Five Hundred

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at Five Hundred, David Higgs's new restaurant at the Saxon. The six course tasting menu was a delightful dance of the tastes buds through the culinary equivalent of Alice's Wonderland with red cabbage marshmallows, crayfish sausage, oyster macaroons, foie gras and white chocolate, and meringue and ice-grapefruit on a stick all vying for your attention. We were regaled with stories of stolen wine bottles (two our of the three were returned) and the origins of the restaurant's name (the restaurant is in the old presidential suite, room number 500). We had a view of Jo'burg and the service was beyond, Mr Higgs himself introduced a few of the dishes and we were given fresh honeycomb in a little black box as a we left. My only criticism would be the black and white Chinese symbol carpet. But who's looking at the carpet when the plate in front of you is such a masterpiece.