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Accessed through a concealed door that leads to a secret bookshelf, it’s no wonder the speakeasy establishment, Library Food Club, identifies as “more than just a restaurant.”
Located in Birdhaven, the eatery is also known for its “evolving chapters,” where each new year ushers in a new era of exotic cuisine, cocktails, design and immersive storytelling. 2024 was all about Livin' la vida loca as the club opened its doors with a Modern Mexican themed menu.
For this restaurant, the month of September, which is the beginning of spring in Mzansi bringing colour, bright skies and the reminder of nature’s beauty of renewal, is this “new year.”
A new dawn unfolded in September 2025 as the restaurant unveiled its Modern Peruvian era. What is Peru known for apart from gorgeous and oh-so-expensive Peruvian wigs, you ask?
Well, much like South Africans, the people of Peru are known for being polite, warm and relationship-driven.
While we operate on African Time which can sometimes mean delays of longer than an hour, their La Hora Peruana is a tad different, as social settings often operate on a delay where arriving 15 to 30 minutes late is common. Their professional events however, are known to start on time.
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But since Modern Peruvian was a food menu makeover that the Library Food Club says described as a vibrant exploration of flavour, tradition and reinvention, it’s important to reveal that Peru is a multicultural country whose cuisine has distinct Chinese and Japanese influences.
The end of August signals an end to the Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) menu, which features an fusion of avocado, tuna fish, jalapeño and other flavours known as the Ceviche Clásico, the traditional Peruvian stir-fry Lomo Saltado, marinated street-food skewers called Anticuchos and other delicacies.
This weekend is your last chance to dig into Peru as next Tuesday on 1 September, the restaurant will unwrap its third chapter of tastes from around the world.
The restaurant opens from Wednesday to Saturday. Bookings can be made on Dineplan.
For now though, the new menu is sealed and its contents are more hidden than the secret bookshelf.
The restaurant says it will only reveal its next “destination” to the lucky guests who will be at the establishment on Wednesday.
So far the eatery has been teleporting patrons’ tastebuds to various Spanish countries. After just a few sleeps, Joburgers will discover if there is a pattern here and if they should expect a similar trend this year.
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