Since the launch of the Time Square Casino in Pretoria East on Menlyn Maine early this year, the conversation around many dinner tables on where's the latest hip place to hang out at in the city is definitely Menlyn Maine's growing precinct.

Having grown up in Pretoria, the taking over of the casino license from Morula Sun to Times Square is long overdue. Pretoria tends to have pockets of divided patrons with blacks hanging out in their favourite spots and whites also doing the same excerpt for student revellers. The Menlyn Maine precinct is attracting the cosmopolitan and progressive Pretorian who likes to mingle with everyone.

The Capital Menlyn Maine, a hotel situated opposite the casino forms part of this burgeoning trendy precinct. Sowetan was invited last Wednesday to hit the dance floor with DJ Fresh playing popular dance tracks to launch the hotel.

The party was held in the pool area and fortunately the weather was welcoming.

The guests included a mixture of young business owners, fashionistas and dance enthusiasts who stayed on the dance floor throughout the launch.

I usually hate hors d'oeuvres. Just the indignity of having to wait for a waiter with a selection of hot food and not knowing when that delicious chicken wing you nibbled five minutes ago will make the rounds again, irritates me. Have you noticed how you always end up at such places when you are really farmished?

The Capital organisers had the science of distributing the finger foods to a tee. There were usually three waiters distributing the same platter so that as soon as you gobbled that tasty prawn morsel and turned right, a different waiter with the same dish magically appeared. I think it also boils down to the supply and demand and here there was more food, booze and delectable desserts to go around.

By 12am, one of the hotel executives invited us to move the party to the Koi restaurant that is attached to the hotel and where hotel meals are also served. Although their menu does include a dish or two of lamb and beef, it is predominantly fish co-starring chicken dishes which can put carnivores off. The crowd was enthusiastic for the after party but I took the change of venue to slip upstairs to my room. The contemporary grey, white, and black with splashes of lime decor talks to a young and urban market but still does not neglect the comfort element.

With the neighbouring Casino that boasts 14 restaurants and speciality stores, as well as popular franchises outside the hotels such as Turn and Tender and Tasha's, and Menlyn Mall a block away, The Capital is at the heart of the rejuvenation of the city's entertainment.