Gemelli Cucina Bar

I’ve heard many good things about Gemelli; a relatively new restaurant in Johannesburg. They seem to have gone through a recent growth spurt and have become extremely popular since their opening. I finally decided to give them a try and see what all the hype is about for myself.

Gemelli is a contemporary Italian restaurant based in Bryanston. I went through to them on a Saturday afternoon hoping to have a late lunch. Unfortunately the kitchen was closing at that time and would be reopening for dinner. So I booked a table and came back a few hours later. I was absolutely famished by that time, but the wait till the dinner service was entirely worth it!

Their menu offers a wide selection of options and not just the typical Italian cuisine one would expect. While I do love a great authentic pasta, I couldn’t resist the sound of the beef fillet. This was a beautiful cut of quality aged beef fillet with a parmesan and roasted onion cream sauce (I was a little sceptical of how this sauce would pair with the beef) and garlic potato puree topped with wild rocket, mustard jus and a parmesan crisp. It was amazing! The fillet was tender and juicy; beautifully cooked and to my surprise I really enjoyed the complement of the parmesan sauce. My benedict ordered the pork belly. Fortunate for me, since this is one of my favourites ;-) It was a seven hour slow roasted pork belly served with potato puree, truffle, crisp pastry, candied peanuts, apple fluid and a soy, honey and champagne sauce. Another superb dish! Loved the subtle champagne taste in the sauce – this accompanied the pork belly beautifully. For dessert I had the crème brûlée. This was an original spin on one of my favourite desserts. It was served with a side of fennel and white chocolate gelato as well as aniseed and orange zest biscotti. The fennel flavour was distinct and the biscotti added a nice crunchy element. Really enjoyed this creative version of a simple classic.

The service at Gemelli was brilliant. The waiter mentioned that his favourite dessert was the cheesecake with almond nougat and convinced me to give that a try next time. I could sense his love and passion for food and can only assume this is a big part of what has made this restaurant so successful. Gemelli is a beautiful restaurant with a modern feel. It’s definitely not hard to see why this restaurant is so loved! Officially one of my new favourite places in Johannesburg; I’m looking forward to coming back soon.