When bassist Louis Roux wasn’t making rock ‘n roll, he was making eggs. The Shadowclub band member is the man behind one of Joburg’s most popular, and deservedly so, breakfast destinations Pablo Sandton. Roux’s Pablo House, a boutique hotel situated on a steep ridge in Melville has some of the best views in town. It also has a restaurant, Pablo Dos Manos, renowned for great wood-fired pizza and small plate Middle Eastern-inspired dishes. 

Built clinging onto the ridge overlooking the rugged Melville Koppies Nature Reserve  – its geology said to date back three billion years – Pablo House is exactly what you would expect from a man with a rock ‘n roll band. It’s a hideout, an uber-cool crash pad with a front entrance that gives nothing away about the glam interiors, luxury touches, a staircase that weaves across the ridge to a secluded pool down below and knockout Joburg views that stretch north to the Magaliesberg Mountain range.

We dub him the King of Eggs – His original Pablo Eggs Go Bar (also in Melville) was an institution. It closed during lockdown and a few months reopened in Sandton as Pablo Sandton, still a temple of worship to the humble yolk inspired by his wife and partner Leigh for whom he created many egg dishes.

Pablo House extends the brand and is a place defined by the idea of “relaxed luxury” with its eye on providing a 5-star experience. There are seven suites and a loft available, each individually decorated. The style is contemporary luxe. Expect lots of niceties like in-house spa treatments, soft white cotton linen, bamboo memory foam mattresses and Netflix on call. Roux has even brought in local tour guides who offer unique experiences of the area and surrounds so that guests are truly taken care of.

Of course the food, drinks (Pablo has a reputation for excellent Bloody Marys) and the coffee are top-notch, having been designed with the quality ingredients, big on flavour ethos that makes the Pablo brand such a hit. If you are not a guest and would like to visit the Pablo House restaurant Pablo Dos Manos, note that reservations are absolutely essential and subject to availability. In-house guests always come first.

The story of how Roux came to own the property is also pure rock ‘n roll. “When we walked into the house the view slapped myself and Leigh immediately and that was that. We offered the sellers more than they were asking because we knew we wanted it. Actually… we were a little tipsy from drinking Tequila all afternoon, but either way, we made it happen.”