The La Colombe Group is set to open two new restaurants at the famed V&A Waterfront in December, bringing the group’s total number of restaurants to five.

The new eateries, the PIER Restaurant and The Waterside Restaurant, will be situated at the Pierhead Building, which is between the NSRI and Life Grand Café. Scot Kirton, the group’s chef-proprietor, says they had been looking at other sites along the Waterfront for many years before snagging this one when it became available. “We hope to create an experience the Waterfront has never seen before –for both locals and international guests alike,” he says.

PIER Restaurant will offer an intimate, multi-course fine-dining experience under the direction of chef John Norris-Rogers, formerly of La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek, while The Waterside Restaurant will be headed by Roxy Mudie. Roxy worked as a sous chef at both La Colombe and Protégé previously.

“Being given the opportunity to move back to Cape Town and head up PIER Restaurant is incredibly exciting,” says John. “While the past four years at La Petite Colombe have been a fantastic journey, I can’t wait to help launch PIER as a special experience in the city – one that our guests will hopefully remember for the rest of their lives.”

Guests dining at PIER can expect a focus on local produce, with a particular emphasis on maritime inspiration – as well as the team’s signature tableside theatrics. Among the items to look forward to are confit mussels cooked slowly in chorizo oil or oysters poached tableside by the chefs.

The Waterside Restaurant will provide a sophisticated but laid-back menu that guests may enjoy both indoors and on the outdoor deck, which is great for lengthy summer lunches. It will have two menus when it opens: a four-course meal with a choice of options and an eight-course tasting menu.

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