Meet the ghosts of the famed Mike’s Kitchen

Whispers of fantastical ghost stories creep up with regularity from inside the walls of one of Parktown's oldest establishments.

February 25, 2018

Tshepiso Mametela 1 minute read

Mike's Kitchen in Parktown is said to be home to two ghosts, one of which is believed to belong to a butchered meat griller.

The Victorian/ Edwardian-styled mansion, where popular restaurant Mike’s Kitchen set-up shop more than three decades ago, is one of only two Randlord Mansions which can be viewed freely by the public and still houses the original stained glass windows, high pressed ceilings and balustrade of old.

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The ghosts within and how they came to be, remain the subject of much speculation. Rumour has it, however, that in the early 80s, a murder took place inside the mansion, during which time a meat griller is said to have been savagely stabbed to death in a cottage – which once served as living quarters for staff – located behind the mansion.

The stairwell in the mansion that now houses Mike’s Kitchen on which one of two ghosts is believed to linger.

Manny Pita, who is the owner of Mike’s Kitchen Parktown, shed light on the incident of over three decades ago. He said that it made up a focal part of the mansion’s deep etched history. In addition to relaying stories of how keys along with other valuables mysteriously go missing from the restaurant, only to appear elsewhere several days or weeks later, Pita said the ghosts seemed to be unsettled.

“One morning, the staff woke up to find that the meat griller, had been stabbed to death in his sleep. His murderer was never found, and to this day, it is not known why exactly he was butchered. The lady roams the stairs while the man’s ghost, which is all over the place, resides on the property.”