The Bell Pepper is a restaurant nestled in a little nook on Queen Street in Kensington in Johannesburg, where the experience it offers is belied by its unassuming exterior.

Two humble rows of tables occupy a long narrow room that is subtly lit, but quietly welcoming. Given this understated ambience, you would expect simple bistro fare – perhaps a couple of pastas, maybe a tomato soup – but instead, when the menu arrives, you are treated to a concise but tantalising array of elegant gastronomy.