The best night out is a girl’s night out and don’t even try and tell me otherwise. We’re always on the lookout for new venue’s that are are perfect for a night with friends, and the latest venue on the list is The Meat and Wine Co’s latest restaurant Safari which recently opened on Bligh Street in Sydney’s Circular Quay.
As you’d probably guess from its name, the restaurant is safari-themed with architecture and décor that makes you feel like you’ve wandered into the African wilderness. Award-winning architects COOOP are behind the design and they say they drew inspo from natural landscapes and traditional architecture in South Africa.
At the centre is a towering Acacia tree, known for its resilience and vitality and incredibly important in African culture. Dotted around the tree — and where you’ll want to book for your girls’ dinner — are hut-like Bomas.
In Africa, Bomas are enclosed dwellings with fireplaces at the centre and where communities gather to share stories. Each Boma and private dining room at Safari is named after an African tribe to celebrate their culture and show how different it can be in each region. Each Boma at Safari has a circular table with chairs, ideal for a night of unfiltered debriefing and story-sharing.
Speaking of food, Safari has an Afro-centric a la carte menu with classic meat dishes from The Meat and Wine Co. It also has several South African dishes including the Bunny Chow. It’s a lamb curry with potato and spices served in a hollowed-out bread and topped with fresh herbs. To finish tuck into traditional South African dessert Malva Pudding. A spongy caramelised texture, it’s filled with apricot jam.
Wash your meal down with wine and cocktails curated by the brand’s head sommelier Joseph Moussa. The drinks complement the food and include South African regional wines and African-inspired cocktails like the Naartjie, a gin-infused cocktail with fresh mandarin, African cream liquor, Hennessey and espresso.
Rally the girls, make the booking (request the Boma!) and head to Safari for that girls’ night you’ve been putting off.
