overlooked. The main restaurant does not allow a glimpse of the exceptional views so, should the weather allow it, ask to be seated on the verandah and revel in the African bush.

And…

Chantel Dartnall works hard to ensure that Restaurant Mosaic remains in the upper echelons of South Africa’s restaurants. This establishment’s dedicated kitchen team and friendly, competent staff produce and serve an unsurpassed seasonal menu that will prompt one to come back more than four times a year.