Last night I went to dinner with some friends from Joburg who are here on business. I needed a restaurant in the city bowl where the food would be interesting and good plus I wanted a venue that has some visual appeal too. I decided on ’95′ and wasn’t disappointed. It wasn’t very busy but there were enough tables occupied to create a vibe. We shared two starters between four of us because a) we had to try the carpaccio which they are famous for and b) we didn’t want to spoil our appetites. So we had the beef carpaccio with homemade mayonnaise which was delicious and we also had the caprese salad which is made with imported buffalo mozzarella, also very good.

For mains, 2 of us ordered the Pork rolled with spinach and ricotta and covered with mushroom sauce. This is one of their flagship dishes and a definite winner. I normally order that but decided to go for the tuna (R89) this time. I wasn’t disapponted, it was prepared perfectly (in other words how I asked for it) and I enjoyed the parmesan mash that accompanied it. I could have had veggies but it was aubergines and peppers which I don’t particularly enjoy. The other person had the Wildebees. I can’t remember how it was done, but there wasn’t any sauce visible so it must have been done with a tasty basting. Feedback was positive on that dish too.

The dessert menu is very tempting. One person went for the creme brulee and was pleased with it but the rest of us went for the chocolate souffle (R39). It was extremely decadent and incredibly tasty. If chocolate is your thing, it’s a must. We had a coffee while we waited for the souffles, it wasn’t too strong like some restaurants do it.

The wine list is quite good. We had a Muratie Merlot ’02 (R145) which was as nice as we thought it would be. There is a fairly wide selection at slightly above average prices. The service was good, I always have unusual requests and they were all accommodated. All in all, I was pleased we went.

95 Keerom
95 Keerom Street, Gardens
Tel: 021 422 0765