Zioux Restaurant — Restaurant in Gauteng

We dined at Zioux on the second night of their opening week. While we were unimpressed with the food and service, I reserved my review as it was a new establishment.

After being rated two stars by Eat Out's restaurant awards, we decided to book for their Valentine's Dinner.

Interior (10/10) Understandably, Zioux was awarded the VISI Style Award. The eclectic jungle-inspired interior is breathtaking. However, this is the only element that makes Zioux a noteworthy restaurant. My only recommendation is that they invest in air conditioning and side stools for ladies' handbags. As such an elite establishment, they can not expect their guests to leave their purses and bags on the floor.

Service (3/10) The hostess at the entrance paid us no attention as she chatted on her phone. During our dinner, we had to pour our own water, ask for plates and glasses to be cleared, and for our table to be cleaned. After complaining about our food arriving 20 minutes apart, no apology or acknowledgement of this was made. Instead, the waiter giggled.

Food (2/10) Zioux's fusion-inspired menu is designed to stimulate the senses; however, several ingredient pairings do not work. For example, the oysters presented rubber-like, overcooked, near-burnt chorizo. I thoroughly enjoyed the Coconut and Prawn Ceviche, however, it's too spicy for most guests. My partner's sweet potato main course arrived 20 minutes after I had finished my meal. Unfortunately, the dish was ice-cold and lacked substance. The jelly and custard dessert was simply "basic" for a lack of better words, although visually interesting.

Value for money (2/10) The entire dining experience was overpriced and overrated. To present an unbiased opinion, La Colombe (voted top 50 restaurants worldwide) offers a superior menu for less (far less).

Overall, I believe Zioux is an appealing champagne bar, but I would recommend something other than it for one's...

Striking Interiors; and that’s it ….

Zious suffers carrying the burden of high expectations which come with a pedigreed origin. This cousin is riding the high wave of Marble, but not quite delivering.

The interiors grab you the moment you enter. It is not quite a coordinated interior when you notice the detail but it demands attention and gives you the feeling of being in a special place.

The bar in the middle is attractive though the layout is tight. If you sit in the bar you are likely to be scraped by the passing ‘traffic’.

The raised seating area is the best space with bold paintings and a nice view of the whole interior.

The food choice is limited unless you like seafood and beef. For chicken lovers and vegetarians the choice is limited. Between the three of us we could only find two starters and two main plates which agreed with us. Even if you like the food you are unlikely to visit again because there is nothing new to order.

The salmon ceviche tasted good but had a dated feeling to it - felt like it had been prepared a day or two ago. Didn’t have the lemon zing to it. The lamb in the tacos was stringy and the portion size could be better. The chicken main was good and had flavor. Even the portion was decent. The chocolate dessert was so so. The cremeux dessert was nice.

The drinks were decent - the small size made them pricey.

Service was average. There was a certain vacuousness to the servers. They were not connecting to the patrons.

Tighter service, wider menu choice and some work on the food taste will work wonders. Maybe it will happen soon. In any case the place is...

Zioux is an otherworldly experience. The moment you step in to the restaurant you are transported to another dimension. The bar with it's amazing lighting, the beautiful wooden panels on the wall and the intimate table settings really set the scene for what can only be described as the foremost dining experience in Johannesburg at present.

Head Chef Moses Moloi has really set the bar for what fine dining could be redefined as. He is well on his way to being one of the best Chefs in the country.

The highlights of the evening were the new calamari dish on the menu and the fan favourite churros with caramel and chocolate sauce.

The menu consists of a large variety of small plates and a few traditional menu items. The cusinine is inspired by South American flavours with Peruvian influences dominating.

The restaurant has an amazing atmosphere and ambience with music and lighting throughout the evening. This however might not be to everyone's taste as it is a bit noisy compared to your traditional fine dining experience. It fits the mood and the scene however and creates an incredible vibe for a fancy evening out.

The staff and kitchen team are fantastic and the service could not be faulted.

Make sure you visit Zioux before the churros are taken off the menu! An unforgettable dining experience. The best food in...