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The LivingRoom at Summerhill

Fine Dining South African Vegetarian Friendly
4.9 RR
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Attributes

  • Romantic
  • WiFi
  • Fireplace
  • Gourmet Guide Plated
  • Reviewers' Choice 2023 - Newcomer
  • Reviewers' Choice 2024 - Top 20
  • Reviewers' Choice 2025 - Top 20

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The LivingRoom’s aim is to showcase our provinces culinary diversity from product to plate.

Additionally, we strive to be one of the country’s flagships regarding sustainability and community development.

Gourmet Guide™ Description

Here’s a refined, immersive dining experience that blends sustainability with fine dining, seamlessly. Situated in the lush surroundings of Cowie’s Hill, this restaurant, helmed by chef Johannes Richter, is celebrated for its deliberate commitment to being environmentally responsible, using seasonal fare sourced from its own garden or nearby farms. Johannes, with his fine French culinary training and passion for Asian techniques, crafts tasting menus that rotate based on the freshest ingredients available, ensuring every visit is a unique gastronomic expedition.

Dining is intimate and personal, with seating for only 30 guests, fostering a curated and interactive encounter where Johannes often presents the dishes himself. Diners can choose between a five- or seven-course tasting menu, paired with wines carefully selected by Johannes’ wife, Johanna. One standout plate is the guava, fermented acacia honey, and bitter green sorbet. Inspired by the chef’s childhood memories of guava roll, this dish brings back those sweet and tangy tastes in a nostalgic, yet sophisticated, way.

The most evocative moment comes with the mabele sour porridge and amasi granita. This clever take on a South African staple whisks one back to childhood while demonstrating the chef’s ability to reinvent traditional flavours within a fine-dining context. It’s followed by another playful reinterpretation of a TV bar, made with amasi and sorghum, leaving guests with indelible epicurean memories, old and new.

Opening Hours

  • Monday CLOSED
  • Tuesday 18h30 - 21h30
  • Wednesday 18h30 - 21h30
  • Thursday 18h30 - 21h30
  • Friday 18h30 - 21h30
  • Saturday 12h00 - 21h30
  • Sunday CLOSED

Reviews (376)

4.9 out of 5.0
Based on the past 12 months
Food 4.9
Value 4.7
Service 4.9
Ambience 4.9
  • Candice Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Thu 19 Mar 26
    Outstanding as always. Exceptional flavour combinations and world-class skill - truly amazing

  • Niall and Andrea O'Connor Dined: 1 week ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 15 Mar 26
    Superb service and a great taste experience. My wife and I can highly recommend The LivingRoom

  • Sandeep S. Dined: 1 week ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Fri 13 Mar 26
    It was a fantastic experience enjoyed by all who attended and had different dietary requirements. well worth the money.

  • Kasturi M. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 09 Mar 26
    The entire culinary dining experience was amazing. It was such a novel idea to do a new modern take on indian cuisine. The food was delicious and hit all the familiar notes one would expect from our traditional Indian food but with a beautiful modern twist. The wine pairing was exceptional and also a first for me as we would not normally consider pairing wine with Indian food...it certainly added so much more to the food flavor and vice versa. Thank u for an amazing afternoon. Dr Kasturi Moodley

  • Richard F. Dined: 1 month ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Tue 03 Mar 26
    Sublime, as always

  • Miriam Haffejee Dined: 1 month ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Tue 03 Mar 26
    This was my 3rd time at The Living Room. It was splendid. I watch food programmes and it is as though I am sitting in a Michelin starred restaurant- although restaurant is not the right word. This is a far more cosy and serene experience. The food is more like beautiful architecture- think Grand Designs- with purpose: tasty! My favourite dish was this dried watermelon, with fresh watermelon, on a burnt butter (how do they do it without it tasting burnt??) and feta (tiny little balls) base. I wrote down as many of the dishes I could recall. The wine pairing was superb- every sip just brought out the natural flavour of the food. This is definitely an experience! Excellent service to top it all off!

  • Clinton N. Dined: 1 month ago
    3.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 2.0
    Ambience 3.0

    Reviewed on: Tue 24 Feb 26
    The food was great and th non-alcoholic drinks pairing was quite an experience. I would even recommend it over and above the wine. Siya, one of the waiters, was excellent and staff were friendly however the rest of the service was clumsy. Drinks for one of the courses was forgotten and then served later with another course. A cocktail was removed from the table before it was finished and spilled on the table while being removed. The waitress then said to me that it was only a drop. Ambience could have been better as there were patrons there dressed in shorts and Tshirt’s. A patron also stood outside the dining area and smoked a cigarette with the smoke coming into the dining area. Definitely not the experience I expected. Despite these detractors, it was a pleasant night out.

  • Ruban N. Dined: 1 month ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
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