A restaurant dedicated to ethical eating, the 310 Sustainable Eatery popped up in Paulshof, Sandton, last month to become one of the few restaurants in Joburg to pin their concept wholly on sustainability and local ingredients.

Not known for its unique dining spots, I was surprised to hear that 310 Sustainable Eatery had chosen Paulshof as their location, but was intrigued, none-the-less to try out a restaurant that holds seasonality and eco-consciousness at its core.

After being unable to get a table during the first few weeks that the restaurant was open, due to its launch excitement, I finally got a table for Saturday lunch about a month in.

The earthy-toned restaurant, with a large open-plan bar and pale wooden tables, is expansive, and while I was expecting it to be very busy, there were only about four tables that were occupied. The waiters tell me that the dinners have been very busy, but the lunchtime trade has been slow.

There is a decent wine list and a wide selection of both bottled and on-tap craft beers. We decided to sample some of the beers and were spoilt for choice with options from Darling Breweries, Soweto Gold lager, Dragon Fiery Ginger Beer and Aces Lager on tap, to name just a few.

The food is reminiscent of an English gastro-pub with many meat-based, classic dishes done with a twist. For starters, we enjoyed beef Carpaccio with a chimichurri drizzle and baked camembert in phyllo pastry with sweet onion marmalade.

For mains, I enjoyed a pulled Greek-style lamb burger topped with tzatziki and halloumi and my lunch partners tucked into the classic beef burger with melted camembert and onion marmalade and a beef and Guinness pie.

Each dish comes with a choice of two sides, but for R10 extra you can enjoy their truffle oil and parmesan fries, which are definitely a must.

While the beef is locally sourced from free range farms in South Africa and the vegetables used are seasonal and organic where possible, I was disappointed to see that the restaurant imports olive oil, despite the fantastic local choices available.

A restaurant with great potential that is helping to educate diners about sustainability and local ingredients, I’d recommend trying it out at night to enjoy a more fun and vibrant atmosphere.

Fun & vibrant atmosphere