SALON has fast become one of Cape Town’s most innovative fine-dining destinations, offering a multi-course menu that blends global inspiration with seasonal, locally rooted dishes. Located in the city’s creative hub, the Old Biscuit Mill, SALON is the brainchild of award-winning restaurateur Luke Dale Roberts and Executive Chef Carla Schulze. Their collaboration brings together Dale Roberts’ international experience and Schulze’s precision in showcasing the Cape’s finest produce.
A refined and evolving experience
Since opening in 2023, the SALON experience has grown more refined. Elegant table settings, bespoke crockery, and an expanded tasting menu now frame each visit. What began as a journey inspired by Dale Roberts’ global travels has evolved into a deeply seasonal menu, celebrating ingredients at their peak while maintaining SALON’s signature creativity. “As we move into our third year, we’re increasingly focused on spotlighting seasonal ingredients,” says Schulze. “We aim to use produce when it’s truly at its best—paired with the global-inspired flavours that define SALON.”
From snacks to spectacle
Each visit begins with a selection of inventive snacks, paired with seasonal cocktails, setting the stage for what’s to come. Highlights include Thai-spiced prawn tacos with Cape citrus, morels stuffed with truffle chicken mousse in celeriac tea, and Jerusalem artichoke chawanmushi. A bowl of wagyu biltong with chestnut and quince pays homage to South African road trip fare. Diners can choose between the eight-course Global Tasting Menu or the six-course Explorer Menu. While every dish reflects technical precision, the spotlight remains firmly on ingredients and flavour.
A focus on ingredients and tableside moments
SALON’s service includes playful yet purposeful theatrical touches. Snacks arrive nestled in seasonal produce, cheese is shaved tableside into delicate rosettes, and the duck suzette is flambéed to order. “We avoid theatrics for show,” says Dale Roberts. “If it doesn’t enhance the flavour or presentation, it doesn’t belong. But when done well, tableside elements add a sense of fun.” A standout example: a savoury cannoli of Canadian snow crab, served atop beetroot elixir. The final touch is a scattering of nitro-frozen wood sorrel pesto, infusing each bite with zesty brightness—an ephemeral flourish of both form and function.
Wine, cocktails and a crafted final act
SALON’s drinks programme is led by sommelier Tadiswa Chikwanha, whose curated wine and non-alcoholic pairings elevate each course. Originally from Zimbabwe and trained through WSET and the South African Sommeliers Association, Chikwanha brings deep expertise and passion to the experience. His selection of boutique Cape wines and seasonal cocktails has helped redefine SALON’s beverage offering. After dessert, the Nightcap Trolley signals the final chapter. Stocked with local spirits—from aged Cape brandy to classic Amarula—guests select their preferred digestif. The meal ends with a nostalgic bite: a Romany Cream-inspired macaron, paying tribute to the Old Biscuit Mill’s biscuit-making past.
A place of playfulness and precision
SALON is more than a fine-dining restaurant—it’s a celebration of place, season, and imagination. Through a globally influenced yet deeply local lens, Dale Roberts, Schulze, and their team offer an experience that is elegant, inventive, and rooted in flavour.
SALON is located at 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town, and is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday.
Bookings can be made at www.salonct.co.za or by calling 087 093 5890.
