Zomato // Walnut Grove // Da Vinci Hotel

Hello Journeyers,
Thanks to Irina I was contacted by Zomato, the place where you can find restaurants near you, see detailed restaurant info, follow foodies for trusted reviews and discover restaurants according to your mood. It's the all in one go to foodie website and the must have app to download...

Zomato has also recently unveiled their rebranding and new logo. How amazing does the logo look?

I was extremely excited, and couldn't wait to attend their foodie meetup. It was held at Walnut Grove in Sandton City. It was an evening filled with mingling, laughter, loads of eating and fun. They introduced their new menu to us and my very first time at a micro-tasting evening.

Walnut Grove was founded in 1975 and is a family owned and run business. They are based in the buzz of Sandton City and you can take a breather after a busy day of shopping and sip on glass of wine under one of Africa's largest chandeliers, a towering walnut tree flowing with over 10,000 reclaimed and antique crystals. The chandelier is almost as spectacular as the food and service!

The tables were elegantly and organically decorated. We were welcomed with Mojitos which was just what the doctor ordered. Starters was already waiting for us as we sat down, platters full of cheeses, fruit, breads, dips and healthy micro-wraps. I really had to stop myself from eating all that delicious breads.

I was already starting to feel my pants tighten around my waist, so we ordered a glass of red wine and then they put mains in front of us. I had to stop myself from drooling all over the table. It consisted of a Paneer Cashew Saffron Curry rice, the spiciness of the dish caught me off guard but I enjoyed it. Next up was Rustic African Nachos served with cheese, guacamole, salsa and chilli. I'm a sucker for good nachos and these climbed fairly high up on my list. I was intrigued by the Red Velvet Burger. I cannot wait to go back and have a full sized one of these babies! Last on the tray was Black Pepper and Lemon Zest Calamari Basket. Not sure how I felt about this one.

 

 

After mains we were served spoons of Mascarpone and Coffee Caviar. I picked at each individually, not so good, but together. It's a burst of flavor in your mouth! Very interesting!

 



Now don't get me wrong, this part of the meal is usually the one I look forward to the most. At this stage I had to already loosen my belt. As they put down the tray filled with a trio of gourmet milkshake shots, summer macaroons and a red velvet cupcake. I was so full I had to take the macaroons as take away for Cedric to indulge at home. He loved it. My favourite was the oreo milkshake and red velvet cupcake.

They invited us to help decorate this beautiful rainbow cake. This man decorates 10 a day! How insane is that? I was rather impressed with my icing skills.

 

And if that isn't enough, with your coffee or tea you get a mini red velvet cupcake. How cute is that! They just seize to amaze and surprise us. The food was great, service was filled with smiles and the restaurant filled with laughter. All signs of a great success if you ask me!

If you are dropping by Johannesburg and planning to stay somewhere in the busiest and most popular areas, why not go to Da Vinci Hotel. You will be greeted with a smile and receive the 5 star service you deserve while on your lay over / business trip or mini breakaway. Within walking distance from Sandton City, wireless internet connectivity and a wellness spa, it's a perfect all in one!

Source

I would like to say a big thank you to Zomato for hosting such a great foodie meetup and for the photos and to Walnut Grove for the amazing experience and for opening your doors to us. Also thank you to Da Vinci Hotel for allowing me to write about them.

Disclaimer: I was invited by Zomato for this micr-tasting experience. As always all comments and opinions are my own. All of the content and images posted are my own unless otherwise specified / linked to the original source. Please feel free to share photographs and material from this site but please link back to the original image or post.