Ekhaya is a beautiful, intimate spot in American Tobacco Campus from chef and restauranteur couple Chef Zweli and Leonardo Williams. Enjoy Bantu tapas and cocktails influenced by Zweli’s upbringing in Zimbabwe and East Africa. All five of your senses will be pleasantly engaged by this upscale restaurant in the heart of the American Tobacco Campus.
Tables are pretty tight in the space, but the food was phenomenal! Butternut squash croquettes were little balls of delight. Rice bomb was OK, but unexpectedly spicy for this wimp...half chicken was juicy. If not neat...sausage rolls were flavorful,and cocktails slightly unique.
Kristen Mannion
Jun 9, 2024
5
Ekhaya is a lovely little restaurant to go for a date or with friends. The drinks are unique, with atypical flavors like a tamarind old fashioned, and the food is delicious. Overall it's a fun experience and the fact you can explore the American Tobacco Campus before or after eating is a fantastic bonus!
Leora Thompson
Mar 31, 2024
5
Ekhaya is an absolutely beautiful restaurant. The interior is small, but nicely decorated with great music adding to the ambiance. Because of the great weather, my mother and I opted to sit outside with a view of the water. My only suggestion would be to figure out a way to place speakers on the patio to also enjoy the music out there. It didn't take away from our experience though. There are many vegetarian and vegan options available. The food is designed to be enjoyed tapas style. As Europeans, my mother and I loved this. Each dish comes out one at a time, and is shared. The Dovi cauliflower was tender yet crisp, with a fantastic peanut sauce. The chicken kabobs were delicious. Most chicken dishes tend to be dry at restaurants, but not these. The chicken was juicy, and each bite was a flavor bomb. I cannot remember the name of the bread dish, but it was one of the most delicious dishes I've ever had. I wish I could bottle up that beet sauce and take it home. Jeremy W was our server, and he was a complete delight. The restaurant has done well to hire him. He was very knowledgeable about the menu, and overall we just enjoyed talking with him. Highly, highly recommend dining with Ekhaya.
Holland Mills
Mar 22, 2024
5
Update: 5/22/24
It is rare for a restaurant to deliver on expectations so completely after such an amazing first experience - even more so when they can achieve this with while introducing new dishes!
It has been a few months since I last visited, and I was happy, but not surprised to see them so busy! A restaurant that can consistently deliver on excellent food and customer service that goes above and beyond deserves the popularity!
I look forward to visiting again soon!
First review:
My parents came to visit for a few days, and Ekhaya was the first place I chose for dinner. I was nervous, because I was taking them somewhere I had not visited before, but I knew the area was growing in renown for its food scene.
What I was not expecting was that our night would be so fantastic that for the rest of their trip my family would not stop praising this restaurant! From the first interaction with the staff and the beautiful ambiance, it was clear that this restaurant understood what it meant to elevate an experience.
We were initially asked by the staff if we had any food allergies or restrictions. It is important that this be answered clearly - we hinted that our ordering from the menu would indicate our preferences, and an amuse bouche was brought out with something we do not eat on it. It would have been enough for most restaurants to take it back and that would be it, but they brought out a new plate and it was phenomenal.
Food:
Amuse Bouche: Fried Chickpeas with bitter greens and a cream base. This dish is what stayed with me more than any other, and I believe it was owing to the textural difference between the crispy outside, lightly seasoned, and the smooth inside.
Vegetable Dishes:
One of the great things about Ekhaya is that there are a number of dishes for vegetarians. We ordered flambéed mushrooms, Broccolini, Dovi Cauliflower, Cassava Fries, and Dovi Rice Bombs.
Each of these dishes were excellently executes, well plated, and translated the intent of the chef to display the rich cuisine of the Bantu regions and the effect of the spice trade on their dishes.
The Dovi Rice Bombs were the first time I enjoyed a smoky flavor in food - it was very clearly smoky, but not overpowering on the tongue. The Cauliflower had a peanut sauce that was so delicious my dad tried taking the sauce from my plate! Overall the vegetable dishes were very enjoyable and I would recommend any vegetarian pay Ekhaya a visit.
Meat Dishes and Dessert:
I was the only one in my family to eat chicken, and I ordered the Suya Chicken Kebab. It was delicate and moist, but carried those same strong spice flavors in the vegetable dishes. I would recommend it highly. Dessert was Magwinya, which I have never had before, but would liken partially to a smaller fried pasty over a custard with fresh fruit. It was the best way to end such a phenomenal culinary experience.
Service:
One of the staff explained that the restaurant name means "Home", and that they aim to make the experience feel like that while still being a fine restaurant; this alone would have met the criteria, but midway through our meal we met Karina.
Karina, at first, came to ask how our food was and and to explain the various options we had for beverages. My family has learned to enjoy wine owing to their recent travels, and we settled on a mixed drink and two different reds for the table. When it was time to order another round, Karina returned and gave us a very thorough explanation of what was on offer. When I mentioned that I liked something sweeter, she offered a Moscato. It was something that we were not initially keen on, but Karina brought a sample for us to try. Suffice it to say that Karina knew what was right and we had to order a few extra glasses.
It was clear from speaking with Karina, who was brought on to help manage the entire restaurant group, that service to the customer is the most critical element of the experience at not only Ekhaya, but all of Zweli's restaurants. The food is good enough on its own, but its the service that makes the difference.
Fit Gear Hunter
Mar 13, 2024
5
The place was awesome all around. The appetizer and main dish were filled with flavors, and the pastry rolled sausage appetizer was an incredible combination of a number of tastes and textures. I was given (and I'm a nobody) a sample of an off-menu bacon and fried chickpea salad, and it was incredible. Great place for sure
M Mil
Feb 29, 2024
5
The food and service were superb! I had the savory sausage rolls. I wish I could bottle up the apricot reduction for every meal. Next I had the suya steak kabobs. So flavorful and the meat was perfectly cooked. For my cocktail I had the Zulurita which had a bit of spice but not too hot. Can’t wait to come back for brunch!
