We stopped here for lunch in Jan while on a day out. This place looks beautiful. Chairs are exceptionally comfortable, tables clean. They had water atomisers to help keep the temperature down.
However the food was distinctly average. I had the New York Burger which wasn't awful, but my wife had the pasta which she said was terrible - lukewarm, flavourless, overcooked and poorly presented.
But the biggest problem was the service. It felt like geological timescales passed between the fleeting moments that a waiter was on the floor. Never were we offered anything like 'more drinks' or 'dessert' and we had to chase everything. I noticed other diners also becoming frustrated at the service too, and the table next to us rebuked the (only?) waiter for only bringing their cakes after they had finished their drinks.
We eventually gave our orders to the person who cleared and re-made the tables.
Gave them a tip of R2.50. Not even sure they'll get the point...
Wouldn't go back.
Showing posts with label Restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurant. Show all posts
Monday, January 23, 2012
Meerendal Bistro
(review from 8/2/10)
ok, fine dining options in Durbanville are somewhate limited. There's the restaurant at Nitida (previously reviewed) and that's about it. I know that Bloemendal has a proper restaurant at the top of the hill, and the view is spectacular, but I'm not sure I want to try the menu after our (also reviewed) experience at their lunch place.
Meedendal used to have a restaurant called Wheatfields (or something like that), and that's what we thought we'd booked, but apparently that closed some time ago. So when we turned up we were directed to the Bistro.
There was only one other table booked for the evening, which didn't bode well, but we decided since we were there to have a go.
Service was excellent. Attentive and courteous. The starters - mushroom soup for Norma drizzeled with cabernet and croutons, and beef carpaccio with caramalised onions and rocket for me were top quality. Beautifully presented and perfectly prepared. Perfectly seasoned and loaded with flavour (although I think that they were a little generous with the onions, but that's really being very fussy).
The accompanying Meerendal cabernet sauvignon merlot 2006 for me was well balanced, smoky, spicy and with a big long finish and went perfectly with the starter.
For mains we both ordered the beef fillet with potato fondant, with seasonal vegetables. The first surprise was the size of the fillet - it was quite simply enormous. Easily enough for two, perhaps three. I wondered how they'd managed 'medium' on something that large, and when I pressed my knife against it I realised instantly that it was essentially raw.
We both returned them to the kitchen for a little more cooking.
On return, they were better, although the center was still pretty much raw meat. The flavour was not very strong, although of course the cut is not usually known for strong flavour.
The second surprise was the 'potato fondant'. Or at least the fondant part. What we got were four chunks of boiled potatoes that had that 'boiled yesterday and reheated' flavour to them (you know the one?). It looked like the veg had all been stir fried together, so the carrots were perfect and the courgettes pretty much already turned to water...
The dessert menu was a choice of creme brulee, chocolate mousse, chocolate tart, malva putting or cheese board. When we enquired as to the delivious-looking range of tarts and cakes in the display cabinet, we were told they were 'just for lunches I'm afraid'.
So Norma skipped dessert and I had the malva pudding, not being willing to risk the creme brulee after the mains. The actual malva pudding might best be described as 'bouncy', and the sauce looked and tasted store-bought. So a bit disappointing really.
So overall, not a great meal out. Excellent beginning, but that was the highlight, and it tailed off from there. I'm afraid a repeat visit would not be on the cards.
Meedendal used to have a restaurant called Wheatfields (or something like that), and that's what we thought we'd booked, but apparently that closed some time ago. So when we turned up we were directed to the Bistro.
There was only one other table booked for the evening, which didn't bode well, but we decided since we were there to have a go.
Service was excellent. Attentive and courteous. The starters - mushroom soup for Norma drizzeled with cabernet and croutons, and beef carpaccio with caramalised onions and rocket for me were top quality. Beautifully presented and perfectly prepared. Perfectly seasoned and loaded with flavour (although I think that they were a little generous with the onions, but that's really being very fussy).
The accompanying Meerendal cabernet sauvignon merlot 2006 for me was well balanced, smoky, spicy and with a big long finish and went perfectly with the starter.
For mains we both ordered the beef fillet with potato fondant, with seasonal vegetables. The first surprise was the size of the fillet - it was quite simply enormous. Easily enough for two, perhaps three. I wondered how they'd managed 'medium' on something that large, and when I pressed my knife against it I realised instantly that it was essentially raw.
We both returned them to the kitchen for a little more cooking.
On return, they were better, although the center was still pretty much raw meat. The flavour was not very strong, although of course the cut is not usually known for strong flavour.
The second surprise was the 'potato fondant'. Or at least the fondant part. What we got were four chunks of boiled potatoes that had that 'boiled yesterday and reheated' flavour to them (you know the one?). It looked like the veg had all been stir fried together, so the carrots were perfect and the courgettes pretty much already turned to water...
