priva lounge

simply magnificent! our supper club tried the dégustationmenuand loved every delicious mouthful of heaven. the live band was great. and we really enjoyed the wine selection.

first time at priva lounge. we were triggered by restaurant week and we decided to try out the restaurant. it did not disappoint us. nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. restaurant weekmenuwas very nice. we had the sirloin and the stuffed squid, very well prepared. only negative was that we had to wait 45 minutes for our main course after we finished our appetizers.

on a recommendation from a friend, i booked this restaurant for my father's 65th birthday and could not have been more impressed!  

the afternoon started with marko jovančić, co-owner of priva, mixing delicious cocktails for us at our table:
for me, pear-blossom martini. this unique signature cocktail is made using lanique russian rose infused vodka, triple sec, lemon, pear and cranberry juice. 
for my father, single millionaire - priva's signature cocktail: singleton 12yr, talisker 10yr, grand marnier and raspberry syrup. 

as we sat sipping our cocktails overlooking the breathtaking views of waterkloof heights, i found it hard to imagine that we were in fact sitting in the middle of pretoria.

onto the food (and between us, we had an absolute feast..)
5/5.

starters:
prawns kataifi: prawns wrapped in kataifi pastry, homemade tequila chilli mayonnaise, and candied coriander. this was my father's favourite dish of the day! 
duck salad: rocket, pickled golden beets, toasted sesame seeds, grilled plums and honey soya glaze. 
salmon tartare: citrus earl grey spheres, red onion, green apples, capers, lemon juice, wasabi cream, spicy guacamole and dill foam.
oysters three ways with chopped pickled ginger and soya sauce, white chocolate and black caviar and last but not least fresh spring onion.

mains:
lamb shoulder rolled with red onion, thyme, garlic and wild mushroom risotto with rainbow carrots. the wild mushroom risotto absolutely made this dish! 
priva's signature and a must for pork lovers: pork belly, honey soya glaze, pumpkin tart, corn salsa, butternut puree served with homemade crackling. 
beef fillet: sauteed shitaki mushrroms, creamy soya sauce, toasted pine nuts, baby garlic hasselback potatoes and tenderstem broccoli. 

interiors: 
5/5. 
dark wood, leather and some impressive roy lichtenstein artworks make your walk around the building, a must! 

service: 
5/5. 
excellent! i was impressed to see that even chef cayla took the time pop out of the kitchen briefly to chat to the birthday boy, explain her inspiration behindmenuand make some knowledgable recommendations to him for his meal choices on his special day. really an inspiring personal touch that i know that he will not forget. the priva team made my father feel like an absolute king on his special day, and the overall feeling when we left was when could we possibly return.

*recommendation: priva lounge is a versatile venue catering for everything from a stylish dinner with live music to simply enjoying some fresh oysters and champagne with spectacular waterkloof views. priva is, however, definitely aimed at a more sophisticated crowd so dress to impress!

for more, find me on instagram, facebook & twitter: laurasworldza

this is probably my favourite restaurant in the whole of pretoria thus far. the owner, staff and front of house are incredible!! they know their menu’s, their food, wines, cocktails and cigars!! themenuis incredible! flavours spot on!!! and always a winner!! they have live entertainment at the end of the week! which shapes such a nice ambience. marko knows his wines and he wants you to have a good experience and time no matter what!! love this place and is a great place for a special occasion, just a drink or even if you just want to treat yourself for a meal.

my girlfriend and i are serious foodies and have a tendency to visit between 4 to 5 restaurants a week.... bad habit. we know. however the point i am trying to make is that we know food very well, and have had the pleasure of visiting many amazing restaurants.

we were surprised that we hadn't heard of priva lounge before. we opted for the tastingmenuand wine pairing. the portions were large, the food was tasty and well presented. the wines paired well. the atmosphere was vibey with live music. we loved our experience there and will be back again. thank you to the people at priva lounge.

excellent...from entry to exit.
one of the best dining experiences in pretoria.
the staff are really good at what they do. at no point were we rushed. they know themenuand have an excellent wine menu.
we'll be back!

