The Carnivore Restaurant

The Carnivore Restaurant is an all-you-can-eat game and meat restaurant on the Muldersdrift Highway in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg in Gauteng, close to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. It is a casual, high-volume venue rather than a chef-led fine-dining room, so there is no Michelin or named-chef lineage; the draw is the format and the range of meats. The cuisine is South African game and grilled meat. The signature is the carnivore roast: waiters carry skewers of roasted meat to the table and carve portions continuously until diners signal that they have had enough. The selection includes domestic meats alongside game such as kudu and crocodile, which are the dishes most visitors try for the novelty and which have become emblematic of the restaurant. Sides, salads and starches accompany the meat, and the meal is served at a fixed price per person, which places it in the upper-middle price band for the region. The dining room is large and informal. Groups, families and tour parties fill long tables, the noise level is high at weekends and there is no dress code beyond casual daytime clothing. Beer, wine and soft drinks are available; the beverage list is straightforward rather than a showcase. The restaurant operates daily from 12:00 to 22:00. Reservations are advisable on weekends, on public holidays and for groups, and booking a few days ahead usually secures a table; weekday lunches are often manageable without a reservation. Because the restaurant is in Muldersdrift, most visitors arrive by car or as part of a tour, often combining lunch with the Maropeng visitor centre, the Sterkfontein Caves or other Cradle of Humankind attractions. Adventurous eaters who want to try South African game meat in a single sitting are the natural audience, while vegetarians should check the current non-meat options before committing.