A stylish new restaurant recently opened its doors on Maude Street in Sandton, bringing with it a touch and taste of Parisian chic to the expanding culinary hub within the Sandton Central business district. Café Maude offers pavement-style eating on a lovely outdoor terraced area and a chic interior featuring an elegant cocktail bar and dining area – ideal for a business lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails after work or an elegant evening dining experience.

The restaurant is a flagship within the Southern Sun group of hotels. Although it is situated within the Garden Court Sandton City on the corner of Maude and West Streets, it is being marketed as a stand-alone restaurant with its own unique identify. In this regard, it is not reliant on traffic from the hotel guests as such, and expects more than 75% of its customer base to come from the local business and shopping communities who populate Sandton on a daily basis.

Café Maude is open seven days a week, from 11:00 till 23:00. The restaurant is described by Southern Sun Food and Beverage director Christophe-Bruno Marziale as “contemporary Parisian”, with its bar, the bistro-style dining area and a continental tea lounge, offering imported teas and coffees and a selection of deliciously light French patisserie. The menu prides itself on offering only the freshest quality ingredients that are currently in season, either locally or imported, and is refreshed every two to three months. Its fare, which is simple, light and healthy, is creative and tastefully presented with scrupulous attention to detail.

The wine list offers a selection of top quality Bordeaux wines and the pick of the finest Cape wine estates – available by the glass too, including Moet & Chandon and Dom Perignon. And, the good news is that all the offerings are very reasonably priced.

Marziale explains: “Our aim with Café Maude is to create a continental adventure for our patrons. We want to encourage local diners to be more adventurous in what they order through a three-way interaction between themselves, the menu and the restaurant staff to guide them. I’ve dubbed the concept ‘eat-ertainment’!

Street Entrance


Cafe Maude Dining Area

Café Maude’s head chef Petrus Bestbier, who has extensive experience in French cuisine both in Cape Town and overseas, and Southern Sun’s culinary advisor Michel Beyls, a former two-star Michelin chef with 45 years of international experience, will guide the menu’s delicious cuisine. The restaurant’s manager, or Directeur de Restaurant, who will oversee operations on a daily basis, is Craig Vermaak, who also boasts extensive international and local restaurant experience.

The last word from Marziale, whose background is founded in the finest culinary traditions of France and Italy: “If it is not in season, it is not to be eaten at Café Maude!”