MOYO, A CELEBRATION OF AFRICA

Moyo is a brand that has been synonymous with Cape Town and local tourism for a good number of years now. Founded in Joburg and then branching out to Cape Town soon after, the restaurants, now five throughout South Africa, capture the soul of Africa through an upscale yet laidback environment.

Up until recently I had never been to Moyo before. In fact, I knew very little about it other other than the fact that it’s an African-themed restaurant where face painting is a necessity. That changed when I visited the Blouberg store on a perfect autumn evening not so long ago. Found at Eden on the Bay, this beachfront bonanza is a celebration of Africa on the water’s edge.

This Moyo store is both summer and winter friendly. A nifty feature of the terrace area are the tables fitted with their own mini splash pool underneath them – just big enough for feet to cool off in during summer.

The views from here are quite spectacular too, with a full panoramic view offered of the sun retiring into the Atlantic Ocean every evening. Winter on the terrace is a breeze, with blankets being offered to guests for fending off the chill. During this time the inside is where it’s at though, the upbeat, indoor vibe taking centre stage with its stylish and warm interior.

Moyo’s extensive menu is the real (African) deal. Serving up a variety of popular dishes from a number of African nations, one can choose to go fully authentic and savour local delicacies such as farmed-crocodile-tail pies, mopani worms and warthog potjiekos. We were not as brave as we thought and went for something a little more familiar, but still prepared in a proudly African way nonetheless.

Every meal begins with a traditional hand-cleansing ceremony that is performed by your server, a great precursor for the meal ahead. And what a terrific meal it was.

One does try to be as critical as possible for review purposes, but we couldn’t fault our three courses whatsoever. From the calamari dovi and Nigerian kofta starters, to the Mozambique per-peri prawns and Madagascan peppercorn fillet mains, the food was outstanding and at a reasonable price.

We liked that fact that Moyo isn’t just aimed at high-spending tourists as some may think, but rather a taste of Africa, for all of us Africans, by Africans. We’ll be back!