The dessert menu was a choice of creme brulee, chocolate mousse, chocolate tart, malva putting or cheese board. When we enquired as to the delivious-looking range of tarts and cakes in the display cabinet, we were told they were 'just for lunches I'm afraid'.
So Norma skipped dessert and I had the malva pudding, not being willing to risk the creme brulee after the mains. The actual malva pudding might best be described as 'bouncy', and the sauce looked and tasted store-bought. So a bit disappointing really.
So overall, not a great meal out. Excellent beginning, but that was the highlight, and it tailed off from there. I'm afraid a repeat visit would not be on the cards.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Bloemendon't
I had given up writing restaurant reviews a while ago due to not really going to restaurants - blame the recession! But I have decided that food is far too important to let a little thing like a global economic downturn affect our enjoyment of it!
About six months ago we visited the lower of the Bloemendal Restaurants - you know, the one where you go for the wine tasting.
We spent about 20 minutes trying to get the attention of the waiters before giving up and leaving.
Today, thinking we really should give the place a second chance, we again went there for lunch.
We arrived at about 2.10pm, to a restaurant that was about half full. The first 10 minutes we just waited to be seated before going over and interrupting one of the three waiters and asking them for a table. Then the next 10 minutes was waiting for menus. Then another 10 waiting to order. At about 2.35 our order was taken.
In the meantime, we were slightly disconcerted by the table next to us saying very firmly to their waiter while they sent their food back to the kitchen that the quality of the food and the waiting was (and they used another word which I will spare you) rubbish.
They promised the food within 15 minutes, so it arrived in 25, just on the dot of 3pm - 50 minutes after we arrived. This is lunch remember, and we had ordered two chicken wraps.
The wraps arrived supported by a cast of green salad that would have cheered Cecil B DeMille in quantity if not quality, as it was dry and undressed.
The wraps themselves were described as 'Thai Chicken' although I'm not sure what was Thai about them. The chicken had grey patches on it which we investigated forensically and unsuccessfully, and was completely without taste of any kind. They had attempted to create some level of flavour by drizzling the outside of the wrap with some sort of cheap sweet balsamic-flavoured liquid. This made it impossible to use your hands and attracted flies. It also added nothing to the taste.
The glass of Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied it was actually quite good, but do yourself a favour - buy it at Pick n Pay and spare yourself the pain of a visit to Bloemendal. A wrap from KFC, Nandos, McDonalds at two thirds the price would have been much preferable and much tastier. That fact is quite depressing and when the best you can say about the restaurant that you are eating at is that it aspires to match the quality of a major fast food chain you should probably go elsewhere.
The best part of the meal was definitely the butterscotch sweet we were given on leaving.
Not worth the pricetag.
About six months ago we visited the lower of the Bloemendal Restaurants - you know, the one where you go for the wine tasting.
We spent about 20 minutes trying to get the attention of the waiters before giving up and leaving.
Today, thinking we really should give the place a second chance, we again went there for lunch.
We arrived at about 2.10pm, to a restaurant that was about half full. The first 10 minutes we just waited to be seated before going over and interrupting one of the three waiters and asking them for a table. Then the next 10 minutes was waiting for menus. Then another 10 waiting to order. At about 2.35 our order was taken.
In the meantime, we were slightly disconcerted by the table next to us saying very firmly to their waiter while they sent their food back to the kitchen that the quality of the food and the waiting was (and they used another word which I will spare you) rubbish.
They promised the food within 15 minutes, so it arrived in 25, just on the dot of 3pm - 50 minutes after we arrived. This is lunch remember, and we had ordered two chicken wraps.
The wraps arrived supported by a cast of green salad that would have cheered Cecil B DeMille in quantity if not quality, as it was dry and undressed.
The wraps themselves were described as 'Thai Chicken' although I'm not sure what was Thai about them. The chicken had grey patches on it which we investigated forensically and unsuccessfully, and was completely without taste of any kind. They had attempted to create some level of flavour by drizzling the outside of the wrap with some sort of cheap sweet balsamic-flavoured liquid. This made it impossible to use your hands and attracted flies. It also added nothing to the taste.
The glass of Sauvignon Blanc that accompanied it was actually quite good, but do yourself a favour - buy it at Pick n Pay and spare yourself the pain of a visit to Bloemendal. A wrap from KFC, Nandos, McDonalds at two thirds the price would have been much preferable and much tastier. That fact is quite depressing and when the best you can say about the restaurant that you are eating at is that it aspires to match the quality of a major fast food chain you should probably go elsewhere.
The best part of the meal was definitely the butterscotch sweet we were given on leaving.
Not worth the pricetag.
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