Cape Town is rapidly becoming a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts. The city's restaurant scene is a vibrant mix of global influences and regional culinary heritage, offering everything from local mom-and-pop shops to innovative fine dining experiences. Among these, The Pot Luck Club stands out as a unique and memorable dining destination.
Located in the Old Biscuit Mill, a shopping center built from a restored biscuit factory, The Pot Luck Club offers a more casual and laid-back experience compared to its sister restaurant, The Test Kitchen. While The Test Kitchen closed in 2021, The Pot Luck Club continues to thrive under the guidance of Chef Luke Dale Roberts.
Panoramic view of Cape Town with Table Mountain in the background.
A Menu of Global Flavors
The Pot Luck Club’s menu features a tempting array of small-plate dishes perfect for sharing. Each dish is thoughtfully crafted to deliver distinct flavor profiles, including umami, salty, sweet, sour, and fusion elements. Chef Luke's ever-evolving rotating menu is based on what ingredients are in season.
The menu itself is divided into different sections - salty, sweet, umami, sour, bitter and sweet ending. You jot down what you want on a pad. The servers suggest you order 3-4 dishes per person. The dishes had creative combinations of flavors, making you crave that next bite.
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Consider these culinary highlights:
- Fish Sliders: Hake with miso mayo, a safe bet to start your meal.
- Crispy Cauliflower: Showcasing Cape Town’s Cape Malay influence with Malay pickle and chili sambal.
- Penang Pork Belly: Served with coconut and peanut curry, offering an addictively delicious flavor.
- Smoked Beef Fillet: Paired with truffle café au lait sauce, a winning combination when enjoyed with the wild mushrooms in "Cep Au Lait" sauce.
Don’t miss the desserts! There are several options to choose from for dessert. I don’t recall the exact name of this particular dessert. I believe it was some type of frozen yogurt with rosewater, which was not very memorable.
Here's an example of a tasting menu you might encounter:
| Course | Dish | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizer | 'Pepe’s’ carrots | With goat ricotta and roasted sunflower seed brittle. A contrast of sweet roots, creamy cheese and crunchy seeds. |
| Main | Fish tacos | Crisp little discs of fried tortilla sandwiching a filling of marinated fish, avocado and refried black beans. |
| Main | Springbok carpaccio | With smoked pinenuts and burnt honey and soy dressing. |
| Main | Beef tartare on toast | With parsnip crisps and an artistic array of avocado cream blobs of varying sizes. |
The Dining Experience
The Pot Luck Club is known for its playful, inventive, flavorful, and well-balanced food. Luke’s culinary creations in both the Dark and Light Room makes this dining event unlike any other. These global innovative dishes are always changing.
The restaurant is located on the top sixth floor of the building to give a 180-degree views of the city with the famed Table Mountain in the background. The stylish décor and an open kitchen add to the cool and unpretentious vibe.
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The cocktails and extensive boutique wine list are quite impressive. The beverage list at the restaurant is also strong, with a nice mix of creative cocktails and wines from a variety of regions in South Africa.
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Securing a Reservation
While securing a reservation at The Pot Luck Club is easier than at The Test Kitchen, it is still recommended to book in advance. They are open Mon-Sat for lunch/dinner.
Address: The Pot Luck Club is at 373 - 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town.
The stylish interior of The Pot Luck Club.
Sunday Brunch
NewsBrunch lovers, rejoice! Those dramatic city views (if you know, you know) and Asian-inspired small plates have made Pot Luck a hit since it opened in 2012, but the Sunday Brunch offers a whole new reason to visit.
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Instead of the usual à la carte menu, Sunday Brunch (R950pp) features a set menu of nine or ten unique dishes you won't find on offer any other day of the week. The brunch is a delicious roster of plates, all tapping into the punchy flavor-forward style that's made Pot Luck so popular.
The menu begins with fresh local oysters, before rolling through brunch favorites like buttery brioche with mushroom duxelle, a seasonal salad, Asian sesame, and Kosmas' famous take on a classic Arnold Bennett omelette. After a heartier main course - usually duck - you'll get seasonal desserts and an array of petit fours.
Alongside the wine list is the popular Bottomless Bubbles offering (an extra R530pp), this year featuring Cap Classique (South Africa's champagne-style sparkling wine) from Boschendal in the Franschhoek Winelands, and a Bloody Mary station of house-infused vodkas and a collection of spices and flavorings on hand.
The Pot Luck Club's popular Sunday Brunch.
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