The Melrose Arch Moyo is probably the best-known restaurant in Johannesburg, and one of four in the burgeoning empire of founder Jason Lurie (there are also Moyo restaurants at the Market Theatre and at Zoo Lake, and at Spier in Cape Town).

Melrose Arch's sophisticated, late-night eatery is a 600-seater and has been operating since 2002. The restaurant hosts a variety of shows from storytellers to mime artists and other entertainment. Diners are greeted by wishee-washee ladies, who bring bowls of water to wash their hands, and later return to paint their faces.

The menu is mostly African, incorporating influences, recipes and spices from across the continent. The Moroccan tent décor gives an exceptional ambiance, reflected in the mud and straw walls, and the total package makes fashionable the African food, décor and music.

The restaurant won a People's Choice award on the Eat Out magazine's website.

Moyo Melrose Arch is popular for its flamed lamb fillet stuffed with spinach, mozzarella and peppadew. Lamb chops, chicken tagine and fish curry also do well, as do grilled ostrich fillet and springbok shanks.

Also on the menu are grilled beef suya kebab cubes basted with a Nigerian paste of ginger, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried onion, coconut and palm oil; and samaki kavu, an East African fish curry stewed in a fragrant curry and coconut milk sauce with a little chilli, spinach and crushed peanuts.

For vegetarians there is Nile roast vegetable salad, a mixture of cumin-infused hummus and grilled Egyptian gebna cheese with salad greens, roasted peppers, aubergines and courgettes, served with a tahini dressing. A vegetable tagine is served every day.

Prices for starters range from R35 to R90, main courses range from R50 to R350 and desserts from R28 to R40.

Melrose Square, Melrose Arch
Telephone: 011 684 1477
Hours: Monday-Sunday lunch 12.30-2.30pm; dinner 6.30-10pm