Chez Girard, Morningside, Sandton

What a lovely warm and welcoming space – a wood-fire greets you as you arrive on a winter’s night, the staff welcoming too, and Mr Girard on the floor looking after regulars and checking up on newcomers. Unusually located, this is a “house” inside the grounds of a commercial hotel, this restaurant has a linked function but is also a stand-alone. A very old-school European feeling, wood and linen, flowers on the table, tall-back chairs. Upstairs for private groups.

The menu is small, as is the wine list (but with a reasonable selection and good prices). This is the place for snails, French onion soup, fillet bearnaise, duck with orange and cherry, veal “cordon bleu”, etc. I sampled salmon quenelles with prawn (R40) and the flavours were bold and rich (a cream sauce); a decent entrecote Café de Paris (R95), which came with rather alarmingly plain and very chunky butternut and/or spinach (is this a steak house?); and a good crème brulée (R30). This is old-fashioned comfort eating, hearty flavours, not overly finessed in plating or combination of ingredient. Easy to see why it remains very popular, the personable warmth is key, and the prices are very reasonable.

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