"Our lease at our old premises was coming to an end and the venue had felt limiting for a while now, so when this opportunity come up we grabbed the chance to reinvent ourselves," says co-owner Jan van Huyssteen. The result is a sexier, moodier GOLD Restaurant that is as impressive to whimsical locals as it is to travellers looking for a trusted authentic African experience in the middle of Cape Town.
The new venue is spread out over a number of floors - from the ground floor Ashanti Room, ascending into the Timbuktu and Kenyan rooms, and up to the Gallery and the Kente room, so called thanks to its extensive use of the traditional cloth. The secluded rooftop garden has an evocative Moroccan theme.
GOLD is one of the few Cape Town restaurants that can accommodate small, intimate functions in its various dining areas, but can also accommodate 250 seated. With the use of the adjoining Bennett Street space, this number can be increased to 550 seated, and 1 000 cocktail style. As such, GOLD is a favourite with foreign independent travellers, hotel concierges, guest houses, event organisers, incentive houses, tour operators and corporate clients.
Despite no longer sharing premises with the Gold of Africa Museum, the GOLD Restaurant has a treasure trove of collectables that forms part of the décor experience. Unusual items include a multi-coloured beaded tunic from Chad, Fulani earrings from Mali, original Kenyan beaded collars and Nigerian bronze and cuffs, an Ashanti stool, gold-leafed Fulani calabash lights and Dogon doors.
From the commencement of the evening with interactive Djembe drumming, to the ritual hand-washing and a multi-course gourmet feast, guests journey through a menu of African sounds, sights and flavours. Cuisine ranges from Cape Malay to North African with many influences in between. The evening also features authentic live entertainment in the form of dancing Malian puppets, singers, dancers and musicians that perform in each dining area. A final performance by the entertainers and staff lets one feel the African heartbeat.
GOLD employs upward of 55 staff, and is proudly affirmative. "We involve everyone in the business decisions so all our staff feel accountable for doing their bit. Our management approach is inclusive and non-discriminatory but we demand the best of the best and focus on exacting attention to detail," says co-owner Cindy Muller.
