Limoni Cafe and Restaurant, Sandton

Updated: 26-01-2022

As part of the Qurtuba Boutique Hotel, Limoni Restaurant is uniquely located to cater to the traveller staying at the hotel as well as local visitors to the restaurant. With the added attraction of the hotel grounds and gardens to stroll in as well as an on-site Spa and horse-riding it is multi-faceted and offers more than just a restaurant experience.

We visited Limoni restaurant on a Sunday for lunch. Delighted to find it fairly quiet with only a few tables occupied we were able to enjoy a relaxed Sunday afternoon just outside the bustling hub of Sandton in Linbro.

The restaurant is an eclectic mix of vintage with a Moroccan flavour. Tables with Moroccan inlays are flanked by versailles style dining chairs in different colours. Large windows look out over the garden and outside seating area and allow an abundance of light in. One side is dedicated to a large wall-to-wall bookshelf with books and games. A comfortable seating area with couches and armchairs make it irresistable to use. So we played tic-tac-toe there while waiting for our order.

Service was good and the menu is extensive. They have a choice of Indian, Moroccan, Chinese and Western dishes. Prices are quite reasonable with the average meal price less than R100. Fillet steak at R150 and prawns at R135. We opted for the Beef Chapli Kebab for him, the Chicken Chilli for me and the Kids Burger and chips for Taufeeq. The Chapli Kebab is a Peshawari-style flat kebab served with chips. This was tasty and enjoyable with the light fresh salad alongside. My Chicken Chilli comprised of battered chicken strips with mixed peppers and chilli paste, served with fried rice. This was slightly sweet and quite hot though I thoroughly enjoyed it despite fending off tears and a runny nose. The fried rice also was really good. I would order this again though may ask for it a bit less hot. The Moroccotini – watermelon and cranberry syrup with fresh ginger served with ginger ale was a little spicy and quite yummy. A must try if you like ginger.

Taufeeq’s burger was really big for a kids burger. While generous it could end up being wasteful. I suggest cut it in half so half can still be taken away or eaten by dad as is often the case with parents of small children. He would have liked a milkshake of which they have quite an assortment of flavours including Coconut-Almond, Bubblegum,Turkish Delight and Fireball but the kids meal came with a juicebox.

We chose to have dessert and coffee outside at one of the tables in the garden. The Cortado which is Espresso served with condensed milk was an absolute delight and a perfect finish to our meal, along with a slice of Chateux Gateux Fudge Picasso cake. The Dessert menu is various flavours of Chateux Gateux cakes as well as waffles and pastries.

I felt the restaurant had a lot to offer in terms of atmosphere. While the food was good, the menu felt slightly incongruous and could have used more imagination and flair. It leans heavily to an Indian palate but a more sophisticated menu could attract a more cosmopolitan clientele.

I would visit again as it’s a relaxing setting for a family lunch with options and interest to keep the kids busy too.