Luke Dale Roberts launches a concept restaurant, SALON, inspired by his experience of travelling and cooking around the globe. The SALON’s nine-course Journey menu begins with a dish that was a crowd favourite in The Test Kitchen’s Dark Room: pork scratchings with Guinness foam.

This concept is located at the Silo building – Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock (not to be confused with the Silo District at the V & A Waterfront). The stylish space was conceived by interior designer Maurice Paliaga, who contrasted contemporary elements with tones and textures that resonate with both the heritage of the building and the traditional salon concept.

The Journey menu takes guests to each country that Luke has worked in and showcases his evolution as a chef and his various influences along the way. Part of that journey has been building teams of talented people in creating the menu was Carla Schulze, Head Development Chef for the LDR Group, who has been instrumental in creating the experience.

The inventive take on a classic Sunday roast celebrates the chef’s English roots, while Luke’s time in Asia is expressed in the fragrant “Singapore chilli”, Malaysian-style laksa and Korean beef “kalbi”. Then there’s his playful take on a shisanyama staple, and the menu ends off with a traditional South African dessert.

The Journey menu is priced at R1100 per person, with a condensed version of four courses – The Explorer – available at R550 per person. These menus are also available as a pairing menu with dishes matched to one of the small-batch wines, beers and sake. 

Luke’s other restaurants include The Pot Luck Club and The Test Kitchen Fledgelings in Cape Town and The Shortmarket Club in Johannesburg which all won Eat Out stars at the 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards.

The SALON is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and guests can reserve their “Journey” or “Explorer” timeslots between 6pm and 9pm. Bookings can be made online.