I read up on Knife a bit before we went, after which I really looked forward to going. I love meat so I couldn’t wait to see all the awesomeness on their menu. By just looking at the interior of the restaurant, you immediately know what type of restaurant you are in. They have a lovely bar situated in the middle of the restaurant with booths covering the one wall. There are blown up pictures of kid’s faces covered in steak sauce up on the walls, while other walls are decorated with animals showing their different cuts of meat.

The staff was really friendly and very helpful. The manager even helped us choose a good bottle of wine for the evening.

A few people at our table ordered ribs. It was accompanied with a massive plastic apron, not a bib, an apron! Hilarious!! Suppose this encourages you to eat it with your hands, after which it’ll look like you need a bath!

For mains I had one of their specials, namely 200g Kudu medallions served with wilted spinach, green beans, roasted potatoes and a peppercorn sauce.

It was absolutely divine! It was extremely tender and accompanied with a delicious peppercorn sauce.

Unfortunately we didn’t have dessert, although I was dying to try their baked cheesecake!

We will definitely be back there next time and then I will ensure I get to taste their cheesecake! This tasty experience has made me curious to try Fork, because if they are “related” it can only be good!

Yours in fun & wild game,

Elly D

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A large, comfortable steak and ribs and beer spot with modern warehouse/NY loft styling: wood tones and brick and leatherette; small bistro tables and plentiful booths for groups. The menu flags grills and smoked ribs as the house specialties; there are also seafoods, salads and burgers (five types) as well as a kid’s menu to please all comers; while meat is clearly the focus, including platters of protein. Lunch time specials offer exceptional value, as indeed does the whole menu. Service is good, knowledgeable. A good interpretation of the grillhouse, earmarked for expansion.

The menu is extensive, and the starters and side dishes rise more than somewhat above the usual steakhouse array, both in breadth of choice and in composition: interesting flavours, spices, combinations of ingredients. Two of our table started with the panfried peppered calamari with a bacon vinaigrette (I suspect the bacon vinaigrette sold them), which was delicious; my mother also raved about her Creole mussel curry, in a spicy tomato sauce – excellent. My salad was perhaps the low point of the starters, perfectly adequate, but rather low on the beetroot/goat’s cheese elements which were supposed to define it. Everything in this course, however, was beautifully presented, fresh and tasty.

The main course ended up divided between rump steak, served with chips; the chips are one of the basic tests of a steakhouse, and Knife does particularly good straw-cut french fries. The rump-eaters were inclined towards the belief that this was the best steak they’d had in Cape Town – excellent quality meat, cooked to perfection and perfectly to order. The choice of sauces included at no extra charge is a nice touch. The rib-orderers were equally happy with the smoked, marinated, barbecued ribs, which I have to agree were tender and flavourful, and moreover left a gratifying pile of bones heaped in the middle of the table. I’m still a bit lacking in appetite after all the medical experiences and wasn’t up to heavy red meat, but my southern fried chicken was wonderful, offering tender meat and crispy, spicy breading. You can order extra side dishes, which are again slightly more interesting than the usual steakhouse creamed-spinach-and/or-mashed-butternut – we had wilted greens and roasted broccoli, both very good.

We couldn’t fit in dessert, which is a pity as I would have loved to continue on my American South kick by trying their key lime pie. Alas. Another time.

This was a truly excellent meal, but beyond the sheer quality of the food, I have to say what made it was the obvious thought that has gone into constructing the restaurant’s spaces and service. Half their tables are booths, which is the best possible dining experience, insulated from the noise of other diners; the tables are generously proportioned, leaving you elbow room to really get at those ribs. The walls are covered with beautifully-carved wooden plaques in a variety of slightly retro shapes, offering meat-enthused slogans with cheery, cheesy goodwill. The menu has a children’s section, and advertises various colouring-in and other activities available for kids. Your napkin is not a napkin, but a checked dishtowel of generous proportions and high absorbency, a thoughtful trend continued in the plastic aprons and, later, moistened towels provided to rib-eaters. We expect, the ambience says, you to be enthusiastic about your food. I was particularly taken with the serving arrangements: your server arrives with your dishes on an absolutely giant round tray capable of holding about five plates without overlapping. To serve, they plonk this down on the handy-dandy folding collapsible table legs they have previously set up next to your table with a flick of the wrist, and proceed to serve you, and afterwards to clear the table, in comfort, efficiency and style.

They passed both the water test (alas, no jugs, the only minor niggle in an otherwise perfect evening), serving tap water by the glass without turning a hair, and likewise remaining calm and pleasant in the face of diners who insist on bringing their own wine. (I forgot to check if they charged corkage, anyone remember?). And the value for money is excellent, considerably cheaper than Nelson’s Eye and possibly even slightly cheaper than Hussar, hitherto our gold standard for happy steakhouse eating. This was all in all a Good Experience, TM. Will definitely go again.

On the Patented Jo Scale:
Atmosphere: 7.5 / 10 (Comfortable, cosy, a little bit cheesy and inclining to glitz)
Staff: 7 / 10 (Calm, intelligent, amused, efficient)
Service: 8 / 10 (Good, unobtrusive, creative, very aware of your comfort)
Food: 8.5 / 10 (High quality: transcends “steakhouse” comfortably and with style)
Value for money: 8 / 10 (not over the top, and worth every cent)

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Even John, who prefers to keep his fingers clean to avoid transferring sticky stuff to his camera, enjoyed them. Next, we had a round of good tender beef sirloin on a crisp mushroom crouton with a great black pepper sauce, crisp onion rings and proper French fries. There are so few restaurants who make proper chips/fries and it is a huge treat when we find one. This paired well with the soft fruity and spicy 2010 Shiraz/Merlot blend which, we were delighted to learn, costs only about R35 a bottle, so some will definitely be coming home with us soon. The dessert, a wicked sticky toffee pudding with lots of caramel sauce and cream, finished a lovely meal. DP served his Semillon 2006 noble late harvest wine, which he explained is not for sale to the public.

He said it was a complete accident in the making, because a few rows of his Semillon, accidentally left on the vine, were discovered when they returned from holiday and successfully vinified. Knife are running these dinners regularly, check out their web site for details and do not hesitate to visit this fun restaurant with your friends for an enjoyable night out. We think it’s a great place for singles to meet.”

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