We chat with Louis Roux, owner, Pablo Eggs-Go-Bar, about his trendy new Melville spot.
Who came up with your restaurant’s name?
I’d been thinking about opening a venue for a couple of years, but it was always a long-term dream as I was fully involved with recording and touring with my band, Shadowclub. About two years ago, after the dissolution of the band, I was hanging out with a good friend of mine, Paul Moneta, and I was telling him how many eggs I’d go through in a week. He made a joke about “dealing eggs” like “Pablo Eggs Go Bar”, and it immediately struck a chord with me. Even though the menus I’d been thinking about for years had more than a breakfast theme, it suddenly made sense to focus on the breakfast and brunch experience.
What was your inspiration behind the beautiful interior of the restaurant?
A good friend of mine, Carolina Rasenti, the owner of The Great Eastern Food Bar, introduced me to Pinterest and I could instantly see if my ideas would work in a real environment. I wanted to create a space that would make our customers feel like they’d been transported to another space and time, and the Art Deco and geometric theme resonated with me in this way; 1950s Havanna with candy colours and raw materials were what I used to help me get there.
What kind of people come to Pablo?
I couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out. We have customers of such a broad demographic: from locals, to those who’ve travelled from Cape Town, Machadadorp, Vereeniging or Pretoria. Our menu has a lot to offer: you can enjoy one of our signature dishes like Red Shakshuka or have eggs and buttered toast.
And your future plans?
In summer we’ll be launching Pablo’s frozen and sweet menu items. We’ll also be launching Pablo’s Friday Nights Cuban-themed parties on 2 September as well as Pablo’s Global Breakfast Passport, which will feature a weekly breakfast dish from a different country. We’re also getting our early-morning drive-by systems in place to offer people a pick-up-and-go option in the wee hours of the week.
063 335 9348
Words: Belinda Mountain | Images: Supplied
