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