Old Palm Liquor features fire-fuelled cooking and old-world charm

Updated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024

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Under the spinning ceiling fans of this Brunswick East favourite, surrounded by warm wood panelling, rattan fabric and lush greenery, it’s easy to feel you’re someplace else, somewhere balmy. Add to that an impressive wall of wines the staff know inside out and a high-end sound system playing strictly vinyl and you have an inexhaustible vibe.

It’s all anchored by the open kitchen and braai-like grill – informed by owner-chef Almay Jordaan’s South African heritage. It imparts smoke and char to fish, flat iron, fennel and flatbreads. Green sauce adds zing to plump pickled mussels and translucent lardo on bites of focaccia. Smoky rockling buddies up to wholesome white beans and braised puntarelle with a smear of silky eel cream.

Flame-licked, cider-brined pork loin is sweet, succulent and spiced with harissa. Wood-oven roasted plantain adds crunch to a porridge of creamed corn and white onion – a dish that, like this bustling oasis of wine, feels unconventional yet comfortingly familiar.

Good to know: There’s no wrong seat here – perch at the bar, a table or a fireside armchair.

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