Mira debuts in Sandton, offering a refined, multi-sensory Mozambican-Portuguese dining experience
Mira, Sandton’s most anticipated new restaurant, has officially opened a 200-seater Mozambican-Portuguese dining destination where old-world craftsmanship, multisensory design, and contemporary sophistication converge.
Designed for corporate leaders, international travellers, lifestyle-focused diners, and those who value quiet luxury, Mira offers a new kind of intimacy in Sandton, refined, transportive, softly spectacular.
Founded by hospitality partners Luke Dakers, Ben Stanger, and industry stalwart George Sinovich, Mira is the meeting point of legacy and modernity: “old money energy” refined through youthful ambition. The name itself embodies this interplay: chosen after countless iterations, Mira evokes reflection, literally and metaphorically, inviting guests to encounter mirrored art upon arrival and experience a moment of self-recognition before stepping into the immersive journey ahead.
Heritage, legacy & a new story
Mira occupies the former Villamoura and Alice & Fifth, a site steeped in memories and cinematic design. “What makes Mira even more meaningful is that it wasn’t simply acquired; it was pursued,” notes Dakers. “It took us over three years to secure this space, a journey that began with a single email I sent to George. That message started everything.”
The founders chose to honour its heritage while reimagining it for a new era.
“Our aim was to build a place where tradition and innovation could meet,” says Stanger. “George brings generational wisdom and a deep understanding of hospitality. Luke and I bring a modern lens. Mira sits beautifully in the tension between those worlds.
It also represents a coming of age moment, a passing of the torch between George, who has shaped Johannesburg dining for over 32 years with spaces like The Codfather, Riboville and Bowld, and the next generation behind Greenhouse and Ocaso. Mira is the place where those eras converge.”
At the heart of the main restaurant sits a deeply sentimental artefact: a 1912 Blüthner piano inherited from Stanger’s mother. Its soft, distinctive tone is central to the dining experience, with live performances adding a subtle musical layer that complements the restaurant’s sensory journey.
A coastal soul, refined for Sandton
Under the guidance of Head Chef William Lekoloane, Mira’s culinary identity draws from the warm, spice-laden coastline of Mozambique and the comforting heritage of Portuguese home cooking, shaped by the seasoned hand of a master fishmonger.
Every dish should evoke something,” says Lekoloane. “A memory, a mood, a feeling.”
“Mozambican, Portuguese cuisine is generous, and at Mira we refine it without losing its heart,” adds Sinovich. “We cook like grandma did. Nothing too complicated, just wholesome, truly delicious food done incredibly well.
Dakers reflects on the broader experience: “For us, Mira isn’t only about the plate, it’s about the world you step into. The lighting, the scent, the sound, the service, the food… they all work together like notes in a composition.”
Signature starters include Lulas Recheadas, feta and origanum stuffed calamari in creamy tomato, and Asas Piri Wings, whiskey glazed with honey, chilli, and hot sauce. Other offerings include garlic mussels, chicken livers, rissoles, deep-fried squid heads with house tartare, and live oysters with peri peri, mango chilli, or sriracha lime.
From the land, standout dishes include the Portuguese Classic Steak with spiced chouriço sauce and fried egg, Xai Xai Chicken, Mira’s signature spicy chicken, along with lamb chops, picanha, espetada, and meat platters featuring pap and gravy. From the sea, guests enjoy peri peri queen prawns, baby kingklip on the bone, Norwegian salmon, grilled calamari, sushi, generous seafood platters, as well as the chef’s favourite, prawn and cashew nut curry with rice.
Desserts embrace nostalgia: malva pudding with crème pâtissière, warm chocolate fondant, sago pudding, and MiraMade ice creams and sorbets.
A cocktail programme unlike anything else
The cocktail programme is one of a kind, playful, elegant, and deeply immersive. Signature creations such as Queen of Hearts, served under a reveal-worthy magic hat, blend Aperol, hibiscus, and Lambrusco; Garden Within, presented in a smoked dome with cachaça, peppers, and piri piri; Dreamscape, an earthy Matcha Martini; and the shimmering Pocket Universe embody the restaurant’s immersive spirit.
Classics like the Negroni and Pornstar Martini are executed with technical finesse, complemented by a selection of mocktails and an extensive wine list featuring South African and international wines.
A multisensory design journey
Award-winning designer Wesley Bremer of Soda Custom crafted Mira’s interiors with warm timber, solid woods, brass, leather, marble, and soft diffused light, a visual language of timeless materials chosen to age gracefully.
Guests can arrive through one of two striking pathways. From the hotel side, a charcoal panelled corridor with a rippling mirrored ceiling leads to a golden lit staircase and a polished burgundy marble wall featuring the restaurant name in elegant gold lettering, the first greeting to Mira.
Alternatively, from the Diamond Walk, guests take two escalators down to the whimsical ‘rabbit hole’ leading into Mira’s captivating cocktail lounge. This entrance also offers quick and convenient access for Uber drop-offs directly at the cocktail lounge.
The rabbit hole introduces Marco Olivier’s signature face sculptures, created with Bremer, first glimpsed at the entrance and echoed throughout the restaurant alongside monochromatic framed prints that lend old-school elegance.
The cocktail lounge opens into a dark, cinematic space where everything feels slightly surreal. A curved white panelled ceiling and walls create a soft, sculptural shell around the room, classical yet dreamlike. Warm vertical wood panelling adds depth and rhythm, repeated throughout the space. Deep button tufted velvet sofas, mirrored along the bar, give the room a soft, decadent texture, complemented by veined emerald marble tabletops. A single photograph of Fidel Castro punctuates the space, adding retro flair and a subtle spark of rebellion. The cocktail lounge is moody, cinematic, and immersive.
The bar in the main dining area is crowned with a striking sculptural figure, creating a dramatic centrepiece that immediately draws the eye. Nearby, the extensive wine collection glows like a jewel box cellar, tucked behind blackened steel and warm timber. “It’s a living backdrop,” says Stanger.
Brown, curved leather seating lines the space, softened by mirrored panels that extend the glow of pendant lighting, reflecting the room’s textures and enhancing the sense of warmth, intimacy, and understated luxury throughout the main dining area.
From scent to sound, the experience appeals to all five senses. A bespoke fragrance by Scentology drifts through the space; curated playlists flow through a high-end Void sound system; textures, lighting, and reflective surfaces enrich every step.
“This is exactly what Sandton has been crying out for, a refined, upmarket restaurant with a connected cocktail bar,” says Bremer. Sinovich adds, “Everything here appeals to the senses. Mira is designed for immersion.”
The journey continues
Mira will expand in early 2026 with a private dining phase, adding further intimacy. For now, guests are invited to step into a world where heritage meets modernity, restraint meets exuberance, and tradition coexists with contemporary creativity.
Bookings essential. Walk-ins welcome.
Mira is located at Corner Alice Lane & 5th Street, Sandton, within the Sandton Sun & Towers, and welcomes guests for lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday from 12 pm to 1 am, with the kitchen closing at 11:30 pm.
To view menus and make bookings, visit www.mirasandton.co.za and follow @mirasandton on Instagram.
