We love a clever ​​collaboration, and there's nothing better than two fabulous local foodies coming together to bring us one more. Even more so when they have created a late afternoon/early evening dining experience designed around taking your time to enjoy the food and company, and it's all outdoors. 

Chef Glenda Lederle of The Patisserie in Illovo and Glenda’s in Hyde Square has teamed up with artist Kevin Collins (who looks astonishingly like Stephen Fry) to open Bocodillo, an utterly charming new pop-up dining experience that’s a homage to the leisurely pre-dinner siesta hour in Spain and the country’s moreish cuisine. 

From now until Dec 17, the courtyard at Glenda’s restaurant hosts Bocodillo, transporting you from Hyde Park to a sidewalk café in Spain. We recommend you gather some friends, share a selection of sumptuous small plates and enjoy a cold glass of blood orange sangria over a warm Joburg summer evening.

While a traditional Spanish bocadillo is a type of sandwich served on a baguette and filled with regional produce, the thoughtfully crafted menu at Bocodillo comprises mostly tapas dishes, including meat, fish and vegetable options. Think familiar small plates perfect for sharing including patatas bravas, spicy tomato gazpacho, crispy calamari and creamy potato and onion croquettes, alongside espetos (grilled sardines on toasted bread), albondigas (saucy Spanish meatballs), spicy grilled chorizo in a farinata (pancake) with smoked paprika dip and tuna crudo. The dishes are delicious – and so delightfully plated, on Kevin Collins' handmade and handpainted ceramic plates. Please note these are not complimentary. Collins' created this series of one-of-a-kind ceramic plates adorned with colourful fish and whimsical details for the occasion and even painted the tables. Enquire about buying some to take home. These fun pieces range in size, from small plates for tapas and starters (R100) to larger options (R400), and will be on sale exclusively at the pop-up venue.

What makes each morsel especially good is the care that has gone into this menu – the careful curation and the determined sourcing of authentic ingredients.

The menu is inspired by the pair’s love for the Spanish culinary philosophy of heroing locally sourced produce and using only the highest quality ingredients. At Bocodillo, Lederle and Collins committed to sourcing seasonal, local produce for every dish and using authentic Spanish pantry staples, including Pimenton de La Vera (smoky paprika), Manchego cheese and fine olive oil. And where they couldn’t source the perfect ingredient, they made their own, including a range of homemade pickled vegetables, from sweet and sour carrots to spicy slivers of beetroot, that add a punch of flavour to each dish. The range and flavours drew excited gasps when we attended a tasting. 

The Bocodillo pop-up can be found in the courtyard of Glenda’s Restaurant in the Hyde Square Shopping Centre. It is open from now until Dec 17, on Wednesdays to Saturdays, from 16:00 to 20:00. Bookings are a must. Contact the team at +27 11 268 6369.