Insights Restaurant

In Nelson Mandela’s household, food was more than sustenance. It was about tradition, family, home, sharing, and enjoying meals with those he loved.

Dining like Madiba

In memory of Mandela’s love for food, our 36 seater contemporary dining restaurant serves as a tribute to his favourite dishes as previously prepared by his long-time personal chef, Xoliswa Ndoyiya. For over 20 years, Xoliswa Ndoyiya was Madiba’s personal and family chef, from his presidency to his retirement and until his passing. Xoliswa grew up in Ezibeleni in the Eastern Cape where Madiba hailed from.
 
Xoliswa is also the author of Ukutya Kwasekhaya: Tastes from Nelson Mandela's Kitchen.
 

 

  • Bar Area

    The fully-serviced bar and lounge is the perfect place to unwind after a long day. Choose from our extensive selection of carefully selected wines or enjoy one of our signature cocktails.

  • Insights Restaurant

    Insights restaurant offers guests a place to enjoy and share delicious meals with friends and family, just like Madiba loved to. In memory of his love for food, our restaurant serves as a tribute to his favourite dishes.

  • Delicious Cuisine

    The menu, carefully crafted by Xoliswa Ndoyiya, offers a choice of delicious contemporary cuisine inspired by Madiba's favourite dishes.

Our menu is a historical ‘food-print’ of the modest tastes of Nelson Mandela, whose passion and integrity are reflected in the dishes that were inspired from Africa and beyond. We’ve strived to refine and modernize these tastes whilst continuing to pay homage to our diverse African heritage.

Our winter menu has been curated with each member of the culinary team being offered the opportunity to create and bring a ‘little of their culture’ into each dish. With the guidance of the head chef, Mordecai Brauns and Mam’Xoli, as she is affectionately known, each dish is guided by meals that she used to prepare for the late President in our home.

Christmas at Sanctuary Mandela