I’ve often wondered if Pretorians ever feel left out when it comes to the province’s food scene. Johannesburg, as the bigger, bolder and overtly ambitious sibling, tends to hoard the culinary headlines and the glossy openings.
Monseca Hospitality Group, however, seems intent on balancing the scales with Amazon Menlyn, their sprawling new restaurant in Menlyn Park Shopping Centre.
Striking first impression
The interiors stop you first. A herringbone of hand-laid verde and white marble stretches beneath a botanical ceiling installation before the room opens into velvet seating, glowing onyx bars, solid wood and brass accents.
Outside, a cabana deck overlooking a fountain offers a brighter accent, allowing the restaurant to shift naturally between leisurely brunches and moodier night service.
Co-owner Estiaan Joubert, who spent more than a decade developing hospitality spaces in Pretoria alongside partners Ben Stanger, Luke Dakers and Heinz Rynners, believes the city has long been missing a venue that comfortably bridges occasions.
Amazon is designed to be exactly that: somewhere you can celebrate a birthday over lunch, catch up with friends over cocktails or settle in for a leisurely Sunday brunch without feeling out of place.
Freshness leads the menu
Fortunately, beneath the striking interiors, Amazon Menlyn’s kitchen, led by executive chef Siya Mlaba, feels just as thoughtfully put together.
Chef Mlaba, whose career has taken him through London, New York and Mexico, draws on Latin-American flavours with subtle Japanese influences, but this isn’t a menu trying to be clever for the sake of it. Instead, it leans into freshness. Citrus, herbs, tropical fruit and gentle spice appear throughout, giving many of the dishes a brightness that feels especially welcome.
A starter of grilled halloumi arrived exceptionally soft, balanced by pineapple and citrus salsa with a sweet chilli vinaigrette that lifted rather than overpowered the cheese. The charred corn ribs, packed plenty of punch. Slathered in whipped peri-peri butter, sea salt and fresh lime, they’re unapologetically bold and perhaps just a touch too salty for some palates.
Chef Mlaba found a happier balance with the beef carpaccio, where delicate slices of beef, peppery rocket, Parmesan shavings and crisp house-made breadsticks came together in one of the more elegant dishes of the afternoon.
Fire, flavour and a little restraint
Plates from the charcoal grill and main menu continued to lean into bright, tropical flavours. The octopus, which I approached with no small amount of scepticism, proved wonderfully tender, gently spiced and served atop a silky pumpkin purée that added sweetness without becoming cloying.
Alongside sushi, the raw bar offered a seared akami tuna glazed with lime, passion fruit and soya before being topped with pineapple salsa. It leaned clean and delicate, if a little more restrained than some of the menu’s bolder offerings.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was how confidently the kitchen approaches its vegetarian dishes. Rather than feeling like an afterthought, they receive the same level of attention as the meat and seafood.
The charred cauliflower steak, served with aji verde, toasted almonds and chilli oil, deliver an unexpected heat while remaining balanced by an earthy beetroot puree. It’s the kind of dish that is done so well, even committed carnivores may find themselves ordering it twice.
The main courses continue the kitchen’s exploration of bold flavours and live-fire cooking, albeit with varying degrees of success. The flame-grilled short ribs were meltingly tender, richly sauced and among my favourite dishes of the afternoon. By contrast, the hardwood-fired picanha arrived with a beautifully crisp, salty crust but lacked flavour deeper into the meat.
The whole lobster certainly turned heads as it made its way through the dining room, and while the roasted garlic and herb butter was undeniably delicious, I found myself wishing more of it had worked its way into the meat itself.
Beyond the cocktails
Behind the bar, head of operations Daniel Rismani and general manager Lawrence Mukosi, a WSET Level 3-certified sommelier, have put together a drinks list that mirrors the menu’s tropical energy.
Monseca has impressed me with its cocktails before, but both the signature Amazon Caipirinha and Spicy Margarita leaned a little sweeter than my personal preference. However, the bespoke syrups and playful presentation make for a colourful, approachable cocktail list that’s likely to prove popular.
Yet while the interiors are beautiful and the cocktails will inevitably fill Instagram feeds, what stayed with me long after lunch wasn’t the marble or the onyx bars — it was Chef Mlaba’s approach to flavour. Built on freshness, citrus cut through richer dishes, tropical fruit appeared where you least expected it, and even the vegetarian plates felt exciting rather than obligatory.
In a dining landscape often dominated by predictable, grease-laden food, Amazon Menlyn feels like a welcome palate cleanser.
At a glance
- Location: Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Pretoria
- Cuisine: Latin-American-inspired with Japanese influences
- Standout dishes: Grilled halloumi, charred cauliflower steak, beef carpaccio, flame-grilled short ribs
- Best for: Long lunches, cocktails and celebrations
https://www.dineplan.com/restaurants/amazon-menlyn
TimesLIVE
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