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Fuel with nourishing meals at the best organic restaurants in Johannesburg!
Whenever I fork out for a meal, I want it to be tasty, worth the price, and free of GMOs or other lab-grown bits that’ll have my stomach in a “where’s the nearest restroom?” mode.
The snag is that organic bites aren’t always easy to find or delish…right? Well, that’s not the case if you search for them in Johannesburg, where chemical-free produce isn’t a foreign concept.
In fact, we rounded up the City of Gold’s top restos and cafes for organic scran below, so you don’t have to gamble on a 20-ingredient mystery meat or a canned ravioli with a few nasty surprises.
Tradewinds Restaurant
From donaldnkomo
Address: Sandtown
Contact Details: +27 11 322 1527
Operating Hours: Daily – 6 am to 10 pm
Organic meals go inter-continental at Tradewinds, and that’s massive for foodies like me who dislike one-dimensional menus.
If there’s a “star of the table” title, I’ll hand it to the beefy plates, with the majority of the meat sourced from Badgeleur Organic Farm. Their sirloin is what I usually clean up, thanks to its buttery yet bold profile, rounded out by smooth nuttiness.
A lighter pick would be the organic chicken breast, which can be grilled or gobbled between bread, with farm-to-plate salad on the side.
Tip: The place is at its quietest between Monday and Wednesday.
Leafy Greens Café
From leafygreenscafe
Address: Rocky Ridge Road 1724, Muldersdrift
Contact Details: +27 87 941 1223
Operating Hours:
- Wed to Sun – 8:30 am to 5 pm
- Sun – 8 am to 5 pm
A workmate of mine quipped that Leafy Greens Café’s setting is so earthy that you won’t be mad for expecting the chairs to sprout leaves! That’s a brilliant remark, given the haunt is amongst Casalinga Farm’s country flora.
The organic and plant-based offerings, harvested from the farm itself, are an extension of the green panoramas. My first choice will always be the house-made falafel wrap that’s made crunchy by cucumber and carrot slices, then layered with guac.
Another banger is the fiery and generous black bean burger, featuring a bean and potato-based patty tucked into soft sourdough and drizzled with sharp Dijon. Juicy tomatoes and rainbow slaw also freshen it up, so you know it pops with flavours.
Tip: Bring a blanket. They allow diners to have a picnic under the trees!
Fresh Earth Food Store
From fresh_earth_
Address: Delta Central, 74 Hillcrest Ave, Blairgowrie
Contact Details: +27 11 646 4404
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 7:30 am to 5 pm
- Sat – 7 am to 5 pm
- Sun – 7 am to 3 pm
When I asked a Fresh Earth patron what makes the cafe worth it, their answer was simple: “untainted food.” That regular wasn’t lying, as the vegan– and vegetarian-friendly bites there are all dished out without unnatural additives.
The selection will spoil you as well; wraps, burgers, bagels, sandwiches, and bowls are in the books. That said, it’s the cinnamon sourdough doughnut that won me over, a caramel-ish treat that’s tangy-buttery, sans the sweeteners and preservatives.
Right behind is the 24-hour fermented sourdough pizza, particularly Red Tractor, a no-frills, classic layering of mozzarella and Napoletana sauce. What’s cool is that you can swap the base for a cauliflower one or add extra toppings!
Tips:
- Want to level up your kitchen skills? Join their cooking classes.
- You can bring pups here!
Olives and Plates
From olives_and_plates
Address: 7 Yale Rd, Parktown
Contact Details: +27 11 303 9282
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 7:30 am to 4 pm
- Sat to Sun – 8 am to 4 pm
Most locals know Olives and Plates as that stylish, oak-lined spot with generational bites inspired by the Mediterranean. While we’re not different, we also see it as a fine dining joint for a healthy start to the day.
We’re specifically talking about their health-conscious spread that comes loaded with chemical-free bits. Within that list, the 100% organic acai bowl is our go-to, given its mashup of frozen berries, coconut flakes, and granola, all house-made and seasonal.
As for the pour-fect (sorry, couldn’t resist) match, it’s a toss-up between the freshly pressed juices and the ginger shot. We usually pick the former for its benefits to digestion, particularly the blend of pineapple and mint.
Tip: They can handle catering requests.
Casalinga Restaurant
From casalingarestaurant
Address: Plot 328 Rocky Ridge Rd, Muldersdrift
Contact Details: +27 10 595 4563
Operating Hours:
- Tue – 8:30 am to 4 pm
- Wed to Thu – 8:30 am to 9 pm
- Fri – 8:30 am to 11 pm
- Sat – 8:30 am to 11 pm
- Sun – 8:30 am to 5 pm
Rooted within the same organic farm as Leafy Greens Café, Casalinga Restaurant is another staple for farm-to-fork dishes, though the latter focuses more on Italian cuisine.
A mouthwatering example of that is their hand-folded spinach and ricotta ravioli. It’s earthy and a tad velvety, with blistered cherries and organic micro-greens giving it some freshness.
Not your jam? Fortunately, that’s not their only naturally flavoured plate. You still have pan-seared chicken breast, herby vegetarian spaghetti, and grilled fillet to dig into, with daily specials to boot.
Tip: Fully indulge in the countryside by staying for the night!
Jackson’s Real Food Market & Eatery
From ovoprotein
Address: 63 St James Cres, Bryanston, Sandton
Contact Details: +27 11 463 1598
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Sat – 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Sun – 8 am to 5 pm
Gary Jackson of Jackson’s Real Food Market & Eatery has been rolling out nutrient-loaded and hormone-free produce for over 25 years. Naturally, we had to sample it firsthand to savour its decade-spanning flavours, and our tasting peaked with the morning plates.
Most of the spread revolved around eggs, such as scrambled eggs on sourdough and poached eggs with avocado. Of course, there were outliers, mainly the acai bowls, raw veggie wraps, and scrambled tofu.
Personally, I’d recommend their grass-fed and plant-based burgers. The Grazer, for instance, gave me cleaner and leaner notes, while the chicken version burst with a milder yet sweeter taste.
Tip: Not in the mood to travel to Sandton? Consider ordering online.
Food, I Love You Kitchen
From foodiloveyou_
Address: Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct, 11 Kotze St, Braamfontein
Contact Details: +27 79 386 8786
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 8:30 am to 5 pm
- Wed to Fri – 8:30 am to 5 pm
As a former prison kitchen in the Old Fort courtyard, Mpho Phalane’s Food, I Love You Kitchen is one of the most unique concepts out there. Its organic dishes take it even further, using only local ingredients and heritage recipes rarely used in contemporary restos.
In terms of favourites, mine would be the Miele rice salad, a light dish with hints of corn, nuts, and earthiness. I usually match it with the punchier chakalaka for that extra infusion of smoky and savoury vegetables.
Even the sides are lip-smacking, especially the sweet potatoes jazzed with oranges and feta and the more acidic beetroot slaw. The ideal pair for these? Well, aside from the dishes above, I’d say the tofu scramble.
Tip: The trading hours can be inconsistent. Calling ahead to book is the way to go.
