Southern Sun’s newest hotel in Johannesburg opened its doors last week and adds international cuisine to chic F&B line-up

Southern Sun Hyde Park is the new 132-room four-star hotel built by Southern Sun at a cost of some R197-million. It is adjacent to the Hyde Park Shopping complex, aimed at high-end shoppers, and visible from the busy William Nicol Drive/Jan Smuts Avenue intersection.

The hotel boasts the latest design and technology features for its business and leisure travellers, pointing the direction that the group is taking to meet the changing needs of its guests.

It the group’s first hotel to feature a media-hub in each of the rooms, which gives guests seamless technological integration. When connected via VGA cable, the television automatically detects a laptop and guests can charge any USB-based device and dock iPods, iPhones and MP3 players as well as view digital recordings.

The food and beverage component of the hotel is a collection of chic restaurants that reflect the latest in dining trends. It features the first Bice Ristorante Italian-themed restaurant in Africa, an international brand, as well as Daruma Sushi and Tempura Bar, whiskey bar and cigar lounge.

Bice Ristorante was first established as a neighbourhood Italian trattoria in Milan in 1926 by Beatrice (Bice) Ruggeri. Since then the restaurant has achieved global recognition and the Ruggeri family continues to manage the Bice Ristorante Group, now comprising 40 restaurants, employing 1800 people and reporting total annual gross sales of US$50-million.

Eastern cuisine is available from Daruma Sushi and Tempura Bar, open for lunch and dinner and late into the evening. The menu is available throughout the hotel and not just at the restaurant.

There is also a whiskey bar and cigar lounge situated to offer guests spectacular sunset views across the leafy northern suburbs of Johannesburg. Access to the adjacent shopping centre also provides a variety of restaurants and coffee shops.

Noël Macquet is the GM of the new hotel. He says, “Food, combined with great service, forms an intrinsic element in creating a memorable stay. Food is fuel but dining allows guests to connect with each other, whether they are here for business or leisure. We therefore pay particular attention to culinary offerings coupled with great service as well as design and décor settings. Global patronage brings with it a broad range of tastes and desires. At Southern Sun Hyde Park we aim to satisfy everyone’s cravings.”

Macquet adds, “Most world class hotels have at least one superior, highly reputable restaurant – and we aim to make Southern Sun Hyde Park the foodies’ ‘destination of choice’ in Johannesburg, where guests and clientele create and enjoy memories to savour. We strive to set ourselves apart from other hotels, and the culinary offering constitutes one way of achieving this.”

The two chefs brought on board to head up the teams at the two restaurants include Daniele Fabris for Bice and Goda Katsumi for Daruma.

Fabris brings with him experience from Milano, Brussels and London as sous chef and chef de partie of several top restaurants including Annabel’s Club. He is skilled to deliver Bice’s famous, authentic recipes, like the veal ravioli, tortellini with truffles, and a pasta and lobster dish.

Katsumi has gained experience in several Japanese restaurants across Thailand, Guam, Malaysia, Saipan and Japan. He will ensure that the continued legacy of Daruma, which first started at Southern Sun’s Sandton Sun hotel many years ago, continues in its new home.