A Table in the Corner
A Table in the Corner is the space where Russel Wasserfall chats to people in the food industry about their passion and their take on the business of eating. Russel has worked in the media and food space for over 3 decades. He's run bars, restaurants and a confectionery factory, written for dozens of food and travel publications and made a bunch of cookbooks. His show is about the nitty-gritty of the food trade in all its forms. Top chefs, food artisans, proprietors, bakers, farmers, foragers, cheesemakers, writers, photographers, bloggers... you name it. If they’re involved in the food industry, you will meet them with Russel at A Table in the Corner.
A Table in the Corner
S2-15. Reverie Social Table - Julia Hattingh
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In this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Julia Hattingh, chef and owner of Reverie Social Table, to unpack one of Cape Town’s most singular dining models. Julia talks through a career shaped by classical training, long stints in demanding kitchens and time abroad, before arriving at a form of hospitality that deliberately slows things down.
The conversation traces her path from Mirandol and Le Quartier Français to London, Paris and back home, and how those experiences informed a move away from conventional service towards a single communal table, one menu and one sitting. Julia explains the thinking behind cooking for a roomful of strangers at once, pairing food to wine, sourcing directly from farmers and growers, and designing a restaurant that values connection, presence and intention over scale.
We also talk about no shows, prepaid bookings, shared gratuities and building a small, multi-skilled team without front and back of house divisions. This is an honest, thoughtful discussion about restraint, sustainability and why eating together at a table still matters, told by a chef who has chosen clarity of purpose over expansion.
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- www.rwm2012.com
- On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
- Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
- All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
- Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay