Set on a quaint farm plot within a rustic, homely stone cottage is Gourmet Gurus – one of the only ‘farm to fork’ restaurants in Johannesburg where the food is as ethical as it is delicious. Lauren Hills takes a seat on the veranda of the restaurant to take in the view of the pond and the flowers beyond and to sample comfort food in a relaxed setting.

Kyalami in Johannesburg, while very built up today, is still home to many farms, stables and urban retreats. One such place is The Farm Stall, situated on an organic farm plot, which has been run by Teresa and Lionel Gush for the last five years.Selling fresh produce straight from the garden, as well as some of the freshest, best local produce from across South Africa, the setting is perfect for a restaurant that follows the same ethical, local, sustainable focus. Gourmet Gurus opened last year and is a wonderful extension of the farm stall which brings visitors in for casual, no-fuss dining.

Run by Chef Richard Rust who trained in England and previously worked as a demonstrator chef and recipe developer at Woolworths Taste Magazine, the food is comforting and homely, while still distinctly gourmet. Saturday breakfasts and the Sunday lunches are particularly popular, while people also pop in for weekday breakfast, lunch or dinner.

On recommendation, my lunch partner and I ordered the soup of the day – creamy chicken – to share.  The soup was made with free range chickens from Heidelberg, organic cream, wild mushrooms and organic corn. Served in a cute, painted porcelain bowl, with a folded white napkin on the side and with a crusty, freshly baked roll – homely decadence at its best. The warm home-baked roll spread with farm butter was the perfect accompaniment.

For mains I chose the open mushroom lasagne which is made with wild mushrooms and organic leeks in a creamy mushroom sauce layered between homemade pasta. While the flavour of the sauce was deliciously velvety, and was complemented well by the al dente pasta sheets and the tang of parmesan, I found it to be a bit too rich and overwhelming, and it was difficult to finish the plate.

My date enjoyed the lamb burger, which was made with grass-fed, Karoo lamb, grilled to medium, on a soft, freshly-baked roll. The burger was served with divine potato wedges – crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside – and a side of balsamic vinegar, caramelised onions.

Feeling very relaxed at Gourmet Gurus, it wasn’t long before a few hours had passed as we chatted and soaked up the garden setting. We ordered a chocolate fondant to share for a sweet ending and it was hot, perfectly gooey in the centre, dark chocolaty and not too sweet. Served with organic vanilla ice cream, this was a perfect ending to the lunch.

A quaint restaurant which embraces farm to table dining and uses only local produce. Gourmet Gurus at The Farm Stall is great value for money and a memorable dining out experience.