A First Class Stay

It was the early afternoon on a Saturday and I was itching to get out of the house and try a spot I hadn’t visited yet. I whipped out my list and after much debate and just wanting to get up and move, I settled on Séjour. We called, reserved a table and without a second thought, we got up and left. I had no idea of what to expect and I hadn’t heard much about this place so I was going in totally blind, which probably made this entire experience even sweeter.

Séjour Restaurant is an award winning establishment located within the Houghton Hotel in the heart of Houghton Estate. Head chef, Freddie Dias, is the mastermind behind the delicious meals enjoyed at the restaurant and the leader of this modern fine dining experience. Just this year, Séjour was awarded the ‘’Best Restaurant of Johannesburg’’ award by Restaurant Week SA, it also received a Gourmet Guide Plate Award for the 2023 Awards and it was nominated in the 2022 Restaurant Awards hosted by Eat Out Woolworths Awards.

As you can tell, the standard is high and more importantly, the standard is recognised and awarded accordingly.

Chef Freddie Dias has cooked in top kitchens across the globe and he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the kitchen. He draws inspiration from years spent travelling and exploring culinary gems, this curiosity combined with his love for food and storytelling has made Chef Dias a force to be reckoned with. Séjour means ‘stay’ and their website had the best quote which goes: Experiences at Séjour, they stay with you.

Now that you have all the facts and background, let’s get into the good stuff!

When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by a member of staff and led to our table. The restaurant is open plan and you are met with the stunning view of the Houghton Golf Course, courtesy of the floor to ceiling windows panning the entire wall. The space oozes modern sophistication and elegance with marble tables and plush patterned rugs around the restaurant. The chairs are a mixture of leather and velvet upholstery which created a beautiful contrast of textures and colours, adding depth to the grey and white colour palette of the space.

Gold accents in the lighting and accessories of the room coupled with the pots of greenery also added some warmth in a subtle but effective way.

I loved the bar and the use of lighting and textures to elevate the space. Its large size gave the room a luxurious feel but it didn't feel like it was taking up too much space.

Our waitress, Thabiso, was a dream! She was friendly and her professionalism was effortless - she could answer any question about the menu with knowledge and offer an informed suggestion with conviction. She talked us through the menu, telling us which meals came highly recommended and everything she recommended was as good as she had described, which I was really impressed by.

We ordered off the Explorer Menu which is the restaurants modern-fine dining menu that draws inspiration from around the world and ‘’traverses the globe’’. Chef Dias is known to switch up his menu every couple of months due to his love for experimentation and storytelling so each dish is a sort of limited edition which I find quite cool and makes the meal feel special.

As soon as we had ordered our starters, we received complimentary hors d’oeuvres from the chef consisting of lentil curry on rice crackers with cumin yoghurt sauce and crispy onions. It was essentially the size of a single bite but don’t let the size fool you! The flavour that was packed in that small bite left a lasting impression - it literally tasted like Mumbai. It wasn't hot but it was spicy and definitely built anticipation for the next dish.

A TASTY BITE: The complimentary hors d'oevures that had the most explosive taste.

For starters, we had crispy calamari and a tostada which is a type of taco. The crispy calamari had a similar sauce to our hors d’oeuvres and it was different because calamari isn't often paired with spice so I enjoyed the flavours. The rice cakes were dusted with chilli powder, which looked very pretty but had a tendency to get caught in your throat so beware. The tostada had an array of seafood inside it, namely soft shell crab, pickled octopus, roasted prawn aioli and burnt avocado & paw paw tartare. Sounds like a lot, right? It was a bit tricky to maneuver but once all the elements were in my mouth, the flavours blended so well to create a unique flavour. The dish was zesty, the sauce was creamy and everything was fresh.

We moved along to mains shortly after, the waiting time wasn't long at all and I appreciated that. I ordered line fish fillet with smoked mashed potato as a side and OMIGOODNESS - the smoked mash was the star of the show, hands down! From the very first bite, it tasted like something familiar but also like something you’ve never had before. The smokey, fireside grill taste in the mash was such an unexpected twist for this traditional dish and I think my brain malfunctioned trying to understand what was happening. The mash was salted and sprinkled with truffle oil which added extra flavour. My fish was fresh and tender, it was salty at some points but the garden salad and tomato pesto helped balance the flavours in my mouth and overall it was a lovely meal.

My partner ordered a sirloin steak with wagyu pepper sauce, Thabiso insisted that the sauce was the best to pair it with and she was not wrong. The steak was the perfect medium rare, leaving it moist and juicy and it was spiced to perfection with just salt and pepper. The wagyu pepper sauce tamed the steak and brought the meal together beautifully. As a side, he had chunky parmesan covered potato chips with black garlic mayo. I thought the cheese would have been overwhelming but the black garlic mayo muted the stronger flavours a bit and balanced everything out.If you’ve noticed, I’ve been repeating the words ‘flavour’ and ‘balance’ and that is how every single thing was for me at Séjour, even their cocktails! Perfect balance of ingredients and flavour and just the right amount of finesse.

Thabiso was so kind as to give us a mini tour of the place after our meal. The restaurant has a stunning wine cellar and three private dining rooms for functions, each vary in size but all are exquisitely designed, perfect for an intimate and elegant gathering. On a beautiful sunny day, you can sit out on the deck that overlooks the pool area of the massive Houghton Hotel and enjoy the beachy Dubai aesthetic they have curated.

The location is so idyllic, it feels like a true oasis and one simply forgets where they are. The restaurant runs from noon till 16:00 and then reopens for dinner at 18:00 everyday. There is a bar/lounge area right next to the restaurant where you can continue to enjoy your afternoon if you find you aren’t ready to go home quite yet.

There was a lot to be impressed by but I think what stood out the most was the way the staff moved as a team and each waiter could offer an informed comment/suggestion of the menu. Chef Dias would come out and speak to the waiting staff, which showed that he was hands on and nobody was an island. That sort of cohesion translates into every other aspect of the dining experience of customers and they should all be proud of the standard they have set.

I can’t wait to go back and bring everyone I know because we all deserve that sort of King/Queen treatment! Prices on the Explorer menu range between R50 - R580 per dish.

Click here to view more pictures of Séjour Restaurant. Until next time!