Star Dust Theatrical Dining in Rondebosch, Western Cape

Times are hard, and in a town where all the restaurants seem excellent, their food and ambiance top notch, it pays to come up with something a little extra. It could be ‘eat as much as you like’ or ‘half price specials’ or, in the case of Star Dust - performing waiters.

It’s no mystery that a lot of student actors and performers take part time jobs to make ends meet, and would, let’s be honest, rather be making their mark in show business than bringing you that extra napkin. Well, Star Dust in Rondebosch has hit on a brilliant solution, where everyone gets the best of both worlds. You get to dine out and experience a great night of entertainment, and your waiter gets a precious opportunity to test drive his/her talent in front of a live and usually extremely lively audience.

I can’t think of any other restaurant where one minute your waiter is opening a bottle of wine, the next belting out a David Gray number, or launching into a tap dance routine, or executing one of the best Jim Carrie impersonations that I have ever seen. Come to think of it, I have never heard of a restaurant, where your waitor takes pride in warning you when you arrive, with a twinkle in her eye, that “service may be a bit slow”. Prospective Star Dust waitors aren’t so much interviewed as auditioned. And it’s the weirdest thing, you find yourself actually glowing with pride when your own particular waiter steps up to the mike.

It’s an ideal way to celebrate a birthday (there were two the night that I was there), and a great way to make mealtimes fun for the kids. The place is usually packed, so make sure that you book early to avoid disappointment, and the atmosphere, especially after a rabble rousing soul diva classic, is electric. Some of the waiters value the experience so much that they have actually been known to come in on their nights off to do their routine, and the bonhomie amongst the staff is wonderful to behold. On my night you could see the ‘old timers’ really rooting for the slightly nervous ‘first timers’. But despite all the onstage drama, no one’s order gets lost, spilt or goes cold. Talk about multi-tasking!

And to cap it all, Star Dust will eventually post some great photographs of your big night out onto their website (www.stardustcapetown.com), as a lasting keepsake. So, as the Fame bug takes over the room, don’t be surprised to see images of your good self singing and dancing along with the best of them!