Anyone who loves a spot of sushi in and around the Cape Town area has heard of Beluga, one of The Caviar Group’s flagship restaurants and a staple of locals and foreigners since 1999.

Sometimes name-dropping can be quite a bit of fun, so excuse us while we indulge you with a list of luminaries that will make you salivate. Fancy sharing a meal with Bill Clinton (he DID NOT have sexual relations with that woman, but he DID dine here), Clint Eastwood, Samuel L. Jackson, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart or Neve Cambpell?

There’s only one place in town where you will catch superstars such as these feeding their faces, and that place dear friends is Beluga. The reason they keep on coming back for more, and the reason Beluga sells more than 50 million pieces of sushi a year? Their success lies in never becoming complacent about the menu or the service. In a country where we see so little value placed on efficient, friendly service restaurants that buck that trend stand out a cut above the rest.

Another key to their success is customer loyalty. For the past eight years they have been running their half-price sushi, dim sum and cocktail specials, Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 7pm. But what about Sunday, you ask? Only all day, son, if you can be asked to drag yourself out of bed for a quality meal.

Part of becoming a much-loved institution is fostering a ‘give and take’ relationship with the community that has treated them so well over the years, which is where the ‘Caviar Foundation’ comes into play. Beluga takes part in all kinds of fund raisers by donating vouchers for raffles and prize givings as well as sponsoring food and drinks at charity events and auctions.

Of course when you’re lucky enough to live in an area as beautiful as Cape Town you want where you eat to reflect that. Thankfully the art deco, New York loft feel works well with the open-plan kitchen and cobbled outside terrace complex to create a memorable dining experience. Beluga also has branches in Durban on the Gateway Promenade and in the Midrand at Waterfall Corner.

Lovers of sushi and other fine foodie treats, consider yourselves informed. We find they’re best enjoyed with a few tipples but to each their own, right?

Beluga falls under the umbrella of The Caviar Group, which also includes other firm favourites such as Sevruga, who recently popped into our studios for an interview you can listen to HERE.