Looking to feast without the onslaught of guilty emotions? Want to delight in the best flavours that Pretoria has to offer knowing that the calories are full and plump? Do you want to dine without inserting all the nasties into your body? Then fear no more! Here is a list of super eloquent restaurants to get your health fix. From fresh oysters to Norwegian salmon, smoothies to pancakes, Pretoria’s best health eateries are sure to have you covered. Or should I say, smothered?
Fermier Restaurant
Award-winning Fermier restaurant is as eco-conscious as it is health-conscious. Fermier is one of Pretoria’s top restaurants when it comes to healthy eating and responsible dining. The restaurant aims to be completely self-sustainable in the future by creating an ‘eco-system’ – from the fish and vegetables to the livestock that suits their idea of responsible, conscientious farming. Even ‘waste’ is turned into a functional part of the cycle.
When it comes to Fermier’s menu, the aim is to close the gap between produce, farm, and the versatility of each product. Fermier has a set menu from Tuesday to Saturday, where dining on an eight-course menu couldn’t feel any lighter and healthier. Fermier is located in The Willows and seating occurs at 7 pm.
The restaurant only accepts guests who have reserved a table for the 8-course meal. When it comes to the menu, it changes now and again, recapturing the uniqueness of each dish. However, their dishes feature fresh and local ingredients prepared in uniquely fine-dining ways.
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Double Dutch Hazelwood
Organic meat, organic produce: welcome to Double Dutch Hazelwood. This restaurant has a painting of dishes to tingle the senses and squash the ultimate health foody’s hunger pangs. From the lively atmosphere to the upbeat location, this Pretoria East restaurant has the hip of a healthy surfer. Start in the Great in the Bread section, where you can choose to have your fillings in a panini or not. One item in this section is the AL Salmone dish, featuring smoked salmon, avo, cream cheese, horseradish, and red onion, topped with marmalade, capers, rocket and stuffed into a panini, or not, your choice.
They also have a delicious seafood basket called Beach Please that is perfect for sharing. It boasts calamari rings, panko prawn, fish goujons and 2 unique dips. However, if you’re feeling particularly healthy, try some of their decadent salads, like their Prawn Salad or their Salmon Poké, among many others. Double Dutch also has smoothies and juices. Oh, did I forget breakfast, the most important meal of the day?
Oh, sorry! Would you like some lemon chicken with breast with half an avocado, grilled braai mushroom with blistered cherry tomatoes and rocket? Or perhaps smoked salmon with baby spinach, avocado, spring onion, cream cheese, horseradish, capers and lemon served on rye? I know it’s hard to choose, but hey, rather too much choice than too little for the health-conscious foody!
Smoke Pretoria
This is a destination where we showcase the best of South African excellence and life in the Capital of Pretoria. At Smoke, an array of ways to cook with fire is utilised. These fires are fuelled by Vaalbos and Groen Sekelbos wood sustainably sourced from Limpopo. They also make use of smokers and grills imported from Spain. If this doesn’t give you a taste of the smoky ingredients that are eager to wash over your palate, let me introduce you to the healthy dishes on their menu.
First is the Panzanella Salad: a dish of baby gem lettuce coloured with smoked salmon trout, capers, cherry tomatoes, radish, and sourdough croutons. Additionally, their brunch menu dedicates a small section to the classic smashed avo. You can also treat yourself to two poached eggs nestled onto creamy smashed avo served on a 7-hour sourdough bread, sprinkled with a dukkha seed crunch. You can also add salmon trout, dill, or capers to the dish for a small additional fee. They also have freshly squeezed juices, like orange, carrot, and Granny Smith apple juice. Moreover, if you’d like you can add a shot of ginger, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, to your juice for a small additional fee.
Smoke Pretoria also serves loose-leaf teas like Rooibos, Satemwa Green, Pineapple and Ginger as well as Earl Grey. Moreover, the Smoke restaurant is pet-friendly, even offering your fur baby a mouth-wateringly good puppachino! Though it is unknown if Smoke uses organic produce and meats, their menu still caters to health-conscious eaters! Smoke is open Wednesdays from 2 pm to 10 pm, Thursdays through to Saturdays from 9 am to 11:30 pm and Sundays from 9 am to 10 pm. Lastly, Smoke is located in Hazelwood and should be your number-one restaurant when in the area.
Brasserie de Paris
This fine dining establishment aims to provide an unparalleled dining experience that combines classic French flavours with contemporary international cuisine. Brasserie de Paris’s luxurious location makes the dining experience all the more special. You can either choose from their a la carte menu or take a culinary journey with their unique tasting menu. The 6-course tasting menu continually shifts according to the seasonal produce availability.
