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10 Degrees South
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy, Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
88 reviews for 10 Degrees South
Review Highlights
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"...I ate was chicken livers sauteed in a spicy peri-peri sauce." In 5 reviews -
"The ostrich medallions are very tasty too." In 8 reviews -
"The sosaties were boldly seasoned and exotic." In 17 reviews
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88 reviews in English
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Review from Sonya W.
Delmar, MD
4/23/2012
First there is the ambiance - love the decor. Then there is the service - our waiter, Gianni, was one of the best I've ever had. He was so sweet and charismatic - he had a table full of women (married and unmarried) totally engaged in everything he said.
Now to the food and drink - I had the house speciality drink - the Zulu (?). This muddled blend of cucumber, mint, and simple syrup was light and refreshing - perfect evening drink. We started the meal with small plates that we shared - mussels and crab pastries. Both were very tasty - the pastry was flavorful and savory with a crisp crust and the mussles were perfectly seasoned - lightly sauteed in garlic (not too much so I smelled when going to the club) and finished with white wine. One of the many highlights to the meal was soaking up ths delicious liquid with the warm, freshly baked bread that accompanied the dish.
For the main course, I had the Sosaties - a skewered beef filet flavorfully marinated for 24 hours in African spices then perfectly grilled. This skewer was finished with a sweet apricot glaze that totally complemented the grilled meat and placed over basmati rice. This dish was different, but soooo tasty - I definitely will order if available during my upcoming trip to South Africa (I have a feeling, that it still will not be as good :-)) I so recommend this dish. My friends ordered other dishes - Peri Peri Chicken, Rack of Lamb, Filet "Au Poivre" and Chicken Curry - all were also complementary of their food.
The bachelorette party dinner ended with dessert - we shared molten lava cake and sponge cake. Both were very tasty - the dark chocolate in the cake was fabulous - but the small plates and the main courses are what gave the five star recommendation.
This restaurant definitely deserves a visit - very different cuisine done extremely well! -
Review from Angela M.
4/27/2012
I'd been wanting to go here for ages when the opportunity finally presented itself. When we arrived in the 6 o'clock hour, there was only one other couple there that we saw. This inside decor is sleek and simple, much like the outside which could easily be mistaken for an office building.
Our waiter took the time to explain everything, starting with the wine list, pointing out the South African wines that they are known for. I chose the Post House from Stellenbosch (Shiraz/Pinotage/Cab), while J got the Boschendal (Chardonnay/Pinot Noir). The single glass was a generous pour in a large glass, which was key for allowing the Post House to open up. It was definitely better as the night went on.
I made the mistake of saying "still" for the water instead of "tap" and consequently we ended up with two lovely bottles of spring water imported from the UK. The water was delicious, but hopefully the $5.50 per bottle will remind me to just say "tap" next time.
After the drinks were poured, the server explained all the non-traditional items on the menu. There are pretty good descriptions on the menu itself, but he explained the levels of spice and what the favorites are, which is helpful since most of us aren't that familiar with South African food. I chose the sosaties - beef skewers with spicy apricot curry over saffron and white rice. J got the cesar salad with biltong. I definitely "won" the appetizer category. I would totally order the sosaties again - a good amount of spice cut nicely by the sweetness and tang of the apricot. The biltong (similar to beef jerky) didn't really add much to the ceasar, or maybe I just got too much dressing in the bite I had to really taste the biltong.
For the entrees, J got the rack of lamb and I got the Kingklip (fish). J "won" the entree category. The lamb was divine - perfectly seasoned and cooked. Perfectly. The kingklip, which I substituted peri-peri sauce for the lemon butter sauce, wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything memorable, particularly compared to the lamb. The server was right when he said that SA is known for its heavy meats and bold wines.
By the time we were leaving the place was really hopping - impressive for a random Tuesday night.
I'll be back in the future to try more of the small plates of South African favorites. -
Review from Allie W.
Atlanta, GA
4/17/2012
Wonderful place!!
Went with a slightly large work group for someone's birthday. Appetizer samplers and wine flowed, and we sat outside on the covered (thankfully heated, as it was February) patio. Try the Pinnotage! This place made me want to try more South African wines.
Meats were cooked to perfection, and the African spices were a great new try. We then stayed for dinner, which was also delicious. Since I was almost stuffed on appetizers, I ordered the mussels. Absolutely wonderful. Great service. The waiter even gave us some dessert drinks. Will definitely be going back! -
Review from Aanal P.
Atlanta, GA
3/22/2012
Finally, made it to 10 Degrees South...and it happened to be restaurant week :) There were three of us and we decided to do family style.
Started the night at the bar with a glass of Pinotage. It was so so so delicious! My new favorite red wine. I mean seriously...try it!
First Course: Calamari, crab pastry, and what I call sausage sandwich (Boerewors). All three were very tasty. I have never had Calamari not fried because I have been afraid...but, I am not afraid anymore. It was so yummy!
Second Course: Beef Bobotie. I was a skeptic. I love spicy food and this dish has currants, apples etc. BUT, it was amazing. I would say the Bobotie is addictive. It was so tasty and not sweet at all. It was perfectly spiced!
Third Course: Dessert. Sponge cake with ice cream. This description does not do it justice, but, I finished the entire cake and ice cream without wanting to share it with anyone else. It was selfish of me, but you will understand once you try it.
I agree with Deanna J. "it is one of those places that hits all your senses."
Definitely will go back. Great service, cozy restaurant and awesome food and wine! -
Review from Lan N.
Atlanta, GA
5/4/2012
Great ambiance. I love their menu because they have family style platters that you can share with the table. I am big on ordering a lot of different items so that we can have variety. Great flavoring for meats. I had a very good time. I will return.
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Review from Dave C.
Chicago, IL
4/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Food and service were both excellent.
It was starting to get nice out so we asked to be seated "outside". It was a bit disappointing to learn outside actually meant a completely enclosed patio where smoking was allowed. Would have been nicer if they had opened it up some. -
Review from Daniel B.