verseker n besoek werd.

the newmenuis absolutely amazing and would advise everyone to try it! some of the favorites are the kudu medallions with amarula sweet potato mash or the lamb shoulder with wild mushroom risotto and a buttery parsnip purée.

absolutely fantastic service and immaculate food!! my steak was made a perfect medium, amazing portion and the wine and cigarmenugive you so many options to choose from.

i was so impressed. not only did they go out of their way to cater for me especially, our waitress kelly was outstanding. the food was incredible and the view is breathtaking. the only qualm i would have is that they should consider maybe adding a few more vegetarian options to themenuas the choice is quite limited but as i said, they did make a plan especially for me which i found extremely thoughtful and accommodating. great place

we were really looking forward to our dinner at priva. however, we were sadly disappointed. the service was incredibly slow with a very inattentive waitress. themenuhad been changed on the day and the restaurant staff were not familiar with the new menu. the shiitake steak was good. valhorna chocolate dessert was average. we were overcharged for a dom pedro. altogether, it was a highly overpriced affair. will not be back in a hurry.

if your preference is fine cuisine with a somalier to pair your poison with multiple courses, then priva is the place to be. theirmenuis selectively focussed on giving you decadence on each plate. the setting offers a skydeck with a view that is pleasant on the eye. be prepared to pay a tad more to experience gastric pleasures and the sky is the limit. set in the heart of waterkloof, priva is a must. i like!!!!!!!

we celebrated my mom's birthday here last night and had one of the best restaurant experiences ever. the service was outstanding. probably the best service in pretoria. our server, kosi was amazing. one of our favorite things about the evening was kosi's helper, jared, who was just so sweet, friendly and adorable. we all tried out the 5 course tastingmenuwhich i cannot find fault with. my favorite dish of the evening was the pork belly with pumpkin tart. the deconstructed cheesecake for dessert was also fantastic. this is such a beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous bar. will definitely be back!

this hidden gem is a romantic, beautiful jazzy place with a stunning view overlooking waterkloof heights.

the seating is spacious and private and gives a fancy backyard vibe.

themenuoffers limited options but with more than enough variety and each dish is creatively executed in a mastered and proven experimental way. it is clear each dish has been tried and tested.

the service is personal and attentive in an expert and professional manner, yet approachable. its always a pleasure to see the chef interacting with customers.

priva is definitely recommended for a romantic or relaxed and something different venue for fantastic food or even just a classy whisky.

i looked and evaluated but couldnt fault the restaurant in any way.

i took my bff for a celebratory birthday dinner and it was no mistake. the service was excellent. they are very accommodating when it comes to meeting requests. we were allowed to change the 5 course tastingmenuto our hearts content. we had oysters for starters. fresh, delectable and interesting. the scallops were perefect but heaven knows what it was served with - can't remember except that it was not memorable. i then had duck breast. if you are ever thinking of trying duck for the first time, wait until the feeling passes, not worth it. my friend had the fillet. my gosh, what a divine plate of perfection. soooo full of flavor... the pork belly was next. i have dreams about that pork belly! melt in your mouth delicious heavenliness yumminess. i must confess, after all those fulfilling flavors, dessert was a little redundant as i wasn't in the mood for sweet anymore. i would also like to mention, it was a thursday evening and they had this amazing jazz band. though the band was almost right behind us, we never felt overwhelmed. really added to a super smooth atmosphere. i am so going back there.

this is hands down the best fine dining establishment in pretoria. we enjoyed the 5 course tastingmenu(along with drinks pairing) for a celebration dinner and it was great. the live jazz added a beautiful ambiance. themenuis new and exciting without being inaccessible. it was downright tasty. it's definitely the kind of place you can spoil somebody at, celebrate at or simply kick back after work in the whisky lounge, with live jazz and a sterling cigar from their collection.

definitely worth a visit.

the only downside? the restaurant needs twitter and instagram so that patrons can post about their food. ;)