3 Best Restaurants in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Durban

This award-winning steak house has a modern dining room—expect well-dressed diners on romantic dates or small business teams strategizing over lunch. The steaks are unmissable (try the chimichurri sirloin), though the line fish with coconut and lime and the homemade gnocchi will satisfy those without carnivorous tastes. There's a tightly curated local wine list. Men won't go amiss wearing a shirt and pressed slacks here, though the attitude, like that of all of Durban, is welcoming and approachable.

This is an Argentinian-styled mecca for red-meat lovers where steaks are cooked on an open charcoal fire and South American music dictates the atmosphere. There's also an on-site butchery where local grain-fed beef is aged and cut to size to suit all appetites. Cuts are served with a choice of sauces (mushroom and red wine, cheese, or garlic to name a few) and vegetable sides. Alternates include deboned chicken and freshly seared tuna. Their exclusive Malbec is an obvious wine choice, with a range of other high and low vintage reds and whites to choose from.

The menu features mainly North Indian dishes that are so large and filling that—take our word for it—appetizers are not needed. Standout curries include butter chicken, lamb gosht pasanda (done in an almond-and-cream sauce with saffron), and the navratan korma (mixed vegetables cooked in cashew gravy with fruit). The interior provides a sophisticated dining experience, which continues onto an enclosed terrace. There's a good, reasonably priced buffet on Friday and Saturday nights and a carvery for Sunday lunch.