One of Durban’s favourite seafood and sushi spots has just opened its fourth (and possibly most beautiful) branch, in Florida Road. This much-loved local eatery has dropped anchor at a beautifully restored provincial heritage site, identified as a national monument. Urban Lime, urban revival and regeneration specialists, have earmarked Florida Road for rejuvenation. Part of their approach involves restoring historical buildings to their original glory, and one of those buildings is the double-storey Natal Edwardian verandah house that’s over a century old, lovingly renovated and now home to the newest Jack Salmon.

The new spot is elegant and expansive, respecting the W. Robarts architectural period piece* it now resides in. It includes wrap-around verandah seating, street-side seating, a welcoming bar area, a beautiful indoor dining area and a function room upstairs. The decor is tasteful, but still casual in style enough to dispense with pretension. Pretty much like the food.

I first wrote about Jack Salmon when they opened nearly six years ago, and it’s great to see a local grow and do well in an age where behemoth franchises are swallowing small businesses whole. Their menu’s really grown over the last five years, to include, among other things, seafood mezze, ‘su’nuts’, poké bowls, etc. But charismatic co-owner, Jason Roberts, and his team, have taken care to maintain the same level of love and passion invested in the first menu. And it’s the reason why I regularly reinvest my earnings there at least once (or three, or four..) times a month.

Find the new Jack Salmon at the legendary 295 Florida road. For bookings, find them on Facebook here. 

*I thought it would be great to add some interesting info on the building itself, so here are some fun facts: Declared in 1991 as a provincial heritage site and national monument (source: gazetted declaration) , it was built in 1903 as a villa for Mrs Joel and designed by then-renowned architect, W.E Robarts. It was his last building.

Photos: Supplied