Held at unconventional venues around Johannesburg, The Cook’s Table’s monthly events offer a tantalizing mix of food, music and art

The Cook’s Table isn’t your run-of-the-mill dinner out with friends. Every occasion is a fresh experience and guests only discover the venue 24 hours in advance. Expect a delicious three-course menu made up of the chosen cook’s most successful experiments, and get the chance to mingle and meet new people while you’re at it.

Zolitha Magengelele started the concept after being dared by a friend. “I’d hosted friends at my home numerous times and, at the time, I wasn’t happy at my day job and was looking for a creative outlet,” she says.

The first Cook’s Table was hosted in December 2013 and Zolitha and her partner, Lizo Ngcebetsha, haven’t looked back since.

They’ve hosted up to 50 guests in one evening, with the minimum being an intimate gathering of 15. “We call it an occasional pop-up dining table so we don’t tie ourselves down to dates and expectations, but we do aim to host at least one a month,” says Zolitha. Clients are welcome to book the table for their private events as well. read more