2/15/2012 12 photos
I went to 10 Degrees South for Valentine's Day dinner last night. My friends and I have heard nothing but good things about this place and it's unique South African cuisine. Of course, it was packed with table after table of couples. I made my reservation well in advance (approx. one month), but didn't know about the restaurant's pre-fixe Valentine's Day menu.
The pre-fixe menu was a 3-course dinner (appetizer, entree, and dessert) for $60 per person. This was fine and all until I realized the selections on the Valentine's menu weren't any different than items I could order off the regular menu. Fortunately, the Valentine's menu had dishes I'd already thought about ordering after looking at the restaurant's regular menu online.
Unfortunately, there was a premium to dine here on Valentine's Day. On any other day, I would have paid $90 to order the dishes I had last night. Since everyone had to order from the Valentine's menu last night, the dinner cost me $120 instead, a 33% markup for essentially nothing! I can understand paying extra for a special menu, but this menu wasn't any different from the regular menu -- it was just a subset.
Ridiculous pricing issues aside, the food and service were great. I was able to sample a nice variety of the restaurant's offerings, including:
Appetizers:
Boerewors Sandwich - lean beef sausage on a Milano roll
Peri Peri Chicken Spring Rolls - marinated spicy chicken served with peri peri sauce
Entrees:
Kingklip ("The King of South African Fish") - white mild fish grilled and topped with lemon butter sauce, served with basmati rice, vegetables
Sosaties - skewered beef filet marinated and topped with sweet apricot curry sauce, served with yellow & white basmati rice
Desserts:
Chocolate Lava Cake - filled with dark chocolate truffle, served with vanilla ice cream
Raspberry White Chocolate Brulee Cheesecake - white chocolate cheese with red raspberry
The Sosaties were absolutely amazing. Sosaties is a traditional South African dish, skewered meat, typically lamb or mutton. 10 Degrees South's Sosaties are made from beef. The chefs marinate the beef for at least 24 hours. What results is incredibly juicy, tender pieces of beef. The taste, flavor, and texture was fantastic. I'm not sure if I've had red meat as good as the Sosaties were from last night. It was buttery, melt-in-your-mouth type good. The cuts were served rare. If you're a fan of red meat, this is a must-order.
The Peri Peri Chicken Spring Rolls were a letdown. The cigar-sized spring rolls looked like any other spring rolls, except all they had inside was minced, marinated chicken. It was a little dry and not as flavorful as I was hoping. Peri Peri is a type of chili pepper from Africa. A sauce made from Peri Peri is drizzled onto the plate, which you can sop up with your spring rolls. It adds some zest to the rolls. I wish there was more of it.
The Boerewors Sandwich was delicious. Boerewors is South African sausage. At 10 Degrees South, the Boerewors sausage is made from beef. Like the Sosaties, the Boerewors was marinated and very flavorful. The sandwich was served pre-sliced into near bite-size pieces. The meat in the Boerewors is chewy, so if you're taking a small bite, you may end up dragging out an entire piece of beef with your teeth.
The Kingklip was very good. Kingklip is a foreign fish that is native to South Africa and other countries like Australia and Chile. The fish resembles an eel. The Kingklip was breaded, but grilled. It's a white fish, similar to grouper. I was surprised at how thick and meaty the filets were. The consistency of the meat was appetizing, smooth and not as pasty as some types of fish can be. Liked the lemon butter sauce. The fish was served with a small side of spaghetti squash.
The two desserts were saved on the same plate with a bowl of vanilla ice cream in the middle. I thought the desserts were OK. I'm not big on sweets. I probably enjoyed the ice cream the most. Silky good quality. The Raspberry White Chocolate Brulee Cheesecake was large and dense, a little harder than most cheesecakes. The chocolate truffle inside the Chocolate Lava Cake was very hot, nice to mix with the ice cream.
Gianni was our server and he was excellent. Friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive.
10 Degrees South is named after the longitudinal distance for Cape Town, South Africa. The restaurant was built around what was originally a small house. You can still see parts of this house inside. African-influenced decor inside with cool and relaxed vibe. The space is divided into several different sections with a variety of seating types (traditional tables, cushioned, lounge-type seating, etc.) and arrangements. The back has a small bar and patio with live music. Complimentary valet parking only. -
Review from Franklin C.
Atlanta, GA
2/5/2012
That awkward moment when the waiter brings you and your platonic friend dessert and says, "Allllrrright, brought you guys an extra candle. Keepin' it romantic!"
My trip to 10 Degrees South was a fun and enjoyable one. My friend and I drove up on a rainy day and was greeted by a friendly valet who held an umbrella out for her and lead her to the entrance. No such luck for me however.
The inside of the restaurant was gorgeous: dim candle lights, flickering fireplace, and cozy chairs to slink yourself down in.
Our waiter welcomed us to the restaurant and gave us various recommendations from the menu. We started off with the lollipop lamb chops which were tender, juicy, and left me wanting more. My friend had the sosaties for her main course. It was mouthwateringly delicious. I followed the recommendation of my fellow yelpers and went with the beef bobotie. I've never had bobotie before and wasn't sure how well the sweet curry would suit me. I was not disappointed.
For dessert we had the di's delight with a side of awkwardness. Don't worry though. The waiter's comment didn't faze us. We toasted to romance. Platonically. -
Review from Han L.
3/18/2012
Dan (the man) B. took me here for a surprise Valentine's Day dinner. I was pretty delighted because I have never had South African cuisine and have heard great things about this place.
Dan made reservations and we were seated immediately. The hostess also presented me with a heart-shaped box of chocolates that contained around 5 pieces of chocolate. I thought it was a sweet gesture, but to be honest, the box looked like it came from Walmart (or facsimile). There's nothing wrong with that, but for a place that's supposed to be considered classy, the presentation of the chocolates makes it seem less sophisticated. I am prepared to be harangued for that criticism and I know it makes me sound petty. However, for the price of our dinner ( please read 3rd paragraph), we could have gone to Bacchanalia for a bit more. At Bacchanalia, you're presented with chef's gifts, or amuse bouche.
