Rossouws Restaurants

Curious place this. It’s clearly been through a few changes of ownerships, plus it’s swallowed the venerable Cento Valle alongside. Now it carries on, occupying a large, three-sectioned space; where the end room is the climbing plant and Mediterranean-themed old Cento, the middle the smoking and the third the non-smoking section of the very bare, hard surfaced and casual bistro that Bell Pepper now is. The menu ranges a few colourful dishes where exuberant flavour is the order of the day (Moroccan lamb chops; seasonal salads with berries) and a long list of specials that enhance this modern theme - flavours from around the world given a ramp up: rump steak in a Jack Daniels and pepper sauce being the example I tried. The food is tasty and well-prepared, with bold and striking flavours. Plus the wine list is fun, including unusual local wines and some Chilean picks, making this a fun option for its quirky individuality. It does however come across as a committed amateur operation in many ways and the ambience is rather stark on a moderately empty night - committed amateur being a positive for me, but not for people who like slick seamlessness.