Imperial living can be found hiding away right under your nose! The Royal Elephant Hotel, in Eldoraigne, is a boutique style hotel with extensive catering facilities. This versatile venue is perfect for a business indaba, wedding celebration or just as a great big treat to spoil yourself. The stylish interior with exquisite attention to detail will whisk you away to a chic villa somewhere in North-Africa. Morocco was the main inspiration behind the theme, but it has been fused with modern day style to give it a cutting edge. The hotel has various options for a delightful dining experience. Fezorati Coffee Emporium is a laid-back lounge style café, perfect for a quick lunch getaway or a nice late afternoon cocktail on the outside deck. The Zagora Grill Room is a stylish restaurant area with a classic dining room ambiance, enhanced by a softly lit interior. With a grand piano to the side for soothing background musical accompaniment, you are assured of a posh dining experience. The downstairs Wine Cellar and adjacent Cigar Lounge is the perfect setting for an intimate private party. Also used for regular wine tastings and other connoisseur evenings. Another private dining area can be found upstairs, with the distinct feeling of a Moroccan rooftop café, leisurely couch areas to the sides. A variety of dining options – from casual to formal, public to private – something for every occasion!

The Royal Elephant hotel is a recent addition to our local hotel repertoire, opening its doors in April 2010. It has definitely set a new standard for local conference facilities, with state-of-the-art technology, complimented by a warm hospitality edge. The people-orientated focus emphasises the feeling of a royal experience. On the culinary side, award-winning chef Andrew Hammond keeps the menus fresh and appealing, describing the dishes as “Afro-centric fusion cuisine” Zagora Grill Room will offer you a superb dining experience. Thursday nights a delectable and reasonably priced (R140 per person) surf&turf buffet is a must. Dishes include sushi, meat platters, fresh salad, prawns, ribs, lamb kebabs, beef fillet, lasagne, fish casserole and to round it all off waffles and ice cream with playful toppings such as jelly beans, variety of fruits, chocolate and caramel sauce. An extensive a la carte menu is available for the other nights and another buffet, this time with more traditional dishes, is served for Sunday lunch (also very reasonably priced at R150 per person) An interesting element of the menu, is that it is printed in both English and Afrikaans. Whether you want to quickly escape for an out of the ordinary lunch or splurge on an extravagant evening out, the Royal Elephant will meet your every need. With its picturesque setting next to the Hennops river and grandeurs architecture, this is definitely a venue surpassing the norm in every regard.

A few recommendations from the menu: (Zagora Grill Room)

Starter: Duo of Franschoek smoked salmon trout trout paté wrapped around smoked salmon trout served with apple relish, chive yoghurt dressing with fresh greens in lemon honey vinaigrette, garnished with toasted almonds and melba toast
Main: Oxtail Phyllo Pie (Chef Bongani's Speciality) wrapped in phyllo pastry, oven-baked, served with leek mash, char-grilled vegetables and caramalised red wine and garlic jus
Dessert: Frozen peanut pannacotta (Chef Karleyne's Speciality) white chocolate cone filled with frozen peanut butter pannacotta, peanut and sesame praline, warm peanut butter cookie, apricot and min sals with a vanilla bean reduction.

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