10 Degrees South is dichotomously trendy and classy. The use wooden chairs and minimalist light fixtures gives the place a trendy feel. Seating can be intimate; there seemed to be just enough space for the server to stand between us and the next table. The classiness is attributed to the subtle African motifs throughout the restaurant. It place is overall appealing. Maybe during lunch hours, our table would be considered prime seating because of the glass pane walls. However, I disliked the table we were seated at. Even though there were curtains to mute some of the light, the curtains didn't cover the walls completely and we got headlight glares every time a car pulled up. It was also cooler where we sat. Whatever. We did get front row view of the Lamborghini as it pulled up and the commotion it stirred among the valet boys. I also disliked the image of the cheetahs (maybe they were leopards?) in the restroom. The frame was beautiful, but the image looked like a poster print from my high school biology class.
Word to the wise, if you plan to take your significant other out for Valentine's Day, you should coordinate at least one month in advance. It's astonishing how quickly things get booked for Valentine's Day. Also, you should check to see if the restaurant has a different menu for the evening. Unbeknownst to us, 10 Degrees South had a prix fixe dinner for the evening. For 60 dollars/ person, it included an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Truthfully, I thought it was a steep price. After assessing the regular menu, my meal would have cost less than 60 dollars if I selected some of the items individually. From the prix fixe menu, I selected the Boerewors Sandwich (regular menu price 10 dollars) as my appetizer, Sosaties (reg menu price 30 dollars) for my main course, and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake ( reg menu price 8 dollars) for dessert. The sum of my selections at regular menu price is 48 dollars. What gives? The one box of chocolate did not merit an extra 12 dollars/person. Whatever. Let's discuss the food.
It is interesting that a sandwich is listed as an appetizer on the menu. Of course it's not banh mi size, but the Boerewors Sandwich is a winner. The bread was warm and the sausage was tender and perfectly seasoned. Speaking of perfectly seasoned, the Sosaties (skewered beef) was one of the best tasting beef I have ever had. It was exceptionally good. I highly recommend this dish. According to our server, G, the meat is marinated for over 24 hrs. Whatever concoction the chef created is amazing. I have never had beef so tender. Wow, that dish was the highlight of my meal. The dessert did not thrill me.
Service was timely given that it was a busy evening. The food portions were ample. Although our total dine time was 2 hours, the food arrived promptly and I never felt like I had to wait too long for it. I also liked how I did not feel rushed. Places like 10 Degrees South makes me wish I could give an extra half star to my review. -
Review from Wesley L.
Tampa, FL
1/22/2012
Four stars, easily, mostly for the delicious food, but the service and atmosphere(classy) definitely added to the experience.
I'm lucky enough to have traveled in South Africa for over a month so I went into this meal a bit more judgmental than usual. The verdict: it was just delicious. Authentic? I definitely can't complain, especially with the menu options (ostrich, kingclip). But just down right tasty? Definitely. Here's a brief breakdown of the highlights:
Sosaties: arguably the most tender beef i've ever had. I shared the small plate and wish I would have ordered more. This is a can't miss.
Garlic Bread: Garlic bread? fo fiva dollas? gtfo. That's what I thought. Then I took a bite. Then the whole loaf was gone. BEST GARLIC BREAD EVER. The bread, butter, and garlic were all baked together in some kind of god like mutation. Not like that normal ish we're use to where you just throw some butter and garlic salt together and call it a day.
Kingclip: wow. I didn't think I would get a taste of this local south african fish for a long time but the fish tasted amazing and the lemon butter sauce was very creamy which is how I like it.
Peri Peri chicken: This is the only thing that held me back from giving it five stars. The local peri peri sauce tasted fine, but the cornish hen wasn't very meaty and tough to deal with. Especially in the elegant setting my gf didn't want to go at it conan style and I would have gotten reprimanded. A nice fat breast and thigh would have served me better. -
Review from Rosemarie R.
Atlanta, GA
4/14/2012
Great food nice atmosphere! The food was unique and the staff was friendly. Seth and Bobby are great bartenders. I ordered from the appetizer menu and the food was awesome.
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Review from Lindy D.
Atlanta, GA
3/19/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Giving two stars for now. Will get back to writing a proper review some other time.
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Review from Rich B.
Atlanta, GA
1/6/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Got rid of the ostrich. Sosaties have been upped in price. The wine list is over priced and corkage is too high.
Also, do NOT let them sit you in the back room. You'll be blasted by all the smokers at the bar. It's shared airspace. I hate smoke when eating.
This is not a good group destination. -
Review from Melanie P.
Atlanta, GA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the finer restaurants in the Sandy Springs area - located just off Roswell Road in what looks like a corporate building... I was pleasantly surprised and transformed into an urban, modern, and upscale restaurant when I stepped foot inside.
My fiancé and I decided to try this place because we always drive past it on our way into Buckhead. When I looked it up on Yelp and found out it was an African cuisine, I just had to try it. My fiancé and I are really into trying unique cuisines and this really attracted our curiosity.
I got the Beef Bobotie which was marinated in a sweet curry sauce and baked to perfection. The beef was tender and falling apart in your mouth, yum yum. It was served with a side of white and yellow rice as well as sambals. Sambals are made from peppers and usually are more on the hot side. This was a great accompaniment to the overall dish making it sweet but spicy. The fiancé got the Boerewors which was organized as a circle around the plate with potatoes in the middle. Both were equally amazing.
You get a bang for your buck here because their portions are HUGE. Bring your appetite alongside your wallet. The prices are a bit steep especially considering their location but you do get a lot for your money so I guess it equals out.
The one thing I hate... the valet parking which is your ONLY parking option. They have an entire lot but it's required you have someone valet your car. I loved the experience but this fact alone was a principle annoyance of mine not to return.
