Alpine restaurant

A touch of South African, Bulgarian, German and
Ethiopian… all with a meaty twist

Ingrid Casson

THE PLACE
Alpine Butchery has long been a favourite for meat in Randburg, especially for its dry-aged steak and biltong, homemade
sausages, ham and salami – often with a German and Bulgarian twist, thanks to owners Vassil and Simeon Kaloianov. The duo recently branched out to include a restaurant and wine cellar showcasing Alpine’s meat, and it’s proving a hit with locals. Comfortable and casual indoor tables look onto the impressive wine cellar, but most diners vie for a spot outdoors on the sunny wooden deck.

THE MENU
If you’re a fan of meat you’ll feel at home here. Prue Leith-trained chef Daniel van Zyl has travelled the world as a personal chef as well as learning techniques in some of the world’s best-known food institutions: sushi in New York, breads and croissants in France and classic Italian in Florence. The result is a menu that melds classic elements from all over the world, with dishes like braised aniseed lamb shank pie, oxtail ragu with cinnamon gnocchi, and prawn and fennel pollen ravioli with
a prawn bisque reduction (the pasta is all homemade). Of course the steak – grass-fed and dry-aged for 21 days – is a favourite, as is the herb-crusted lamb rack (opt for wild mushrooms on the side when in season) and huge homemade burgers, served on a board with handcut chips. Antipasti is made fresh daily and brought out on a trolley – with ice-cold prosecco – to diners just feeling like a nibble. Daniel and the owners are passionate about wine and have stepped it up with a range of options that are surprisingly good value.

X-FACTOR
A small Bulgarian menu offers something a bit different (they attest it to “some of our customers who get a bit homesick”) and every now and then their full-time Ethiopian chef has time to put together a separate Ethiopian menu that celebrates the tastes of the country.