SALON Restaurant in Cape Town

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Luke Dale Roberts has unveiled a brand-new dining concept in the heart of Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill precinct. SALON is the latest addition to Dale Roberts’ portfolio of culinary destinations; an effortlessly stylish space defined by its elegant décor, elevated dining and enthralling cocktail collection.

*Please see below details about a winter Prix Fixe menu

“From the start, I wanted the feel of this new restaurant to draw on the concept of a traditional European salon,” explains Dale Roberts. “It’s created a space that is as much about the food and drinks as the people around you.”

To hit the right aesthetic note, Dale Roberts turned to long-time interior collaborator, designer Maurice Paliaga, who contrasted thoroughly contemporary elements with tones and textures that resonate with both the heritage of the building and the traditional salon concept.

Diners arrive at SALON through a bright golden portal, a striking entrance into a more traditional salon space of Victorian-style floors and classical marble-topped bistro tables. With SALON housed within the precinct’s historic silo building, transforming the gridded structure into a more enveloping space required a highly creative approach.

Golden domes and Art-Deco patterning soften the square dimensions of the room, while Venetian plasterwork and vintage-style filament lamps bring both texture and warmth.

“Luke also felt it was important that SALON was broken up into various areas, and so our plan created a general seating area backed by an elegant bar and banquettes, while intimate dining spaces feature just behind a series of arches,” explains Paliaga, who has created spaces for thoughtful conversation and edible adventure.

And that is, of course, the raison d’etre of the new venture, with the SALON menu marking something of a return to the heady days of The Test Kitchen, once rated as the best restaurant in Africa.

“The ‘Dark Room’ experience was, for me, the high point of The Test Kitchen at the time, so I decided to emulate that here at SALON,” says Dale Roberts. “On the Journey Menu, I’ve taken each country that I’ve worked in or travelled through that had an impact on me and created a signature dish from that country’s culinary heritage. I really wanted this menu to be small, focused and interactive. I want people to come along on a voyage that really shows my evolution and influences as a chef.” 

Part of that journey has been building teams of talented people, and working alongside Dale Roberts in creating the menu was Carla Schulze, Salon’s Executive Chef. 

“Carla has really been instrumental in creating this experience,” says Dale Roberts. “We have become an incredible team, and we work extremely well together in bringing concepts for dishes to life.”

“The Journey Menu is a real snapshot of my life as a chef,” says Dale Roberts. “It takes my decades of travelling, tasting and cooking in some incredible kitchens around the world, and condenses it all into a nine-course exploration of all the wonderful flavours and dishes I’ve encountered along the way.”  The Journey Menu is ever evolving with dishes being added and removed as the seasons change.

SALON is open for dinner from Tuesdays through to Saturdays, and for lunch from Thursdays through to Saturdays.  The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. For bookings and more information, visit: www.salonct.co.za or call 087 093 5890 during normal business hours.  

E hello@salonpotluck.co.za – Bookings on Dineplan.

A winter Prix Fixe menu

The Winter Explorer Menu is priced at R875 per person. Optional additional snacks are highly recommended (and a few featured here), and beverage pairings are available, matched to small-batch wines or seasonal cocktails.

Diners can choose between the more compact six-course Explorer Menu or the full eight-course tasting. We opted for the six, which still felt generous and deeply satisfying.

The bread course was a standout — Salon’s signature croissant-like roll served with whipped butter, shaved Boland cheese, and Branston pickle. A cheeky nod to Luke’s English roots.

One of the highlights was the Duck Suzette, featuring duck breast dry-aged for seven days, flambéed tableside and served with citrus emulsion and a rich duck jus. A true showstopper.

I loved every dish on the menu.

Winter Explorer Menu
SNACKS
• Horseradish Oyster
• Winter Citrus Taco
BREAD
• Branston Pickle & Cheese
SICILY
• Caponata — Octopus, linefish, saffron
MOROCCO
• Tagine — Lamb, mutabal, grape & preserved lemon
FRANCE
• Duck Suzette — 7-day aged duck breast, citrus emulsion, duck jus
SOUTH AFRICA
• Fynbos Honey — Malt barley, pear, local mead

The Winter Explorer Menu is priced at R875 per person. Optional additional snacks are highly recommended (and a few featured here), and beverage pairings are available, matched to small-batch wines or seasonal cocktails.

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