Thanks 10 Degrees for broadening my cuisine horizons - best of luck to your business in the future! -
Review from Scott H.
Decatur, GA
10/27/2011
Well, this place did not impress. The food was good, but I haven't had worse service in the past year than what we experienced here. Not that our server was rude, but just very slow. I mean *very* slow.
It got to the point where our table was ordering two rounds of drinks at a time, just because we couldn't trust that the waiter would be back in time. And that was us drinking at a reasonable pace over dinner with friends. It's not like we were pounding back shots or anything. It took a long time for our appetizers to appear, and then took nearly an hour for the entrees to arrive thereafter.
The food itself, when it did get to us, was pretty good - but not breathtakingly so. I had the sosaties entree (a marinated beef dish), and my girlfriend had the rack of lamb. We both enjoyed our food and our company, but both felt that the price was a bit high for what we got, and the poor (i.e., slow) service tainted the whole experience. -
Review from Valerie N.
Atlanta, GA
7/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
10 Degrees South deserves kudos for being the only South African restaurant in the country and for serving absolutely delicious, accurate South African cuisine. Add amazing service, BYOB, and the coolest wine decanter I've ever seen in my life, and you've got my vote for one of the best restaurants in the ATL.
I should begin by saying I lived in South Africa for two years and loved it - the people, the food, our fun travels and safaris. I fell in love with biltong and it became a staple of my diet (and for road trips - yum). I miss it terribly. Anyone that tells you that a slim jim works as a biltong substitute should be slapped.
There's an incredible South African shop off Peachtree that carries SA items, like grapetizer, Simba chips, peri-peri sauce, and biltong. However, its trucked in from afar, packaged in plastic bags, and let's just say - its not that good, especially for the price (about $15/bag - YIKES).
10 Degrees South's biltong is PERFECT. Wet, spicy biltong - just how I LOVE it! Its so good because the owner's dad makes it. I can't wait to buy some just on its own.
It is different than what you're used to. Know that. It took me a year to warm up to biltong in South Africa, but now I crave it and can fulfill that craving at 10DS. YAY.
That being said, it was so good that I got the biltong appetizer, followed by the biltong salad (which was pleasantly split with the hubby). Absolutely amazingly delicious.
Two other aspects of SA cuisine that I adore are the lamb chops and grilled calamari. These appear on pratically every restaurant menu. You can get grilled calamari in some of the weirdest places, like a gas station. Again, both of these delicious items are rather unfamiliar territory for the American diet. Be brave and try these.
What I loved about 10DS is that everything - EVERYTHING! - was spot on accurate in terms of the flavor. It all tastes just like the food you would get in SA. I would definitely recommend the biltong, biltong salad, grilled calamari, lamb chops, garlic roll (so delicious, and also very traditional in SA), the prawns (huge shrimp - delish!), and the kingklip, which is a delicious, delicate fish.
Excellent, excellent, excellent food. I wouldn't recommend the boerewors, which is a traditional SA sausage that requires a bit of an acquired taste that people either love or hate (I happy to love it, but my affinity grew over time).
There's more...
We BYOB'd here. Bing-o! I love restaurants that let you BYOB. We brought some of the South African wine we brought back in our move. There is a corkage fee, but they treat your bottle of wine with the utmost flair. Fresh glasses for new bottles and honestly, that has to be the coolest wine decanter I've ever seen. You must get a bottle of wine here just to experience the decanter. So unique and beautiful!
I also recommend the Barista Pinotage, a traditional SA wine. Pinotage is a unique SA varietal and believe me, I've had my share of awesome Pinotage and disgusting Pinotage. The Barista is a really great example of awesome Pinotage so if you're going for the full SA experience, order this and thank me later. I would also recommend Ernie Els "Big Easy" - its a super delicious bottle of red wine that pairs wonderfully with the SA food.
Avoid dessert and finish off with a glass of Amarula over ice instead - one of my fave ways to end a meal in SA!
Finally, the service. This has to be one of the best waitstaffs in Atlanta. Our waiters were incredibly kind, gracious, and patient during our meal. I give them huge kudos!!!
My only negative comment (and for me, its not negative) is that the restaurant is a little loud. We were seated in the front of the restaurant, which was super lovely at sundown (another reviewer commented that the dining room is better, but I thought it was much louder and I wouldn't have liked sitting there as much). The music is just a bit loud, but again, we all commented on how it reminded us of being in SA. More points for an accurate SA dining experience!
I should also mention that I really love the bar and lounge in the back. There was live music that was great earlier in the evening and the lounge was super happening in the back. I would totally go here just for after dinner drinks - in fact, I think we hung out for about 2 hours after our dinner and had such a great time.
We were lucky enough to meet the manager and the owner during our meal. Both were incredibly gracious and fun to chat with. They definitely enhanced our dining experience (and their lovely SA accents didn't hurt either).
In summary, 10 Degrees South brought me back home. I really left a giant piece of my heart in SA and my experience at 10DS really made me so happy. I hope it does the same for you. Enjoy! -
Review from Amma G.
Boulder, CO
1/12/2012
CHICKEN BOBOTIE. A dish that completely rocked my world. Succulent ground chicken mixed with spices and sweetened with the perfect amount of raisins, baked in a type of custard. I've never experienced such a fantastic dish. The sponge cake (citrus based) with ice cream that tasted freshly churned, topped off the best meal I've eaten in Atlanta. Our waiter, Juan, was THE BEST! Knowledgeable, friendly, timely and simply fantastic. The manager also
The Cons: The hostess was snarky as others have noted, which was a sour start to the evening. I do hope the manager reads this and helps her improve her customer interaction. Upscale does not have to be rude. -
Review from Jonathan Z.
Columbia, SC
6/13/2011
A great spot to try some unique flavors of South Africa. The GM tells us that this is the only South African restaurant in the US and that they are expanding to LA and NYC. The place has quite a bar scene and the tables are very close together in semi-closed off rooms so expect a very loud experience. There were several times that my wife and I could not even hear each other during our conversations (we had a very rambunctious party of 8 next to us). The table next to us complained bitterly of the noise and asked to be moved. An intimate experience it wasn't.
