A Taste of Agrilla: Where Comfort Meets Culinary Craft in Pretoria

A Warm Welcome to Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar

Elevate your next dining experience at Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar, where connections are made over culinary delights. Set on the 1st floor of one of Gauteng’s luxury entertainment destinations, Time Square in Pretoria, Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar is where contemporary dining and comfort come together to make any occasion a special one.

Greeted with a warm smile and a romantic ambiance, this Afrikaans and Greek-influenced restaurant specialises in grills but has recently expanded its menu to include some Italian cuisine with a quintessential South African twist.

“We make our own drywors and biltong, our steaks are 21-day wet-aged in-house, and we offer the best pap and sheba,” said Agrilla executive chef Justin Jonah, who ironically is a former Executive Chef for Time Square. “We are a steakhouse for adults and our menu is based upon what South Africans like to eat best – meat – with delicious dishes with sides of pap and sheba.”

The Starters That Set the Tone

Wings That Balance Heat and Sweet

Easing our way into the menu, we started the evening off with some buffalo wings and chicken thigh & ciabatta. Serving six wings as a single portion, I put in a special request to the kitchen for half spicy and half BBQ serving. Gladly agreeing to my request, I got the best of both worlds. The crispy fried wings came with an additional serving of peri peri and BBQ sauce. Crunchy on the outside, the spicy wings were slightly hot, and the BBQ wings had a good balance of sweet and smoky notes.

The Chicken Thigh & Ciabatta Combo

Deboned chicken thigh and ciabatta made up the other starter that I couldn’t get enough of. Marinated in garlic, herbs, and spices, the chicken was flame-grilled and presented on a wooden skewer. Soft and juicy, the dark meat was fresh and earthy to taste, with the char of the grill marrying the marinade to the chicken. The ciabatta was toasted to perfection with a light, crisp exterior and warm, soft inside. The two paired well together. When consumed together, the soft, juicy chicken flavours evened out with the crisp, soft buttery texture of the bread, marrying the flavour notes of the dish in holy matrimony.​

Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar – Where the Steaks Take the Spotlight

The Braised Short Rib Penne — Comfort in a Bowl

For mains, the braised short rib penne and T-Bone steak were ordered separately. Now, keep in mind that Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar specialises in meat, meaning the grills will always be top-tier. Having ordered the pasta, the short rib was cooked to perfection. I’m not using this descriptor lightly as the short rib ragù was giving shothlo/tshotlho, in Sesotho, or tshotlo/loswao/seswaa in Setswana. Braised in a hearty tomato and red-wine sauce, the meat retains the sweet flavours of the sauce that cut through the brightness of the tomato, which accentuates the fruity notes of the red wine it was braised in, which were mopped up by firm-to-the-bite al dente penne.

Unfortunately, the meat was overly seasoned, which the lightly seasoned penne pasta tried to balance out, to no avail. Nonetheless, rich notes of the short rib, which was cooked low and slow, shone. This main is the definition of a hug in a bowl, the ideal comfort meal for all seasons.

The T-Bone Steak That Stole the Show

The T-bone steak stole the show and held my attention. Asking for it to be cooked medium – just medium – and not having to elaborate on whether it should be medium-rare or more towards well-done, it came out just as that – medium. I can’t stress enough what a flex this is, as some people judge restaurants based on their steak, as it’s a dish that’s a make-or-break for most. Mamela, kudos to the chef.

Medium to the T, I had actually wished I had ordered the T-bone steak medium to slightly rare. The slow aged T-bone, rubbed with the special Agrilla meat rub, bathed in rosemary butter, and was served with the same knob of herb infused churned cream, was accompanied by butternut, a menu standard, and chips that were the crispiest potato wedges I’ve ever had.

“Our steaks are made in the most authentic possible style to show the quality of the meat, using natural rubs, salt and pepper which do not camouflage its flavour. We cook over coals on an open flame, and use methods such as rubbing our picanha with bay leaves, which is a great way to flavour meat,” Jonah said.

Sides Worth Savouring

Always ordering my chips extra crispy, Blessing, our waiter, assured me that is how they serve them. He did not lie. In French cuisine textbooks, it’s not uncommon to have a chapter dedicated to the potato. The chef at Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar could give a class on how to crisp up your chips/wedges/fries. They only needed a touch more seasoning from the kitchen.

The butternut was too sweet for my taste but had a smooth, creamy texture. The T-bone with the butternut and potato wedges really is a terrific trio. Please, when you order this main, or any dish for that fact, always enjoy the food together to get the full taste experience.

Something Soft & Sweet To End The Day

Filled to the brim of my soul, I just had to fit in something soft and sweet. Opting for one of their five desserts, I had to opt for the chocolate lava pudding offered by Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar. Screaming decadent and rich from the menu alone, I was compelled to order it. Now, do I have a sweet tooth? Somewhat. And what that means is that I love my somethings soft and sweet, but have a low tolerance for sugary treats.

Banking on the bitter chocolate to balance out the sugar, and honestly wanted to see the pastry chef’s skill in making this technical dish. Accompanied by the classic vanilla ice-cream, the lava didn’t flow as expected, as it was rather stiff. The sponge was soft, and without a shadow of doubt, if the formula was reworked for the lava and the sugar halved, it would be a treat to tie all meals together.

A Warm & Welcoming Staff

The dinner experience was made even better at Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar by their accommodating and attentive staff. Having an original reservation for 19:30, I realised we wouldn’t be able to make the booking, and had to reschedule. They happily and easily rescheduled for another time that would better suit us without any hassle. Arriving at our new time, we were well taken care of by Blessing. He was warm, kind, patient, and willing and eager to answer our questions. Making sure we were comfortable and at home was our lovely hostess. She made us feel at home, making sure we were alright and everything was to our liking.

A beautiful dining experience with a warm and romantic atmosphere, the Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar is a great place to break bread with your loved ones, dates, as well as some alone R&R. The expanded menu caters to everyone. I recommend that you to order anything and everything that goes on the grill. For a party of four or more, I highly recommend the Agrilla Rump 1KG Table Side Service.

The meal comes with a show of the final preparations and presentation done at your table – definitely one for the books. Matched with their stellar service, every occasion will be extra special at Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar, even if it’s something as simple as grabbing a bite to eat.

In keeping with its patron’s requirements, Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar has a wide selection of whiskies and high-end cognacs. “We want people to get together and enjoy cocktails inspired by top mixologists around the world,” said Sarris. “Think old school flavours with modern influence – instead of a whisky sour, we have a blueberry sour, made with tequila, for example.” Customers can be seated at the dedicated bar area which seats 10, and interact with one of three barmen to personalise their drinks orders. 

Located at Time Square, Pretoria, on the first floor, please be sure to call 012 003 5848 to make a reservation to avoid disappointment and make sure to enjoy the warm and caring hospitality that Agrilla Meet and Cocktail Bar delivers