{"id":866170,"date":"2025-08-18T22:13:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T03:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/18\/pot-luck-clubs-london-debut\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T22:13:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T03:13:41","slug":"pot-luck-clubs-london-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/18\/pot-luck-clubs-london-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"Pot Luck Club\u2019s London debut"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Global tapas meets London tradition as South Africa\u2019s Pot Luck Club lands at the Waldorf Hilton<\/span> <\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

31 July 2025 – 10:59 By Adele Shevel<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\"subscribe\" <\/span> Just R20<\/b> for the first month. <\/span> Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The <\/a><\/p>\n

The Pot Luck Club’s heirloom tomato salad. <\/span>
Image:<\/span> Supplied <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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One of South Africa’s most acclaimed restaurants, The Pot Luck Club, is heading to London for a three-month residency at the Waldorf Hilton \u2014 also known as the Waldorf London \u2014 a grand Edwardian landmark in the heart of Covent Garden.<\/p>\n

From mid-August, the Pot Luck Club will take over the hotel\u2019s flagship restaurant,\u00a0Homage. Set near the Royal Opera House, the Waldorf has been a fixture in the capital\u2019s cultural and hospitality landscape since it opened in 1908. Founded by William Waldorf Astor, it was one of the first hotels in London to combine luxurious accommodation with a full social experience, offering everything from elegant dinners to refined afternoon teas.<\/p>\n

The London residency is a natural extension for The Pot Luck Club. Cape Town\u2019s restaurant scene is highly seasonal, with a surge of visitors in summer and quieter during winter. Add to that the explosion of new high-quality openings in the city, and it has created a more competitive environment \u2014 making this timing spot on for an international pop-up in summer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"The <\/a><\/p>\n

The Waldorf Hilton exterior. <\/span>
Image:<\/span> Supplied <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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This isn\u2019t the first global outing for celebrated chef and founder Luke Dale Roberts, who has taken Pot Luck to Verbier and Andermatt in Switzerland, and Test Kitchen to the Shangri-La Le Touessrok in Mauritius, as well as guest appearances around the world. Known for putting fine dining on the map in South Africa, Dale Roberts has built a global following with his inventive, flavour-packed small plates and bold approach to \u201cglobal tapas\u201d.<\/p>\n

Since opening on top of Cape Town\u2019s Old Biscuit Mill in 2012, The Pot Luck Club has drawn crowds for its punchy, eclectic menu and striking city views. For the London residency, Dale Roberts and his Cape Town team will personally oversee the launch, with sous chef Rachel Maroun staying on to lead the kitchen for part of the time.<\/p>\n

Dale Roberts has been in discussion with hotel operators since the Covid-19 lockdowns, and stayed in touch as new opportunities emerged.<\/p>\n

There will be fewer dishes than at the Pot Luck Club in Cape Town and the team has been rehearsing fervently. The menu will include some Pot Luck family favourites. Diners can expect smoked beef fillet with truffle caf\u00e9 au lait, Springbok tataki with mandarin gastrique and Cape Malay-spiced vegetarian dishes \u2014 all underpinned by British produce and seasonal ingredients.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"The <\/a><\/p>\n

The Waldorf Hilton’s Homage restaurant. <\/span>
Image:<\/span> Supplied <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cAs a Brit, there\u2019s something meaningful about returning in this way, partnering with one of London\u2019s landmark hotels and sharing what we\u2019ve built in Cape Town with a new audience. We\u2019ve been fortunate to grow an international following at home and this feels like the natural next step,\u201d says Dale Roberts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to carry all the DNA of Pot Luck. Punchy global sharing plates, touches of Cape Malay influence and the very best ingredients we can source in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience goes beyond the food. Service and atmosphere will mirror the relaxed yet refined Cape Town original. The dining space will concentrate on the Pot Luck table set-up and food style, while relying on the old-world charm of the room. Meanwhile, front-of-house and culinary staff from both Cape Town and London have been training, and soft openings will precede the official launch on August 13.<\/p>\n

A curated cocktail programme will accompany the food, led by the Waldorf\u2019s head bartender Abby Long and developed in collaboration with Dale Roberts. Served at\u00a0The Wild Monkey bar, the drinks menu will feature house-infused cordials, seasonal ingredients and cocktails designed to echo the kitchen\u2019s bold flavours. For the first time, a dedicated bar snacks menu \u2014 also designed by Dale Roberts \u2014 will be offered to complement the drinks.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"The <\/a><\/p>\n

The Pot Luck Club’s smoked beef fillet. <\/span>
Image:<\/span> Supplied <\/span> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Guy Hilton, area GM at The Waldorf London, says the partnership brings together one of London\u2019s landmark hotels and one of South Africa’s most celebrated restaurants.<\/p>\n

Dinner will be served daily from 5pm, with the final seating at 10pm. Diners can choose from an \u00e0<\/span>\u00a0la carte offering, a shorter prix fixe menu, or indulge in the full tasting experience.<\/p>\n

For those who can\u2019t make it to London, The Pot Luck Club continues to operate in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In the Cape, it\u2019s running its Sunday Brunch Winter Extravaganza \u2014 a decadent 10-course affair with bottomless bubbles and a standout Bloody Mary DIY station for R1,250 a person.<\/p>\n

Expect indulgent offerings like oysters topped with trout roe and spicy dressing, cornbread with lobster, brioche with quail egg and an interpretation on the classic Arnold Bennett smoked haddock omelette. There\u2019s also risotto, roast lamb served with seasonal vegetables and a trio of desserts: chamomile madeleines, strawberries and cream, and a selection of pastries. The winter brunch offering runs until September 28.<\/p>\n

In Johannesburg, The Pot Luck Club recently relocated from Rosebank to the elegant yet intimate Peech Hotel in Melrose.<\/p>\n

Its London residency joins a growing trend of top South African restaurants reaching global audiences. In July, Salsify at the Roundhouse held a two-night collaboration with Michelin-starred Akoko in London \u2014 another sign of the country\u2019s increasingly confident culinary voice on the world stage.<\/p>\n

Wanted<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Joan Paris
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Global tapas meets London tradition as South Africa\u2019s Pot Luck Club lands at the Waldorf Hilton 31 July 2025 – 10:59 By Adele Shevel Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. The Pot Luck Club’s heirloom tomato salad. Image: Supplied One of South Africa’s most acclaimed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":866171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33465,3966],"tags":[61216,13781],"class_list":{"0":"post-866170","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-clubs","8":"category-london","9":"tag-clubs","10":"tag-london"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}