The food, however, was very good. We stuck to several small plates and were happy with most of them. The boerwoerst sandwich, a lean SA sausage on crusty bread, was absolutely delicious and very unique. The sosatie sounded better on the menu than it actually was, the lamb chops were great with mashed potatoes, the warm crab pastries in phyllo cups were outstandning with a squeeze of lemon, and the grilled calamari was tender and nicely charred. The salads are throwaway, overdressed, and uninspired. A traditional South African dessert, a warm sponge cake similar in texture to a Cuban Tres Leches cake, served with vanilla ice cream was outstanding.
Overall, we were really happy, though be forewarned that for tapas, the prices are a little high (well over $100 for 2 with only one drink each). My wife and I have been here 2x and have found the service and food to be consistently good, As I said before though, the place can obnoxiously loud if you are seated during peak hours. -
Review from Michael B.
Atlanta, GA
5/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I recently visited 10 Degrees South with the supper club and it was one awesome dining experience.
They have a great selection of food and wine here. For starters we tried the Escargot and Crab Pastries, both were very wonderful appetizers. The escargot was seasoned just right in a creamy garlic butter sauce served with bread. And the crab pastries were deliciously spicy filled with peri-peri crab meat.
For dinner I ordered the Bobotie, which was out of this world. It was slow cooked sweet ground beef curry topped with custard baked golden brown and served with white and yellow basmati rice. I enjoyed it so much that I looked up the recipe and will be trying to re-create it at home; only better. Also my companions enjoyed their meal of Chicken Curry, Ostrich Medallions, and Boerewors.
The service here was pretty good. The waiter was not the greatest, but he did an ok job. The entire staff seemed friendly enough.
The only reason I won't give this place 5 stars is the fact that we all wanted dessert, but they were out of ice cream that came topped on all the desserts we wanted. They could have sent someone out to the store to pick up some ice cream when they realized they were going to run out. I sure did want to try their Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, but what good would that have been without the vanilla ice cream.
I recommend 10 Degrees South as a must try for anyone living or visiting Atlanta. It is the BOMB! -
Review from Malika H.
Kennesaw, GA
1/25/2011
Opened in 1998, 10 Degrees South is the only South African restaurant in Atlanta. I'd visited twice before but it had been at least 7 or 8 years since I'd been back, so I was long overdue for a visit. I loved the food, a unique blend of spices and flavors that I could never put my finger on, and something I think would be quite complex to replicate at home.
Since I'd visited, the building has gotten a complete overhaul. What was once a small house, has now been transformed into a spacious and well-appointed dining area. There's even an enclosed patio that was bustling on the evening I visited.
Starters: Calamari, Sosaties (skewered beef in an apricot curry sauce over rice) and Biltong, a cured meat. I'd never had unfried calamari before visiting 10 Degrees South. I do love the flavor, however I'd have preferred it without the capers as they added somewhat of a salty taste to the dish. The Biltong, was a pretty large portion and great for sharing if you have a group of four or more.
If you go, you must try the Sosaties. Swimming a mix of spices my tongue desperately tried but failed to identify, this dish with it's sweet and savory appeal won't let you down. Too bad they weren't at Taste of Atlanta, as 10 Degrees' Sosaties would've been a huge hit!
10 Degrees South has a phenomenal wine selection, with very generous pours, all presented in carafe. See that picture below? Yeah - that's one glass of wine. I was tempted to try the "Goats do Roam" - a Shriaz-Pinotage blend and a play on Cote du Rhone, I ultimately had the Chocolate Block, a Syrah-Cab blend. It was delicious and went perfectly with my meal. It is worth it to order a couple different varieties as everything we sampled was superb.
Next up were our entrees. I was tempted by the Ostrich medallions, which I'd had in the past and they didn't disappoint. But as I wanted something authentically South African, I ordered the Bobotie, a sweet ground beef mixture topped with a custard. Trust me when I tell you the picture (see recipe here: http://bit.ly/h1WvUz) doesn't do this dish justice. It just explodes with flavor. Think of it as South African Shepherd's Pie, which is the best way I can describe it. Instead of peas, carrots etc, this "pie" of sorts has apples, apricots and raisins.
We also sampled the chicken curry. The spice blend on the dishes at 10 Degrees South is insanely good. And don't worry - while there are lots of spices, it isn't hot spicy like some Indian and Thai food can be. Although it doesn't come with either dish we ordered, we did try the sambals, which are the South African equivalent of grits. Except these grits are more solid and less liquidy than southern grits. While I'm not much of a grits fan, these were a pleasant diversion from traditional southern grits.
While I quite enjoyed the rich chocolate cake we sampled, the winning dessert was Di's Delight, a moist sponge cake, made daily by the owner's mother. Overall, the menu at 10 Degrees South still has items that are more neutral like prawns, mussels, and even barbecue chicken should you have non-adventurous eaters in the mix. But it really is worth it to explore the menu. None of the spices or any ingredients are that foreign than what you've had before, and who knows, you might just fall in love with this unique cuisine. There's nothing else like 10 Degrees South in Atlanta, which why this delightful restaurant remains one of my favorite Atlanta restaurants. -
Review from William G.
Atlanta, GA
9/3/2011
This was my first experience eating South African cuisine- It was awesome!
For starters we had the lollipop lamb chops and the Peri-Peri Chicken Spring Rolls both of which were fantastic.
Our main courses were a Filet "AU Poivre" and a Cape Kingklip.
In case your wondering the Filet "AU Poivre" is a filet minion with a peppercorn sauce to die for and the Cape Kingklip is a white fish with butter sauce on top of basmati rice. VERY VERY VERY GOOD!
This was a great experience and I highly recommend it. -
Review from Elizabeth H.
