There is always an occasion to celebrate something – Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays, date night or even just a night out. We started a tradition many years ago wherein we would enjoy a food safari, meaning that we move from one restaurant to another, enjoying only one course at each. The Market at the Lifestyle Centre is the ideal spot to do just this! A food safari is such a fun-filled day or night out, and the Lifestyle Centre and The Market area happily allows for some much-needed steps in between courses!
There’s a wonderful variety of restaurants and so many options available. You can decide on the route that you want to take upfront, by picking a theme like Mexican, Greek, Italian, Argentinean etc., or simply wing it as you go along. We are very excited to take you on our recent journey through The Market, and hopefully inspire a fun, unique and unforgettable night out!
We suggest starting with a cheeky cocktail at either Alchemy or Salsa. We kick-started our food safari at Salsa and enjoyed a wide range of refreshing and colourful cocktails. The margaritas (both the original and the striking activated charcoal variety) were a few of our favourite drinks! At Salsa, the bartenders are not shy, so the beginning of our safari was already a fun experience!
Next, we ventured in search of food (and maybe some water) at Attikos – a lovely Greek restaurant with fabulous tapas-style starters. Platters of fresh hummus, toasted pita, grilled calamari and creamy chicken livers were ideal for sharing and allowed us to sample a wide range of flavours, textures and tastes. The light, refreshing tapas certainly got the ball rolling and set the tone for our next stop!
We deliberately walked the “long” way around for some window shopping, allowing our food to settle as we made space for our next meal. The great thing about a food safari is that you can do it often, and with the incredible selection of foodie spots at The Market, your route could be different every single time. We chose Lupa Osteria for our main meal, and with their extensive menu of hearty Italian cooking, there was something for everyone to love. We thoroughly enjoyed the sticky ribs and chips, grilled prawns with a side of creamy risotto, and then, of course, the mouth-watering pizza and pasta options. If you’re up to another round of cocktails, or perhaps a glass of your favourite wine, we definitely recommend Lupa! It’s perfect for a leisurely meal with lots of breathing space before dessert.
We decided on the iconic 45 on Eat Street as our go-to dessert spot! The menu is beautiful, diverse and highly impressive, not to mention the fact that every sweet treat is a masterpiece. If ice cream is what you’re after, Scoop is an absolute must! Try the waffle or ice cream cone as you take a relaxing stroll through the centre (this works well for a couple, not so much for a crowd).
I have to mention here that the service at each restaurant along the way was superb, and the staff were all extremely accommodating – perfect for a stop, eat and go type of experience!
From there, some of our group were ready for coffee and the rest wanted a last round of cocktails. Peron Peron offers the best of both, and it was truly a beautiful spot to end off our safari.
We had 15 people on our safari and it was incredibly interesting to travel around with such a large group. Each restaurant happily moved tables around and accommodated us in style. The best part about all of this was that we did not need to climb into our car once! We definitely intend to do it again, as it’s a dynamic experience in a big group and just as special for a romantic couple date. Why limit yourself to only one option? Life is short. You should enjoy it, and if you want, start with dessert because if not, WHY not?!
Our Food Safari route:
- Salsa – cocktails
- Attikos – starters / mezze platters
- Lupa – Mains and cocktails / drinks
- 45 on Eat Street – dessert
- Peron Peron – coffee and final drinks