When we imagine, or see posh restaurants in films and television, we picture a quiet setting, with refrained lighting, some light jazz in the background, and low-level chatter. Waiting staff are expected to hurry from place to place, speaking in a middle-England accent, accentuating every letter. Sure, it is a tried and tested eloquent way to do things, and holds a certain level of ‘class’, but sometimes it could be made more fun, however, dining could be made more of a diverse experience.
Whilst in my homeland, South Africa, we went to The Plettenberg, a posh hotel and restaurant, for Christmas lunch. When we sat down, by all accounts it was almost identical to the dining experiences at high-brass restaurants in the UK (albeit being 28 degrees), with the usual over the top starters with reductions and sauté’s. As you can tell, I am not well versed with posh food, I prefer a braai (similar to a barbeque) in the bush to fine dining. Nevertheless, I expected the meal to be pleasant, but uneventful, with my family enjoying it in peace. I could not have been more wrong.
After the starters came the mains, either kingklip, or lamb shoulder. I had the latter, and it was perfectly cooked. The charade of a normal experience continued as we finished our plates off, when the musician in the corner (who had been playing old classics such as Sultans of Swing) started to play Shosholoza. The unofficial second national anthem, and an old mining song, it is sung and played as a form of unity and togetherness. Still sitting at the table, I watched as the entire waiting staff started to dance and sing in between the tables and in front of the musician and his guitar. A chorus of voices singing proudly encouraged the diners to follow suit, to take part and just enjoy the moment. We danced and sang and once we finished, we just returned to our meals or back to work. Then dessert came and went, and before we could get the bill, we were back dancing and singing along, all together smiling and clapping. A cacophony of sound echoed through what I had previously assumed to be another uptight institution.
What this thus encompasses is that dining in prestigious places does not have to be dull. Fun can be had, with great spirit and energy. The African ability to get up, dance, and have fun whenever and wherever is something to be fascinated by. Whilst we sit reserved and content with only our tablemates, they bring everyone in to enjoy the moment, no matter how poor their singing or dancing is. Positivity flows through the soul of this practice. It must be admitted that this isn’t an everyday event, it happened because it was Christmas Day, but it is still far more than we have in the UK. Perhaps it is time we look to our southern friends and bring across some of that spirit and passion.