Atlanta, GA
12/2/2010 ROTD 12/25/2010
Definitely a unique dining experience! The restaurant is located in a small office building off of Roswell Road. They offer both patio and inside seating- and I'm assuming the patio has heaters because people we out there last night and it was 30 degrees, brr!!!!
We started with a bottle of sauvignon blanc recommended by our server Zach- it was an authentic South African wine. For dinner I had the special, ostrich served with mashed potatoes and snow peas- very good! Ostrich is compared to venison, which is usually pretty gamey, but this was cooked in a red wine reduction with rosemary- very flavorful!!
For dessert we split the chocolate lava cake (with an extra scoop of ice cream)- as the manager would say "this cake is very BIG, not like other restaurants"- and he was right, it was the perfect size :-)
After dinner we headed to the bar for one more drink since a whole bottle of wine wasn't enough! There was a guy playing live music and he even took my request for a Christmas song!
I definitely recommend 10 Degrees South for a unique date night!Listed in: Date Night
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Review from Ellen P.
Atlanta, GA
4/8/2011
Lived here for 12 years and last night was my first visit (how'd that happen?)
Went for a networking event at happy hour, so it was not a traditional visit by any means. That said, they won me over. Great decor, great vibe in the little bar area/covered patio. Friendly, helpful staff. Enjoyed some yummy app bites during the event but alas did not get to indulge in a meal. I also enjoyed a lovely glass of Chardonnay that the waitress suggested as I was stuck to decide...can't remember the name of it of course, but it was delicious. My colleague and I decided that it would be a great spot for a date. If we can't work that out for ourselves sooner than later, we agreed to go together!
Oh, I will definitely be back. -
Review from Ruksana H.
Atlanta, GA
2/22/2012
Met with a friend here for a casual business dinner on a Monday evening. The place is easy to find on Roswell Road, has a big 10 sign all lit up that you simply cannot miss. There is valet parking available. IT looks pretty quite and desolate from the outside but once you enter, its a very tastefully decorated and classy venue. We were seated right up front and our hostess was nice and welcoming. We skipped the appetizers and dashed for the entrees, not before choosing to drink some Guwerztreminer which was simply delicious and fresh. My friend ordered the chicken curry while I opted for the beef bobotie. Both were served on a bed of rice and arrived at the table quite fast. Overall the preparation seemed to tilt to the sweeter side of things but I have not eaten African cuisine before and dont know if that is how it should be. I loved the preparation just because the meats were so well cooked and succulent. The chicken curry even had some raisins in it and came garnished with chopped banana! The beef bobotie was accompanied by a chutney and some chopped tomatoes. In both dished, the highlight was the meat and the accompaniments just did their part to support the main dish. If not for a very hungry person, the portions are enough to actually box some for home. We shared a dessert - the raspberry cheescake, which was equally lovely. Downed it with some coffee and that was quite an impressive meal. Yes, the place is pricey so I wont go here every month for sure, but I would go back here for a special occasion or with a group of friends to introduce them to my new find! The valet guy was real sweet but I must admit our hostess was nice to the point of too nice?! If there is such a thing...she seemed to come over to ask us a little too often if we were doing fine,e specially closer towards the end of our meal it almost seemed like she was hurrying us on the check!! That apart, great experience!
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Review from B. Y.
San Francisco, CA
2/14/2011
Atlanta is not a city known for originality in its cuisine. It has a lot of great food - don't get me wrong - but a lot of the restaurants run together. Not this one. One of the few South African restaurants in the country, it is definitely not something you will find anywhere and, more importantly, the food is delicious.
We always get the sosaties appetizer and some sort of peri peri sauce on something (chicken livers, etc.), and then I always get the bobotie for my entree. The ostrich medallions are very tasty too. Their selection of South African wine can't be beat, and the service is very good.
i heard they may open a restaurant in LA - can't wait. -
Review from Tanya B.
2/12/2011
From beginning to end, this was a great experience. I had been here several years ago and was surprised to see it's expansion from a small house to a building. However, the warmth that was present in that small house has not been lost.
We sat in the main dining room and the live music that we heard was the perfect backdrop - not too loud but loud enough to enjoy and still have a conversation.
We started with Mabaleng Mushrooms - this was perfect for me as I do not eat meat. They were wonderful, much better than I had anticipated. Garlic-y - so good we were both trying to interpret the tastes so we could make these at home. We both had Amarula to drink and enjoyed that as well. It is sweet, but you do taste the alcohol too.
For the entree, my dining companion had the Ostrich medallions and in his words - it tasted like steak. I thought he was going to lick the plate. He managed to sop up everything on it. I had the Vegetable Curry and enjoyed it immensely. I was skeptical, since they have very few options for vegetarians, but it turned out quite good. That said, I do hope they come up with another option or two for those who don't eat meat.
I had a dark chocolate cheesecake for dessert that was lovely. It had dark chocolate as the base, but a lighter creamy layer on top that offset the dark chocolate nicely - so it wasn't too rich. I'm not a cheesecake eater for the most part, so I took a risk and it was well worth it.
The service was good. I don't remember my server's name, but he was from the Virgin Islands and he offered the perfect blend of attentive service without being a stalker. He seemed to be right there when you needed him.
10 Degrees South is truly as good as it gets. I definitely plan to return. -
Review from Claire S.
2/2/2011
This is one of my favorite restaurants in atlanta. Great experience and romantic atmosphere. They have free valet parking which is always a good choice. Service is really good. I went here before I jumped on the wagon and they have a great wine list which is relatively inexpensive. As appetizers we had the sosaties and the escargot. The sosaties are like beef medallions, they were spicy and really good; the escargots were amazing; especially the sauce. Oh Ma Gaaah they were delicious in the suace on the bread. So good. So good!
I had ostrich medallion as my entree. I had never tried ostrich before and it didn't disappoint; I can't wait to try it again to have something to compare it to but to me it was delicious, perfectly seasoned, not too fatty, but succulent and delicious. Definitely order it if you go. My boyfriend had the calamari steak which sounds sketchy but it was fantastic as well, it was in a lemon butter white wine caper sauce, so of course it was good.
