Durban Tourism has significantly advanced in transforming its city into a refined travel destination, offering a broad array of activities. By aligning with global trends in destination marketing, the city aims to offer visitors distinctive experiences that highlight its beautiful beaches, warm hospitality, delicious cuisine, tropical weather, and rich cultural and scenic diversity. We embarked on a journey to discover the unique attractions that make Durban truly remarkable, concluding our first day in the province with a delightful dinner at Signature Restaurant.

Located in Oceans Mall, Umhlanga, Signature Restaurant offers a unique mix of comfort, elegance, and creative cuisine, all set against a backdrop of gentle, inviting ambiance. The restaurant is renowned for its exceptional service, exquisite dishes, and a selection of some of the finest blues and jazz music available.

The interior features luxurious decor and floor-to-ceiling windows that enhance the space with natural light during the day and provide stunning views of the evening sunsets and twinkling night lights. It’s an ideal spot for gathering with friends to enjoy a cocktail while watching the sunset.

Signature Restaurant stands out for its commitment to culinary excellence, innovation, and the use of fresh ingredients. It’s clear why this place is synonymous with top-tier dining, offering guests a premier culinary experience with every dish freshly prepared.

Signature is the perfect choice for celebrating your birthday with elegance or kindling romance over a candlelit dinner.

On a casual Friday evening, we entered Signature Restaurant. Before we even reached our table, the manager welcomed us warmly, expressing his delight at our first visit: “It’s a pleasure to finally welcome you to the family,” he remarked.

The dining experience truly lived up to its reputation. We started with a tantalizing trio of tartars: beef with a quail egg, seasoned tuna, and salmon paired with avocado salsa. Additionally, we enjoyed a duck trio featuring Asian-flavoured marinated breast, homemade duck sausage, duck liver mousse, and exotic mushrooms, all beautifully accompanied by apple puree and pear crisps. Each dish was a masterful blend of textures and flavours, delighting every palate.

For our main courses, the pan-fried scallops and grilled prawns bathed in lemon butter, accompanied by black teriyaki rice, seasoned vegetables, and a drizzle of aioli, were absolutely divine. The beef T-bone was cooked to perfection, paired with a creamy potato mousseline, a selection of seasonal vegetables, and a rich bordelaise sauce.

Our waiter was exceptionally knowledgeable and provided outstanding service. We enjoyed our meal at a leisurely pace. The gentle buzz of conversation from other diners blended beautifully with the soothing vocals of the lounge singer.

With satisfied appetites and uplifted spirits, we decided it was time to end our evening. As we strolled to our car on a warm Umhlanga night, I was struck by the realisation that, as Signature Restaurant puts it, “it’s an experience that reminds you why restaurants deserve to be revered.”