"Johannesburg's defining wood-fire room. David Higgs's 800g dry-aged tomahawk on the Grill Works pit — book the cellar table for closing a deal."
David Higgs imported the grill from Grill Works in Michigan, hauled it onto the rooftop of the Trumpet Building on Keyes Avenue in Rosebank, and built a 250-seat dining room around it. Marble opened in October 2016 as a partnership between Higgs and restaurateur Gary Kyriacou, and within a year had displaced every other steakhouse in Johannesburg as the city's default high-end table. The rooftop sits seven storeys above Keyes Art Mile with a clear sightline across Houghton to the Northcliff Ridge. The open kitchen runs the length of the room; the wine cellar, encased in glass, divides the lounge from the dining floor.
The Kitchen
David Higgs trained at Saxon Boutique Hotel and Rust en Vrede in Stellenbosch — the latter under the late Michelin-trained Jeff Jordaan — before earning Eat Out Chef of the Year in 2010 while at Five Hundred at the Saxon. Marble is his statement project, and the kitchen is built around a single conviction: every plate goes over wood flame. The grill burns South African hardwoods — sekelbos, kameeldoring, rooikrans — and the kitchen ages beef in-house for 28 to 60 days in a glass-fronted dry-ager near the pass.
The signature is the 800g dry-aged Karan beef tomahawk, R1,650 to share, carved tableside on a heated board with smoked sea salt, bone marrow, and the kitchen's house-fermented chimichurri. The seared yellowtail crudo with green chilli, citrus, and a slick of olive oil is the secondary signature and the dish to order first; the wood-roasted Cape Town crayfish with brown butter and Limpopo lemon arrives in spring. The wine list is the cellar's other ambition — over 600 South African labels, with a Stellenbosch Cabernet flight (R420) that pairs the older Rustenberg Peter Barlow with the current Boekenhoutskloof. Pour the 2017 Kanonkop Paul Sauer with the tomahawk and ask the sommelier to decant it.
The Room
The space is loud by design and large by city standards. 250 seats across the dining floor, the lounge, and the upper bar; the open kitchen and the live grill keep the soundtrack at conversation-loud rather than hushed. Lighting is warm pendant over the tables and bright accent over the pass. Table spacing is generous on the perimeter and tighter at the centre — request a window banquette or the cellar-glass two-top at booking. Dress is smart-casual with teeth: collared shirts, tailored dresses, jackets common but not required. The terrace runs the southern edge in summer; when it's open, the view across Houghton ridge is the room's other course.
Best for Closing a Deal in Johannesburg
Three reasons it lands. First, the room is loud enough that no neighbouring table will overhear a contract figure — a rarity in Joburg, where most fine-dining rooms run hushed. Second, the wine cellar room takes private bookings for six to eight, with its own pass and a dedicated sommelier; it is the closest thing the city has to a corporate boardroom that also serves dry-aged steak. Third, the lounge and bar absorb the pre-meeting drink and the deal-closed digestif without changing rooms — a single venue for the three acts of the evening. Reserve the cellar table at 19:30 on a Thursday; order the tomahawk for the table; choose the Stellenbosch flight.
Not for
Skip Marble if your guest is a strict vegetarian — the menu accommodates with three named dishes, but the room runs on smoke and bone, and the cooking signature does not translate. Skip too if you want a quiet, low-lit anniversary; the volume on a Friday is real, and the Rosebank traffic in is its own event.
Frequently Asked
Is Marble worth it?
Yes — Marble is the single best argument for Joburg's restaurant scene as a serious global stop. David Higgs and partner Gary Kyriacou opened the room in 2016 and have not lost a step. The Grill Works grill from Michigan, the Northcliff Ridge view from the Trumpet Building rooftop, and the dry-aged South African beef program make it the city's defining table for clients and visitors. See also the Johannesburg dining guide.
How hard is it to book Marble?
Easier than you'd expect for a 250-seater. Dinner Thursday through Saturday from 19:30 is the hardest slot — book three weeks out via Dineplan or the Marble site. Lunch and weekday early-evening seatings open up much sooner. The bar and lounge take walk-ins and the wine cellar room is the prize seat — request it on booking.
What is the dress code at Marble?
Smart-casual with teeth. Sandton clients arrive in collared shirts and tailored dresses; jackets are common at dinner but not required. The rooftop position means winds can shift quickly — bring a layer if the windows are open. No flip-flops, athletic wear or branded sportswear.
What is the average meal price at Marble?
Budget R1,800–R2,500 per person for three courses with a glass of South African wine, R3,500+ if you order the 800g dry-aged tomahawk or a Wagyu cut. The wine list is deep on Cape and Stellenbosch and reasonable by international standards; a serious Bordeaux flight runs R5,000+ per couple. Lunch with one course and a glass is closer to R900.
Is Marble good for closing a deal?
Yes — it is the default Joburg power-table for a reason. The room is loud enough that no neighbouring table will overhear the contract figure, the view across to Northcliff Ridge resets the conversation between courses, and the wine cellar room offers privacy for a six-top. Reserve the corner banquette by the cellar glass and order the tomahawk for the table. Service is fluent in the rhythms of business dining.
What is the signature dish at Marble?
The dry-aged tomahawk steak, cooked over open wood flame on the Grill Works grill, finished bone-side-down in the embers and rested on the pass. It arrives carved tableside on a heated board with sea salt, black bone marrow, and a glass of the kitchen's house-fermented chimichurri. The seared yellowtail crudo with citrus and chilli is the secondary signature.