For dessert we had triple chocolate cheesecake and the two kinds of port that they have. Both the ports were delicious and the cheesecake was rich and amazing. I love cheesecake, so of course it was good, and washing down chocolate with port is always the right choice unless you are on the sobriety train.
I can't wait until my baby takes me here again. The food is not only fantastic but refreshingly differently from most of the upscale fare offered in Atlanta. -
Review from Natalia L.
Atlanta, GA
1/8/2012
No doubt about it, the food is very tasty here. if you like spicy, this isn't the place for you. The spiciest item is the peri peri sauce, which is more vinegar based. As a frequent diner, I do have a few complaints. The hostess (1-6-2012) was quite sullen and snarky. Our waitress was a severe disaster. Her first commentary was to tell our table that she has a masters degree and this is the hardest job that she's ever had. Honestly who cares. She was unprofessional and overly friendly with some people at my table at i actually thought they knew each other. This is no way to interact with customers who are coming out for the dining experince. She never repoured our wine, diluted my sparkling water with tap, was airy and unattentive. If this is indeed a fine dining establishment, management needs to be more selective in their wait staff.
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Review from Adam S.
12/9/2010
This is a really wonderful dining experience. The setting is cozy and the wait staff is attentive and friendly. I felt the food was really great. Had the escargot and sosaties as appetizers. The sauce with the escargot was amazing. It was rich and buttery and really tasty. The sosaties were boldly seasoned and exotic. I thought both dishes were superb.
I had the calamari steak with lemon butter sauce an capers as my entree. It was really delicious. It was a unique dish, but really worked well. I also tryed the ostrich entree and it was really good as well.
For dessert we got the triple chocolate cheesecake and both types of port they have. I'm not a big chocolate fan, but it was good and really went well with the port.
Perhaps the nicest part about this restaurant is the affordability. 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, a bottle of decent wine, a dessert and 2 glasses of port for $170. I have eaten at places in Atlanta that aren't nearly as good that would cost at least $100 more for the same amount of food. So if you are looking for some really nice food at pretty reasonable prices, I'd recommend this place. -
Review from rodney b.
Marietta, GA
11/12/2011
Ok, the food was pretty good. I've never had South African food so i have to take their word on the authenticity of it, but the Kingklip tasted just like frozen grouper fillet and the lollipop lamp chops sauce hinted of A-1 steak sauce. The wine was fantastic. The martini was mostly water. The valet seemed to be a put on. Just not needed. My wife and i showed up without reservations at 6:30 on a Saturday night and the place was mostly empty, but they said they were booked and we had to sit at the bar to eat. An hour and a half later the place was still empty, but the bar area was full. It just seemed as though they tried to hard making it a trendy spot then an enjoyable dining experience. However the food was hot and plentiful, served quickly. $90 for 2 apps. 1 entree 2 glasses of wine and a water based martini.
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Review from Joel C.
11/23/2008
I've been wanting to try this place out for awhile and when I found out I was going here for Julie's birthday celebration, I got pretty excited! She was having her party at the bar which is located at the back of the restaurant. The space is simple, yet beautiful and they have a beautiful patio. They also had an acoustic guitar player playing some songs...it was ok, but just a bit weird since the restaurant is a bit more upscale.
We all started out with drinks and I ordered the Hanger Vodka and Tonic. I know its a pretty simple drink to make, but the bartender did an amazing job! For dinner, I ordered the Safari Salad with Prawns. It was fantastic and I enjoyed the mango and cantaloupe in the salad and the papaya dressing was to die for. For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Truffle with Vanilla Ice Cream. It was really rich, but I expected the dessert to be more like a Chocolate Lava Cake with a gooey center.
The customer service is excellent and very attentive! I definitely recommend and will have to go back and try their Vegetable Curry dish. Oh, and how can you not love that they serve Bitch wine! -
Review from Deanna J.
Atlanta, GA
11/30/2007 1 photo
Can we say 'fabulous?'
Hands down one of the best dining experiences I've had in Atlanta.
I'd driven by this place dozens of times, and I will say that the outside image leaves a bit to be desired. It's in a nondescript area up Roswell Rd., and they have a giant black and white lit sign. But as the song goes, 'everything changes' once you step inside.
Whoa.
One of those places that will hit all your senses - just as you enter, you're greeted by the sounds of boisterous diners laughing and clinking glasses and live music, and then the calming light of the casual, yet polished, interior.
We had drinks at the bar, where the jolly cool bartender (with quite the saucy accent, I must add) gave us his story and my birthday friend a complimentary shot, too.
We were taken to our table - here's where the truly amazing part comes.
The food.
I had the bobotie, which is ground beef curry and rice, and our party of six definitely sampled each other's dishes. I won't tell you how incredible they were because it would be like ruining the ending of a great movie - it'll be even better when you can discover for yourself!
Just based on concept alone - upscale South African cuisine - 10 Degrees already has a niche that we're fortunate to have in Atlanta. But a great concept + even better interpretation and delivery?
Five freakin' stars, baby. Five.Listed in: Fine Dining in Atlanta
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Review from Steve H.
Atlanta, GA
12/17/2007
This place was pretty good and awful at the same time. Walking in we were welcomed by a guy on acoustic guitar from the bar playing Lightning Crashes...
Lightning fucking Crashes.
Meanwhile in the actual dining room they were piping in late 80s dance music. After a while I started looking around for Max Headroom.
The service was good though the food was uneven. The bobotie was a sweet curry dish formed in the shape of a beret encircled with two mounds of rice. Not very good at all. The chocolate truffle at the end of the meal was though.
Now that I think about it, it was mostly not very good. -
Review from Falicia G.
Atlanta, GA
7/24/2007 1 photo
I LOVE it! I visited South Africa in 2000 and have had mad cravings for that tasty food since then. I went to this place for my birthday with a group of friends.
