The Shortmarket Club Johannesburg — Restaurant in Gauteng

Good entrées and mains on offer - but save your money and skip their dessert offerings!

With DW's (Marthinus Ferreira) move to Jordan wineries in Capetown, The Shortmarket Club (which moved from Capetown to JHB a while back), is a good fine dine option. The food on offer is of a high standard and very tasty. Presentation is beautiful as expected from a restaurant of this standard. Having been to The Shortmarket club a few times, I can recommend the Japanese pancake - a real taste sensation, with a mix of textures, and perfectly blended flavors! The pork belly is probably the best pork belly you will find in Gauteng, and the fillet also serves a nod as a tasty, satisfying dish.

Unfortunately (as with most fine dine establishments in Gauteng, mind you), the Desert is a real let down. I feel that for some reasons many chefs make a massive effort when it comes to entrées and mains, but get exceeding lazy with desert... Seriously, the malva pudding served at The Shortmarket club, is uninspired, and sweet and bland (no dimension in taste). You will do better heating up a Woolies malva pudding than the one on offer at The Shortmarket Club... What is more is that it is a dessert that many South Africans easily make at home. When dining at a fine dining establishment, I want the chef to blow my mind (I don't want to feel that the average home cook can serve me the same from their home kitchen!)

The chocolate fondant is basic, and essential similar to any offering by a run of the mill restaurants that offer chocolate fondant (or chocolate lava cake or whatever fancy name made up to describe ramekin size chocolate pudding with a soft running core) - skip it once again and pop into Chateau Gateaux if you feel like some good chocolate dessert.

The sevice is great, attentive and friendly. Will I return? Absolutely! But I will stick with the dishes mention. Expert advise - until they make an effort with their dessert offerings, skip dessert, rather have...

This is definitely an establishment you want to tick off your bucket list but sadly it will be a once off for me. They are definitely catering to a different market . I have seen some crazy pricing in my time but this place takes it to a whole new level. Don't get me wrong, my R450 steak, which consisted of two pieces, yes two cubed pieces was delicious, but not R450 delicious. It is a lovely culinary experience, but be prepared to roll up your sleeves🤣 as you may have to wash dishes. Service was attentive and professional, a chef that has definitely explained the meal at the table too many times comes through clearly🤣 as he is just spewing words without passion. Competely understandable, though, it's a busy establishment. Perhaps have the waiters do this like other fine dining establishments. They are definitely up to the task.

I am not saying that the experience was not a pleasant one at all but its nothing that we have not experienced at other fine dining establishments which is what is to be expected but was it R 3500 pleasant for two people considering the options you have around the corner, most definitely not in my humble foody opinion.

Don't be alarmed by the mandatory 12% service charge that is already added to your bill which we added extra to. The waiters deserve this for sure . All I am saying is be prepared. You definitely pay for those fancy lights on the main road. NOTE! The wife had 2 Cocktails, I had 2 Glenfiddich 12s and a coffee, before you think alcohol was the bulk of the costs😊. For the middle income earners, If you are a non drinker and have R 1.5 K minimum to spare per person to try the "very" fine dining starters and mains then you should give this establishment a try, if you are a drinker be prepared to fork out plenty. I need to add one last thing, fine dining is exactly that my people. It's lots of starters masquerading as mains😅 but if you have enough you will be satisfied...

We were fortunate to partake in a nice evening, where our choice of indulgence led us to the captivating world of cocktail tasting, paired seamlessly with a well curated tasting menu. As we embarked on this gastronomic adventure, we found the culinary offerings to be, regrettably, somewhat lackluster. The dishes, though competently prepared, fell short of capturing our palates with their under-seasoned profiles and a sense of culinary creativity that failed to ignite our senses.

However, it was through the impeccable service rendered that the evening truly shone. The staff members, with their attentiveness, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to ensuring a memorable experience, elevated our visit to new heights. Their expertise was evident in their ability to guide us through the intricate world of mixology, expertly crafting and presenting a series of exquisite cocktails that delighted our taste buds and enthralled our senses. Each libation, a masterpiece in its own right.

While the culinary aspect left room for improvement, it is important to acknowledge the commendable efforts of the dedicated service staff and the undeniable prowess displayed by the mixologists. Their commitment to excellence and their unwavering passion for delivering an extraordinary dining experience contributed significantly to the overall enjoyment of our evening. Given their exceptional service and the truly exceptional cocktails on offer, we left with a sense of fulfillment, eager to explore the myriad possibilities that awaited us on our future visits, in the hopes that the culinary offerings would align with the heights achieved by their liquid...