A Super Unique Dining Experience with Pigalle and Ron Zacapa [Review]
Ok ladies so today I’m going to introduce you to something a little bit different; we’ve all heard about food and wine pairings and these days foodies are taking all kinds of liberties by pairing so many different kinds of alcoholic beverages with food. I’ve been to a beer and curry tasting, a food and whisky pairing but now after a food and rum pairing (yes rum!) with premium rum brand, Ron Zacapa I’ve done it all! But wait there’s more! I also got to do this pairing at the oh-so-fabulous Pigalle Greenpoint. It was my first visit to the restaurant and now I get to bring you TWO reviews at once -aren’t you lucky?
So lets start with Pigalle – I’ve driven past the Greenpoint, Cape Town branch of snazzy restaurant countless times and always thought it looked far too fancy for me. I’ve always wanted to go but have never had the ‘right’ occasion to do it. Chances are you’ve thought the same thing but let me tell you; you’re wrong! well, sort of. Pigalle is pretty damn fancy – it offers diners luxurious interior design and a decadent fine dining menu but it’s also the type of place that you need to find an excuse to visit no matter the occasion.
Sure, it’s perfect for celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or an anniversary (the restaurant is huge so they can accommodate all sorts of events corporate or private) but everyone needs to visit this restaurant at least once. So next time you feel like being a lot fancy just tell your friends you got a promotion at work or make up something about your dog graduating from puppy training school and you’ll be on your way to a night of glitz and glam.
One of my most favourite things about Pigalle is that they have live music on stage every Tuesday – Saturday from 20:00. The music provides the most incredible ambiance for the restaurant and it’s not uncommon to see dinner guests get up and dance the night away in between bites of the delicious menu. The live band, beautiful French decor, sparkly chandeliers and high ceilings make you feel like you’ve entered a worm hole to the glamorous 1920s.
But enough about how pretty it is; let’s talk about the food. The menu offers a range of international dishes with a touch of Portuguese flaire and judging from the dishes I sampled at the Rum tasting I can tell you that the food is beyond amazing. For the Ron Zacapa dinner I enjoyed a 3-course meal including Beef Carpaccio (thinly sliced game served with a confit of beetroot, herb roasted baby tomato, wild rocked and pecorino romano -R82) for starters, Salmon Teriyaki (Norwegian salmon marinated in teriyaki, pan seared served with mash and drizzled with a sweet soya and sesame dressing – R180) for mains and Vairhona Chocolate Mousse for dessert. Each dish was paired with a Ron Zacapa premium rum cocktail and was paired perfectly. I was blown away by how yummy the rum cocktails were – clearly I’ve been drinking the wrong rum my entire life. All of the dishes I had can be found on the Pigalle a la carte menu and the prices aren’t bad!
More fun facts – Pigalle actually has 3 other restaurants in Joburg so if you’re based in Gauteng make sure you head through to one of their Joburg branches which are equally spectacular. More information on Pigalle visit their website and say Hi to Pigalle Greenpoint on Facebook. For more information on Ron Zacapa say Hi to Ron Zacapa South Africa on Facebook.
