S2-32. Three Wise Monkeys + Ora - Ricky Simon

In this episode of A Table in the Corner, I sit down with restaurateur Ricky Simon, the driving force behind Cape Town favourites Three Wise Monkeys, Una Más and the soon-to-opened Ora in Sea Point.

Ricky grew up in the restaurant business. His father introduced the Mongolian barbecue concept to South Africa in the late 1980s, and some of Ricky’s earliest memories are of restaurant kitchens, dining rooms and the rhythms of hospitality. That upbringing shaped the way he thinks about food, service and the experience of eating out.

Our conversation explores what makes a restaurant work beyond the food on the plate. We talk about location, atmosphere, community and why some restaurants become institutions while others disappear within a few years. Ricky shares his philosophy of creating smaller, more intimate spaces, building long-term relationships with staff and guests, and designing restaurants that people genuinely want to return to.

We also discuss the evolution of Three Wise Monkeys, the lessons learned from a decade of trading in Sea Point and the thinking behind Ora, his new Mediterranean-inspired project that draws influence from across the countries that touch the Mediterranean rather than following a single culinary tradition.

Along the way, we chat about family businesses, staff retention, restaurant culture and the realities of a profession that demands long hours, personal sacrifice and a genuine love of looking after people.

It’s a conversation about hospitality as craft, restaurants as places of memory and why the best operators are often thinking about much more than what’s on the menu.

• www.rwm2012.com
• On Instagram @a_table_inthecorner
• Cover image sketched by Courtney Cara Lawson
• All profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise credited
• Title music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay