The Ivy Villa Hotel and Spa is a hidden gem in the heart of Sandton. And if you are looking for a private dining room for a small, intimate function, look no further than Reuben’s At The Ivy.
A celebration
My Mom turned 70 last year and decided she wanted a small dinner party to celebrate. She booked the private dining space at Reuben’s which allowed her to have a menu she had chosen. This beautiful space overlooks the outer courtyard and has direct access to the cigar lounge.
My Starters and Mains at Reuben’s
For starters our choice was beetroot and blue cheese salad; peri-peri chicken livers, or new style salmon sashimi. Salmon is such a treat for me so I went with dish which was served with sushi rice, soy, pickled ginger and a sesame dressing. I thought the use of salmon offcuts was great and something I will replicate at home. The starter was perfect in both portion size and taste. For mains, the options were confit duck leg; tandoori spiced linefish; or exotic mushroom risotto. As I love duck I decided that would be the perfect choice. It was served with a sweet potato puree, roasted carrots, stem broccoli and a spiced citrus gastrique.
Dessert
Both desserts sounded sublime and I wanted both the dark chocolate terrine and the caramelized pear. Luckily for me, Dave agreed to share. The terrine was served with orange caramel and hazelnut ice cream and the pear with Weiss beer ice cream, walnut crumble and white chocolate mousse. The Weiss beer ice cream was the highlight for me and I could have had a tub load of it.
Service and More
My dad has a wine collection of note and decided to bring his own for the dinner. The bottles were opened for us, and decanted, allowing the red wine to breathe before our meal. Our waiter ensured that the pre dinner drinks were offered as the guests arrived. And both sparkling and still water was made available. Service was seamless and all the meals came to the table at the same time. There was a birthday celebration in the courtyard and we joined in with singing happy birthday to the lady whose special day it was. This was a memorable evening and we were blessed to celebrate with my mom.
Contact them on +27 11 384 4900
Take a look at what was posted on Lavender and Lime July 15:
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- 2019 – Blueberry Pie
- 2015 – Updated Interview With Sarah Graham
- 2013 – Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- 2012 – Presto Pasta Nights 222 Round Up
- 2011 – Crème Brûlée
Weiss beer icecream sounds fascinating..is it a beer flavour..
It was, and when we can buy beer again I shall have to try and replicate it 🙂
sounds like such a nice way to celebrate your mom’s birthday!
It was very special 🙂
Happy Birthday to your mother! I hope that her special day was all that she had hoped for. The food looked great.
It was, and we were blessed to be there with her 🙂
There is a porridge like dish my Danish grandmother used to make with pumpernickel and beer then topped with ice cream that your dessert made me think of. It sounds like it was a lovely event!
That porridge sounds delicious 🙂
That is a beautiful memory. Many happy returns to your mother!
be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae 🙂