Restaurants

10 Degrees South

This sprawling South African restaurant may be the most under-the-radar scenester hangout in Buckhead. The valet parking area overflows with luxury sedans, with its owners presumably hanging out in the crowded bar and on the enclosed patio. (First timers tend to be relegated to the restaurant’s quiet front dining area.) And what, exactly, defines South African cuisine? It’s actually a fascinating amalgam of Indian, Portuguese, and other European and Asian influences developed via the country’s prominent position on the ancient spice routes.

If the execution were stronger, it would be a destination for its unusual specialties. Still, it’s worth a try for dishes like bobotie—a sweet ground beef curry on which savory custard is baked to a deep brown and the whole is served over rice. Entrees tend to mirror appetizers, just in larger portions: Stick to the boerewors, hunks of mealy but nicely spiced sausage, as a starter portion, and skip the overcooked prawns altogether.