Ate @ Design
Michelle Phetlhe | Tuesday September 20, 2022 06:00
An eatery with stable connectivity is a value add for business brunches/lunches etc. All the necessary boxes were checked for a comfortable space to do some work.
We chose to sit outside on the terrace so as to catch some sunlight. The restaurant fits perfectly into the The Design Quarter at Setlhoa, Gaborone.
It gives its patrons who are a target market of ages 28-45 years, a chic picturesque location for solo dates, dates, work meetings, coffee or cocktails. Sitting on the terrace, one can look out into the skies and be taken up by how our city is transforming beautifully in front of our eyes.
A piping cappuccino and a Rooibos carried us through both our separate meetings and phone calls. Our waitress Kereng periodically checked on us without disturbing our flow, very attentive of her and much appreciated. Pristine service must always be applauded, she’s a star. Brunch is a great time of the day as you can get the best of both worlds in palate planet (see what I did there? Lol).
The restaurant is closed on Mondays and open Sunday to Thursday, 8am-10pm, Friday and Saturday, 8am-12 midnight. With a vision to retain and develop a position of being one of the leading food, beverage and entertainment operations in Gaborone , through exceeding expectations in service (which we experienced with Kereng), quality of product, innovation and overall value for money, Ate @ Design is well on its way to being a power contender in the restaurant industry.
They believe that their best sellers are a mix of their pizzas, burgers, steaks and their famous duck breast. A month or so ago, a friend and I shared the pulled duck pizza there and we were both very intrigued.
The lunch did not disappoint as we enjoyed the very interesting pizza. I recall a sweet sauce of sorts and of course the pulled duck, which was a first for me (I only ever eat duck from Asian outlets with noodles/fried rice sides etc).
The pizza is original, tasty and filling. For brunch, one needs to always strike a good balance, nothing too light and nothing too heavy. At mid-morning, you need to fuel up for the rest of the day.
I generally prefer to eat later in the day but once in a while I like a nice brunch. I ordered a Quick Breakfast with runny sunny side up eggs. It was served with pieces of in-house toasted bread.
I am always a little antsy when ordering my eggs, I really appreciate a good runny egg and they nailed it for me. To share, we got game meatballs, which we were told are Impala. We love game in our household and this was an awesome discovery. The meatballs were not minced as expected, yet they still had consistency, which created a traditional meatball.
They come in a Morogo type salsa....a very unique way to present morogo, a staple Setswana food, further highlighting the restaurants creativity. The two elements in the dish complemented each other well, also served with toasted bread.
Initially I thought the bread was tiny, in hindsight, I appreciate the daintiness and portions. But those meatballs are an absolute delight. Delicious is an understatement. If you know you love game meat, order these for yourself and indulge, we definitely did.
My partner ordered a spicy goat meat burger. In his words; ‘this is a goat meat lovers treat, because traditionally we have goat meat at family functions and it is a coveted meat as there is not much of it to go around unlike a whole cow.
Goat just tastes exquisite and has its own exoticism compared to other meats. To have it in a burger with soft onions, a delicious purple slaw, in a soft in-house bun was a flawless execution with a generous portion of perfectly seasoned fries.
I asked their marketing brain what sets the restaurant apart from the rest and she responded: “In simple terms, we are unapologetically bougie”. I’ll give it to them, the terrace has a distinct spatial aesthetic that makes you feel like you’re part of the in-crowd, I love it. Inside, the art pieces that deck the walls give the place a further transformation into a modern hip, easy going space that can inspire ideas.
‘I ate @ design’ and I feel so cool saying that because the name of the eatery intentionally sets you up to feel suave.