Where to eat: Amazon is Pretoria’s latest hot spot

From marble floors to vibrant flavours, Amazon transforms every meal into an unforgettable experience. The first thing that captures your attention at Amazon is not the menu. It is the floor.

As guests enter the striking new restaurant at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Pretoria, a sweeping herringbone pattern crafted from Water Cut Verde and white marble stretches across the reception area. Above, this area sits beneath a lush botanical ceiling installation.

Every tile has been individually crafted and hand-laid, creating a dramatic welcome that feels less like stepping into a restaurant. Instead, it feels more like entering an immersive destination.

That sense of theatre continues throughout Amazon, the latest concept from Monseca Hospitality Group.

It was founded by Ben Stanger and Luke Dakers alongside Heinz Rynners from the team behind Greenhouse Sandton. Moreover, it also features Pretoria-born co-owner Estiaan Joubert.

The venue accommodates around 400 guests. In addition, it represents the group’s biggest project to date.

Rather than positioning itself as simply another restaurant, Amazon has been created as an all-day lifestyle destination. It is designed to evolve naturally from morning until late evening.

The restaurant offers everything from leisurely breakfasts and long lunches to elegant dinners, cocktails and lively nightlife.

Guests can begin the day with mimosas on the cabana deck before settling into shared lunches with friends or family. Later, as the sun goes down, glowing onyx bars, live entertainment and a vibrant atmosphere transform the venue into one of Pretoria’s newest social hotspots.

For Stanger, Amazon is the group’s most ambitious and expressive venture yet. Meanwhile, Dakers describes it as a defining moment for the hospitality brand.

Joubert believes Pretoria has long needed a venue that effortlessly caters to every occasion.

“There is nothing in Pretoria that meets in the middle. A place with real energy where you could bring your mother for Mother’s Day brunch, host a birthday lunch, celebrate a bachelorette with the girls over cocktails, and come back the same night for dinner and a party. That is Amazon,” he says.

Brunch is already emerging as one of Amazon’s signature experiences. Weekends are centred around live music, flowing bubbly and generous sharing plates that encourage guests to linger for hours.

The menu offers something for every appetite.

The Amazon Breakfast Board is loaded with crispy bacon, chipolata sausage, grilled halloumi, smashed avocado, homemade baked beans and eggs cooked to order.

Other favourites include Eggs Benedict topped with smoked salmon and hollandaise, Smoked Salmon Toast, hearty Breakfast Burritos and tropical house-made granola.

A thoughtful touch comes in the form of warm Brazilian pão de queijo, freshly baked cheese rolls that are served to every table from lunch onwards.

Although Stanger refers to Amazon as Greenhouse 2.0, the emphasis here falls even more heavily on the food.

Executive chef Siya Mlaba has drawn inspiration from Brazil and South America while weaving Japanese influences throughout the menu.

Having worked in London, New York and Mexico over the past 15 years, he has created dishes that balance familiar comfort with exciting global flavours.

“We’ve paid close attention. Every dish is a taste of somewhere, made completely our own,” says Mlaba.

Starters include crispy chilli lime squid with avocado salsa, roasted bone marrow served with grilled bread, panko prawns glazed in tamarind and turmeric, flame-finished lamb riblets and charred corn ribs with whipped peri peri butter.

Seafood lovers can explore the raw bar, where sea bass ceviche arrives dressed in vibrant citrus leche de tigre. Meanwhile, Tuna Laqueado combines passion fruit, pineapple salsa and sesame for a refreshing twist.

Japanese techniques continue through the sushi selection, featuring rainbow rolls, crispy rice deluxe topped with sriracha mayo, and wagyu nigiri flambéed tableside. The nigiri is then finished with oscietra caviar and truffle mayonnaise.

For mains, hardwood-fired picanha served with burnt sage butter and smoked salt stands proudly alongside smoky peri-peri chicken, grilled queen prawns, and flame-grilled sea bass with shimeji mushrooms. Premium steaks are accompanied by creamy mash, coconut rice or crispy baby potatoes.

Desserts remain true to the South American theme with warm churros served alongside dulce de leche and dark chocolate sauce. Also available are grilled pineapple with rum caramel and a rich Brazilian pavê layered with espresso-soaked biscuits and dulce de leche cream.

Drinks menu

The drinks menu is equally playful.

Signature cocktails such as the Toucan, Iguana, Forrest Town and Tropic Thunder feature bespoke syrups created exclusively for Amazon. Furthermore, Head of Operations Daniel Rismani says every cocktail has been carefully crafted to deliver both visual appeal and exceptional flavour.

General Manager and WSET Level 3 certified sommelier Lawrence Mukosi has curated a wine list. This wine list pairs seamlessly with everything from brunch through to dinner.

Designed by award-winning Wesley Bremer of Soda Custom with Heinz Rynners closely involved in the creative direction, the interiors combine solid wood, brass, glowing onyx and striking verde marble. As a result, this design creates an elegant interpretation of the Amazon rainforest without feeling themed.

Three illuminated onyx bars anchor the space, while a living wall of rooted greenery actively oxygenates the restaurant. In addition, oversized butterfly artworks pay tribute to the Greenhouse legacy. An intimate private dining room for 12 guests offers woven textures and warm finishes for special celebrations.

Outside, the relaxed cabana deck overlooking a tranquil fountain completes the experience. Accordingly, it creates a destination where great food, design, music and hospitality come together from sunrise until long after sunset.