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History And Press

Just as good wine matures with age, so too has Gatrile’s restaurant. Since the early days in 1975 when it became famous for its endearing ambience, delicious pies and superb wines, Gatrile’s has come of age, in terms of both its character and its cuisine. As true icon of South African traditional food and hospitality, we provide the traditional dishes which are the favorite fare of our regular diners; South African specialties such as game, venison and Cape Malay dishes are prepared with a touch of French finesse.

Nestled in the heart of Sandton’s CBD, Gatrile’s defies the concrete jungle by being an architectural adventure. The house, built in 1968 in the Bauhaus tradition, is a mixture of raw concrete, face-brick and wood, combined to create an uncluttered yet warm and comfortable establishment.

But if anything could surpass the exquisite food and unique atmosphere, it must be the enviable wine cellar, which currently holds 8 000 bottles, specializing in the best that South African wine estates can offer. Manager Jeff Ringwood and co-owner of the restaurant Michel Morand have passed down the intimate knowledge of wines shared by the catering staff

Food without wine is unthinkable to Michel. "When I saw the cellar at Gatrile's, I fell in love." There 8 000 bottles rest quietly and 400 different labels feature on the winelist

Bottled riches such as these are close to the heart of someone born in Beaujolais, surrounded by vineyards. "The first manual work I ever did was harvesting and then cellaring, Michel recalls. Visiting Ken's farm" (Ken now owns Scholtzenhof in Stellenbosch) "was like coming home".

Send mail to paul@gatriles.co.za with questions or comments about this web site.
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Webmaster: Paul Kahle
Copyright © 1997 Gatrile's Restaurant
Last modified: October 27, 1998