Buri opens with a lekker celebration of a South African classic

Every South African knows a good boerie roll. The smell of boerewors on the braai, the soft white roll waiting on the side, the fried onions, the smoor (warm tomato and onion mix), the sauces, the first bite that is messy, warm and completely worth it.

It is the kind of food memory that belongs to school fairs, rugby days, Saturday braais, roadside stops, market mornings and those no-fuss moments where simple food just hits the spot.

Buri has opened in Cape Town’s East City with its own take on this South African favourite.

Located at Shop 1, 99 Harrington Street, Buri is the newest concept from Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn, the business partners behind Belly Restaurant Group, better known as BRG. The group is behind some of Cape Town’s most distinctive restaurants including Belly of the Beast, Galjoen and Seebamboes, and is known for thoughtful food, strong concepts and hospitality that feels personal rather than predictable.

With Buri, the idea starts with one of the country’s most loved casual eats: the boerewors roll. Traditionally, it is boerewors tucked into a roll with smoor, fried onions or whatever sauce is on the table. It is humble, generous and part of everyday South African food culture.

BRG is taking that familiar favourite and doing it the Buri way.

At Buri, every part of the roll has been thought about properly. The soft white bun has been made specifically for Buri, created to hold the full experience while still feeling like the comforting roll everyone knows. The boerewors has also been developed especially for the restaurant, with a bespoke Buri boerewors recipe created by Frankie Fenner Meat Merchants. It gives Buri its own flavour from the start, while still keeping the spirit of the boerie roll South Africans know and love.

The menu opens with three standard Buri rolls, each one built around boerewors, but given its own personality. The Classic keeps things simple with boerewors and fried onions. The Farmer leans into tradition with smoor, bringing that rich, homely tomato and onion character that belongs with a proper boerie roll. The OG brings a little more attitude, with garlic mayo, chilli chutney and rocket.

There is also a sauce station, because everyone has their own way of dressing a boerie roll. Guests can finish their Buri with tomato sauce, mustard, chutney as well as homemade BBQ, peri-peri and Buri Sauce, the restaurant’s signature condiment.

Once a month, Buri will also introduce a Buri of the Month, giving the team space to play with different toppings, sauces and combinations, as well as showcasing different sausages such as bushpig knackwurst, venison wors, sosatie wors and playful options like skilpadjie (liver) wors. It is a reason for regulars to come back, try something new and see what the team has been dreaming up.

Drinks keep the same tongue-in-cheek spirit, with Buri’s Adults Soda Fountain: a playful nod to the classic corner shop counter, but made for grownups. The drinks offering keeps things lekker and easy, with brandy and Coke on tap, gin and tonic, beer and cider on tap, and the kind of uncomplicated serves that belong alongside a boerewors roll. Nothing too serious, nothing too complicated – just cold drinks, good humour and a proper reason to stay a little longer.

For those who want to go all in, Buri Loaded Fries take the same boerie roll energy and pile it high. Fries are topped with garlic mayo, chilli chutney, rocket and pieces of boerewors, creating the kind of dish that is made for sharing – or very happily not sharing at all.

Dessert keeps the fun going with soft mini doughnuts and a rotating selection of toppings. Think caramelised white chocolate and pecan nut, milk chocolate with hazelnut and Maldon salt, a Peppermint Crisp tart–inspired mini doughnut with dark chocolate and Peppermint Crisp, and mini doughnuts dusted in tonka bean sugar.

The result is not fancy for the sake of being fancy. It is a proper South African favourite, done with care, good ingredients and a bit of BRG personality.

Buri is casual, quick and full of energy. It is made for lunch breaks, walk-ins, late-afternoon cravings, after-work bites and anyone who believes that a good boerie roll can be every bit as memorable as a full restaurant meal. It takes something familiar and gives it a new home on Harrington Street, one of Cape Town’s most exciting food corners.

“Everyone has a boerie roll memory,” says Swart. “It is one of those things that is so simple, but when it is done properly, it is brilliant. We wanted to have a bit of fun with that. The bun has been made especially for us, the boerewors has been made specifically for Buri, and the idea is to make something easy, generous and full of flavour.”

For Horn, Buri is about the joy of food that does not need to over explain itself. “There is something great about a really good roll. It is quick, generous and satisfying. With Buri, we wanted to keep that sense of ease, but still bring in the BRG way of doing things: good ingredients, proper thought and a bit of personality. The Buri of the Month will also give us room to have fun and keep things fresh.”

Buri is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10h00 to 21h00, with happy hour every day from 16h00 to 18h00 when everything on tap is half price.