However, it could look something like this: It starts with a Trio of Oysters with lavender hollandaise, then moves to something like a tuna Niçoise decorated with quail egg, fine beans, and apple fondant. Though, is it even French without a few escargots? No. So, this stable menu item is sure to be featured on your tasting journey. When it comes to the a la carte menu, you can expect to see items like Norwegian Salmon with cauliflower and leek puree, fennel, tarragon dressing and, finally, squid ink coral crisp.
Perhaps you fancy some Springbok Carpaccio with Parmesan croquette and truffle mayonnaise drizzled in lemon olive oil. Yummy! Please note that Brasserie de Paris does not make use of organic produce or meats. However, when it comes to healthy menu items, there are still plenty to choose from. Brasserie de Paris is open for dinners from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm and for lunches from 12:00 to 14:30. They are open from Tuesdays (only for dinner) to Saturdays and are located in Waterkloof Ridge.
Afro-Boer
This café follows a simple food philosophy: farm-to-plate and self-harvesting produce. Afro-Boer is known for recognising heritage in all African and South African food cultures. Furthermore, the café incorporates a style of homemade, hand-made, and wholesome foods. This restaurant / café has a delicate atmosphere with hints of Pretoria’s best art and craft projects. They are open Monday to Sunday from 7 am to 7 pm. During those hours, you can delight in deliciously creamy free-range chicken livers, mushrooms on Brioche Toast, Avo on whole-wheat, plant-based chocolate banana bread, granola fruit bowls, as well as smoked trout avo omelettes.
Looking for something cosy? Try their drizzled chilli-mustard seed oil cauliflower soup! Or perhaps you’d fancy something ultra-healthy? Then the small salad bowls are perfect for you! They serve Broccoli Bowls, Chicken Caesar bowls and much more interestingly, the Oh My Goodness Grain bowl that boasts amaranth, sugar snap peas, green beans, shredded spinach, shredded carrot, red pepper, shredded beetroot, toasted seeds and nuts and finished with a coconut-milk dressing. They also have a Rainbow Plant bowl, with beetroot hummus, grated beetroot, carrot, shredded spinach, avo, and nigella seeds topped with vegan mayo.
Lastly, Afro-Boer has a Pomegranate-glazed Butternut bowl, featuring black rice, currents, pecan nuts, cranberries, and rocket. This is all topped with a herbed-yogurt dressing. Something to drink? Grab a glass of freshly pressed juice, like the Breakfast Showdown (orange juice, strawberries, apple, pineapple), Office Detox (paw-paw, pineapple, ginger, carrot and beetroot), Green (spinach, apple, celery and asparagus) and finally, Stoep Zing (apple, pineapple and ginger)
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Nü Health Food Menlyn
When the word takeaway is uttered, people usually assume its contents are greasy, loaded with empty calories, and without any nutritional value. Well, that might be true, but what if I told you that there is an option for takeaway that guarantees more energy rather than depletion, better gut health and better nutritional value? Take for instance Nu Health Food’s breakfast range: from chocolate oats filled with oat milk, coconut syrup, banana, sugar-free peanut butter, berry compote and hemp seeds to the classic vegan, gluten-free Banana-Nut Waffle. Moreover, Nü Health Food provides an array of vegan open sandwiches like the Iron Kick. This sandwich is filled with chickpeas, lentils, feta, avo, cucumber, rosa tomatoes, celery, coriander, low-fat curry, and mint yoghurt.
Craving something spicy? Try Nu Health Food’s Mexi-Taco Bowl, a delicious dome filled to the brim with black beans, red kidney beans, green pepper, carrot, tomato, raw corn, and chilli spices topped with avo, served with crispy taco strips. Give your mouth some much-needed zip. Want to end the night with something sweet, Nü Health Food gives plenty of honeyed options to calm the sweet toothache. From calory friendly Frozen Yogurt to vegan Peanut Butter Blu smoothies, the dishes and delicacies provided are sure to keep you full and energised for years to come.
All produce that Nü Health Food uses are organic, and the meats (the little that they use in their dishes) are all grass-fed and free-range. However, Nü Health Food primarily sells vegan meals and drinks. You can order from their restaurant/store in Menlyn Maine, or you can order it via UberEats, Bolt Food or Mr Delivery.
If you enjoy this article, be sure to read about the 7 delightful restaurants in Swakopmund, Namibia.
Indulge in Luxuriously Healthy
Whether you want to impress a business partner or celebrate a special occasion, being healthy never needs to be forfeited. Embark on a gastronomic voyage that will redefine your perception of luxury dining, all the while nourishing your body and delighting your senses. In Pretoria, a world of sumptuous and healthy delights awaits. So, cleanse your palate and savour the finest creations amid an ambience of pure indulgence and well-being. Lekker eet!
