And Then There Was Fire...

Nestled amongst a beautiful garden lies a hidden restaurant in Nirox Sculpture Park. Kevin and I managed to take a weekend off and visited this beautiful establishment. From breathing in the fresh air, to taking slow walks in the gardens to nibbling on the tapas menu - this place is a gentle reminder to us all to take it slow at times and to appreciate the little moments and everything in between.

From Chef Bernardo

“I came to South Africa from Argentina in 2013 for love. At first I was locked up in the suburbs, thinking I would leave for lack of anything special here. Then I discovered Maboneng! I was in amazement of the atmosphere, the culture of the people, the tone of the buildings and the streets. I had to be part of it. I met Oscar, from Paraguy. He had the same feeling. So we started a little stall at the market. A fire with one cut of meat from our past…and then another…and then empanadas… Before we knew it, people were queuing and we were part of the furniture, the family.

We were invited to bring our stall to a concert at NIROX. Fresh air, nature, music, art. We could not believe it. I felt we had stepped into heaven. We were at every concert since then, experimenting and expanding. Learning.

Nicholas was there, always encouraging…pushing…laughing. So together we opened CHE in Maboneng, and in the first year we were rated best meat restaurant in all South Africa. The restaurant has changed our lives. Now CHE is established in the Rosebank art mile. Oscar continues to run it successfully.

Living in the city, Manu and I wanted to rediscover our connection to nature - the earth - the source of the food we love. We wanted to explore cuisine from everywhere. To work with other chefs – local and from other countries. So when the idea was to re-invent the pavilion at NIROX into a fully ‘grown up’ restaurant, we jumped in.

And then here we are. Experimenting and learning again. Finding the very best local suppliers - cooking with fire, friends… and passion, in the paradise that is NIROX Sculpture Park! Living our lives in the Cradle of Humankind, where it all began. Where humans first stood tall and walked, and where they discovered the control of fire.”