Faff - Norwood

I originally started writing this review the day after we first visited Faff, and then unforseen circumstances delayed the publishing thereof. We have since re-visted Faff for our anniversary and I can describe two varying experiences.

First visit was WOW WOW WOW - we were blown away by the food, the ambiance and definately the service by our waitress Samantha. Faff offers something that is new to us in the dinner club, called the Degustation plate. It's fantastic, if you can't decide what you would like from the menu, you get to choose 3 items from the starters, mains and desserts. I opted for the Boulloubaise

Bistro 277 on Main

Saturday 31st May 2008

The Bistro 277 used to be the Ile de France. It doesn't have the same opulence it had in its previous days but the decor is chic and more casual and light. The food is good and can rival some better known restaurants in Johannesburg and they still managed to maintain some of their French traditional dishes of the past.

I had a large portion of boullabaisse which was outstanding and Colleen said her duck matched or was even better than the signature dish of Le Canard which is saying something!

I enjoyed the restaurant although the odd selection of waiters was a bit surprising to me. One waiter was extremely tall another short and one with half his front teeth missing. If these are the ambassadors of the restaurant and I have nothing against tall and short in fact it works well in a circus then you should be more selective to create a harmonius effect? Also although the service is prompt the waiters don't have the finesse that the more posh restarants have and tend to plonk your food down in front of you.This is something that the Bistro needs to look at if it wants to maintain a good reputation and not become a mere hamburger house.

I would rate this restaurant a 6 and 1/2 out of 10.

Reviewed by Brian

The Odd Plate - Prue Leith's Academy

Saturday - 26th April 2008

Prue Leith's academy is situated in Centurion and is a bit far to drive but it is totally worth the time and effort. The restaurant is a beautfully renovated old house in which all the students and future up and coming master chefs do all their training. The menu is not too extensive but every dish is so different and exquisite that one is still left not knowing what to order. all the waiters are students and it was so refreshing to be able to ask him what each dish was. You can either order off the menu (which changes regularly) or you can have a 5 course meal for R200. We went with the set menu, each portion is just the right size and very tasty,the wine list is affordable and interesting.

I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone. The venue and decor are wonderful, the food was interesting and extremely tasty (the students like to experiment with different dishes so its garaunteed to be different to other places). The service was excellent and our waiter was so well spoken and polite.

I would give this restaurant a 9

Reviewed by Sue

Fairlawns - Sandton

Fairlawns is a boutique hotel in Morningside Sandton. The Hotel and restaurant is very up market and lends itself very easily to fine dining. I enjoyed the serenity and pleasantness of the restaurant. One has the option to dine inside or on the patio over looking the gardens. It was a bit chili the evening we went and opted to dine inside. On a warmer evening, I am sure dining out on the patio would have been stunning. The food was very good and quite different from the normal run of the mill restaurant. I enjoyed my food, the portions were perfect and was very tasty.

I had a problem with the waiters who did not know the menu and had to go and ask other waiters or kitchen staff to get answers to our questions. I also found it quite difficult to understand our waiter when she spoke to us. When one of our coffees was delivered cold, the problem was quickly and efficiently sorted out. I do believe however, that In an establishment of this nature, the quality of staff training needs to be upgraded. All in all, I still enjoyed the evening.

Starters average R60
Mains Average R115 Plus optional side dish R20
Desert Average R50
Would I recommend this restaurant to other people: Probably Yes, but I think there are better options around in this class of restaurant. If you are guest at the hotel, there would be no need to go out and look for another restaurant.

Ratings:
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10
Ambiance 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Reviewed by Mathew

Coachmans Inn - November 2007

The Coachmans Inn is a smart restaurant and is also one of those delightful restaurants where once you have experienced it, you definitely want to go back to it. The restaurant is farly large and has different dinning areas on different levels. Our first experience was upstairs.It is very homely and has a cosy decor to it, like being in a smart English country village. The food was very tasty and the service was definately on of the Coachmanns Inns strong points.

They have selected waiters and staff which are pleasant and knowledgeable in the menu and drinks. The owner takes a personal interest in the guests and circulates.You will not get one of those bland questions like "is everything o.k.?' and before you can answer the guy is gone. The owner is friendly and doesn't mind a chit chat at some tables. This shows that a lot of care and attention has been put into the service. I cannot remember what we ate because it has been sometime since we last went to the Coachmanns Inn, but it definitely left me with a warm impression. Oh well, will have to go back and re-assess the cuisine lol. What a pleasure!

I rate this restaurant a good 8.5

reviewed by Brian

Le Canard - 2007

Le Canard is an upmarket and famous restaurant in Sandton. In the entrance hall of the restaurant you will see photographs of all the celebrities that have visited the restaurant and given it rave reviews. I was expecting it to be a much larger restaurant and the decor more opulent, but the traditional white table cloths and white covered chairs work well. There is a tranquil ambience about the place with soft music playing in the background while you eat your meal.

You get the distinct feeling you are in a top Johannesburg restaurant and you haven't come here for a burger with the kids.The service is very good and so is the food. The signature dish is duck of course and this has to be one of the best duck dishes I have tried. Colleen had the same for the main course and ever since we visited Le Canard she looks for other duck dishes in different restaurants. Le Canard will leave you with a warm feeling that although it is slightly on the pricey side it is well worth a visit.If I were to entertain some guests I would have no hesitation in selecting Le Canarad as one of my choices.

I rate this restaurant 8.5

reviewed by Brian

Afrodisiac - Linksfield - 2007

Ok, I admit it, I have become a snob *blush* - for a long while I was convinced that the only decent restaurants were out in the North but I was extremely and pleasantly surprised by Afrodisiac.

Afrodisiac is AS good as Moyo's in my humble opinion, with less of the hype, more of the service, and of course much closer to home. The food was delicious and beautifuly presented. The decor is homegrown african which is so cool especially if you have overseas visitors to show off to and my favourite - a comfortable seat LOL. The only downside for us were when the African dancers overstayed their welcome in the restaurant. They were too loud for a night where we just wanted to sit and chat - made it impossible.

Pricewise you're looking at approximately R250 per head - no booze.

I would rate Afrodisiac 8.0
reviewed by Colleen

Wanghtai - Sandton

As a lover of Eastern food, this restaurant ranks amongst my top 10 for sure!!! It's a little on the pricey side, but oh so worth it.

One thing I really enjoy about going out for dinner is being able to sample foods that I do not make at home - and what better way to go about that than by eating Thai cuisine?

The food is incredible, beautifuly presented with tastes that stimulate the senses. We enjoyed an array of starters and the most memorable for me was the chilli prawn soup and an extremely wicked dessert called "the new South Africa" - a combination of brown and white choclate mousse.

The service is outstanding which of course makes any outing just that little more special. The decor and ambience is upmarket, yet warm and friendly

I rate this retaurant 8.5

reviewed by Colleen