Torii bar and restaurant is sandwiched between Dear Me and Tjing Tjing in what used to be known the White Room. The space has since been transformed; gone is the white and in its place are shades of dark blue and edgy artworks that hover somewhere between steampunk-ish anime and pop art prints. The space remains elegent with velvet furnishings and is lit by beautiful crystal chandeliers. This same edgy vibe is infused into the food and, with firecracker Head Chef Christi Semczyszyn behind the menu, it is no wonder.

The food is Asian and the menu is small, but full of punchy flavours. We sampled several things; we started with the Lime-Cured Fish – thinly sliced raw fish, cured with lime and Soy sauce and served with cucumber, tomato, sprouts and chilli aïoli . We loved the Tuna Tataki–  seared tuna served with ponzu and sesame, so light and yet full of punchy flavour. We also loved the delicate panko beef tataki – rare beef fillet, crumbed and deep fried and served with with sesame, kewpie mayo and crispy fried onion. We were not able to resist the allure of the sticky pork belly skewers, which had us in raptures and were utterly melt-in-the-mouth. Being fans of the karrage-style of frying, we also tried the deboned chicken thighs with lime and chili aïoli which we would go back for again and again.

Torii is not only a fantastic place to eat, but also offers an incredible selection of local wines which can be recommended by the onsite sommelier. If you fancy something stronger, we can recommend a martini, which the barman will tell you is the best in Cape Town.

Once you are done dining you can progress up to Tjing Tjing rooftop bar and carry on with a nightcap or perhaps a few more drinks and if the moment grabs you… a dance.

A fabulous place to enjoy a celebration or date night or casual drink at the bar.