San is not one restaurant, but a complex on the 6^th floor of the glittery Sandton Sun hotel that comprises the main restaurant, the San Deck outdoor terrace bar, and the San Bar. Despite the ongoing renovation around the edges, the expansive dining area manages to remain sleek and cosmopolitan, with rich wood-paneled walls, leather booths, and delicate glass light fixtures.

There are two menus: the lounge menu, which comprises smaller plates and simpler fare such as burgers and bunnychow; and the regular menu, whose “nature-based cuisine” runs to gourmet goodies such as slow-roasted ostrich, caramelized pork belly, and Mediterranean baked aubergine. So, nothing new here, but it is exceptionally well-prepared and well-presented. There’s also a self-service buffet option with about a half-dozen fish, vegetable and meat options, plus salads and desserts.

I opted for the Swiss gourmet burger off the lounge menu, since I had been craving one for a while and have yet to find the perfect burger in Joburg. This one came pretty close. It comes piled high with country ham, Gruyere cheese, sautéed onions and tomato. The meat was cooked medium rare as I specified, and was truly delicious and juicy. I could only eat half of it because of the sheer size. The chips were perfectly cooked and seasoned with dusting of chili powder.

The food and atmosphere were decent here, but the service was a little less than satisfactory. No one was outright rude or incompetent, just disorganized and slow. When I arrived there was no one to meet and greet me, so I found my way around the bar and basically seated myself. Then after my server delivered my food, she disappeared for 45 minutes and no one seemed eager to bring my check, despite the fact that three bartenders and four other servers were standing aimlessly around the dining area.

Despite this, it was a good dining experience overall. If you’re a real foodie, grab a seat at the Show Kitchen, the kitchen-side area where you can watch the chefs in action.