The atmosphere is great: real mellow, friendly, and comfortable. The food was off the hook! (I had the ostrich). And the drinks were tasty. I had a "spring bok".
Everyone should check out this place at least once in their lifetime!
UPDATE: 2/5/08
This place is fabulous! Like Deanna J, the best dining experience I've ever had in Atlanta! This was my return trip to celebrate getting into graduate school and my best friend getting a new job. I ordered the Bobotie! Delish!! It's ground beef seasoned with curry and a sweet secret sauce. Then it's topped with custard and paired with yellow and white rice. The balance of flavors was just right. It made me want to cry, it tasted so good. The presentation was flawless. I took pictures of everyone's plates because it was that beautiful. A picasso on a plate.
Others in the group ordered the Piri Piri Chicken, the 14 oz Steak. When I say that we cleaned the plates, I'm not kidding. There was not a morsel left on our plates.
Then, to top it off and make this restaurant my ALL TIME FAVORITE...again, the manager heard that we were celebrating and brought out Flan for our group! The perfect touch. Not to mention that he was so attentive and always checking back to see that we were enjoying our dining experience.
Fabulous!Listed in: Top Restaurants, The Places I Go Out
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Review from Christina A.
Atlanta, GA
3/24/2008
10 Degrees South is one of the best restaurants in Atlanta.
Hands down.
My first couple of experiences were several years ago. This place wasn't popular yet (I guess Zagat's hadn't featured them), the lounge area didn't exist, and there was no outdoor seating.
Now it's popular, there's a really hip lounge, and there's everyone's favorite, an outdoor patio. That's all that's changed - still delicious.
We have awesome service. Several of the waiters are Afrikaner, as is the owner himself. He came over to the table to check on us on a couple different visits, and we would have conversations about Cape Town (my date had vacationed there, including a safari when he killed a gazelle. Bastardly!).
I always order a South African wine. They are delicious and well priced by the glass.
The food. Oh man the food.
I'm going to mention anything that received raves by the majority of friends/guests. Keep in mind several of the foods here are listed on both the appetizer and main course menus...proportions are just different:
Boerewors - you like sausage, you'll like this.
Mussels - yesss
Calamari - every restaurant has calamari. Order it here anyway.
Sosaties (beef)
Lamb chops - of the lollipop variety. Someone in the group always orders this. Makes me think of my favorite sock puppet.
Okay the only entree I order: Cape Kingklip. The meal of champions. This is a mild white fish that has the most delicious sauce in the world on top. You intermingle your mashed potatoes with this sauce. Oh man. I'm guessing the sauce is 80% butter.
And dessert. The truffle is the only way to go.
It's not like a chocolate truffle a la Godiva, but a molten lava cake, a la mode.
At the end of one meal we ordered a to-go truffle for a friend we were about to visit. The waitress put it in a box and actually wrote down microwave heat-up times on the lid. That's the kind of service we're talking about.
Come here if you finally get that hot date you really want to impress. Or you're inviting out your future in-laws. Or you want a party in your mouth. Whenever. -
Review from Rick D.
Acworth, GA
3/27/2008
I ate here a few months back so I cant remember exactly what I had to eat other than the escargot which was great. I had never tried escargot before and since it is snails, most people have a gag reflex as soon as they hear it. However I was pleasantly surprised by the taste (kind of like mushrooms in garlic sauce) and enjoyed them immensely. The South African wines were quite good as well and one of my favorite vineyards is Seidelberg but sadly I cant find them in Atlanta.
I give this place a 9 out of 10. The selection could have been a little larger but the person I was with and I enjoyed ourselves regardless.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Diana L.
10/28/2008
Cool place, in a nondescript building. Great service.
Ordered:
-calamari
-bobotie (sweet ground beef curry)
-sosaties (beef filet)
-ostrich
-Cape Klngkllp (fish)
Boboties were the tastiest. The ostrich medallions were presented in an undesirable manner, drowning in brown sauce and visually unappealing. No one was too excited about the food which was sad because I had a lot of hopes for this place :( -
Review from Sandra J.
Atlanta, GA
9/13/2010
Whoever gave this place 5 star doesn't know any better. This restaurant is Ok, not too bad, BUT not too good either.
This place is more to socialize than to enjoy good African cuisine. The food is just blah, and if you are not with a big group, don't expect the best attention from your waiter. -
Review from K H.
Atlanta, GA
10/18/2008
I went for a small dinner and was very pleased.
A little drafty,but cozy setting none the less.
So I tried the lamb lollipops, tasty with a dash of potatoes
and the curry chicken
very different,spicy and tasty
not yr typical dish,but in a good way
onlydownflal is they only had three south african wines, YET its a south african restaurant &they were double in price (an 8 dollar glass for most their wines,but S.A. wines went to 14/15)!
I give it 4 because it stands out on what it offers, but def. not a place to make a regular spot -
Review from M.A. J.
Atlanta, GA
9/24/2011
First of all, this is not the only South African restaurant in the U.S. Plenty of places in Manhattan and NJ area, and on the west coast. Their advertising is a bit misleading.
The food overall is good. It's not all traditional ~ boeboties as spring rolls, er no. Others of the dishes are nothing you wouldn't find at other restaurants, like the lamb chops (small portion for the price) and prawns. But many of the dishes are worth the trip, although they are expensive for what you receive.
My main issue is that the service is lousy.
It took over an hour in a half-full restaurant to get the appetizer served, entrees showed up after we complained and you could tell they had been sitting around in the kitchen.
We were seated in the noisy front room despite my request for a table in the quieter rear room off the bar (which had open tables) since one of our guests was elderly and hard of hearing. Yes we had a reservation.
At the price points they're charging, service should be impeccable, not sloppy and half assed. Restaurant management needs to work on their staff. This place is good food and fun to visit if you're not particularly hungry or in a hurry, but it's not a fantastic eating experience.
