Local Guides World
Olga Maevskaia
3 reviews on 1 places
Visited in May 2024.
South Africa, Cape Town.
We'd been wanting to visit this establishment for a while, having heard rave reviews from friends and colleagues. I also have a particular fondness for well-thought-out set menus.
Located on the waterfront, it's a rather popular spot. The interior is bathed in light and offers stunning views of the harbour. The restaurant proposes a fusion of local cuisine and Japanese techniques, which seemed particularly intriguing.
Food:
The menu comprises eight courses. The dishes incorporate both seafood and meat.
The starters were enjoyable, though not overly complex. They were simply delicious, which was a good start to the evening.
I appreciated the element of performance as the chef came to our table to prepare one of the appetizers.
We also ordered an additional dish, cauliflower with black caviar. As we're fans of black caviar, we were curious to see its quality. The flavour was decent, but didn't quite blow us away.
Next, we were served a selection of fish and seafood appetizers. The star of the evening was the scallop, beautifully tender and flavourful, the flesh melting in your mouth. It was perfectly seared with a delicious crust.
The main course was lamb, flawlessly cooked, succulent and delicate. It paired wonderfully with the side dish and sauce (you can opt for Wagyu beef, but I wouldn't recommend it).
Dessert was a perfect ending to the meal. It was light and tangy, just the right note to finish a substantial dinner.
Service:
Service was impeccable, the staff exceptionally attentive, always explaining the composition of each dish. The overall atmosphere was friendly. Dirty dishes were removed promptly.
Conclusion:
I highly recommend PIER. The restaurant upholds the high standards of quality usually associated with fine dining establishments. A fantastic choice for a special occasion.
South Africa, Cape Town.
We'd been wanting to visit this establishment for a while, having heard rave reviews from friends and colleagues. I also have a particular fondness for well-thought-out set menus.
Located on the waterfront, it's a rather popular spot. The interior is bathed in light and offers stunning views of the harbour. The restaurant proposes a fusion of local cuisine and Japanese techniques, which seemed particularly intriguing.
Food:
The menu comprises eight courses. The dishes incorporate both seafood and meat.
The starters were enjoyable, though not overly complex. They were simply delicious, which was a good start to the evening.
I appreciated the element of performance as the chef came to our table to prepare one of the appetizers.
We also ordered an additional dish, cauliflower with black caviar. As we're fans of black caviar, we were curious to see its quality. The flavour was decent, but didn't quite blow us away.
Next, we were served a selection of fish and seafood appetizers. The star of the evening was the scallop, beautifully tender and flavourful, the flesh melting in your mouth. It was perfectly seared with a delicious crust.
The main course was lamb, flawlessly cooked, succulent and delicate. It paired wonderfully with the side dish and sauce (you can opt for Wagyu beef, but I wouldn't recommend it).
Dessert was a perfect ending to the meal. It was light and tangy, just the right note to finish a substantial dinner.
Service:
Service was impeccable, the staff exceptionally attentive, always explaining the composition of each dish. The overall atmosphere was friendly. Dirty dishes were removed promptly.
Conclusion:
I highly recommend PIER. The restaurant upholds the high standards of quality usually associated with fine dining establishments. A fantastic choice for a special occasion.
The Chinese restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel boasts grand interiors and exquisite cuisine, striving to achieve haute cuisine standards.
While my husband and I don't typically opt for Chinese cuisine during our lunch or dinner outings due to some dishes seeming unfamiliar or less appealing, we decided to visit this establishment for lunch, they offer dim sum, that we love and have their signature Peking duck.
The restaurant features an open kitchen, soaring ceilings, elegant chandeliers, and white tablecloths, creating an ambiance fit for special occasions rather than casual dining.
Food:
Our order consisted of four varieties of dim sum, with two steamed and two fried options. While we enjoyed the dumplings, it seemed like they all had a similar filling of shrimp and other ingredients. The taste of the steamed selections was subtle and lacked vibrancy; we felt that they were missing a standout flavor. In contrast, we favored the fried dim sum for their crispy dough texture. My personal favorite was the fried dim sum with foie gras—the rich taste of foie gras elevated the dish and added depth to the flavors.
Our next dish was the signature Peking duck with black caviar. The customary serving involves placing the crispy duck skin on pancakes topped with a bit of caviar. The quality of the caviar was average, barely noticeable when eaten with the duck skin. Its inclusion seemed more to elevate the dish's luxury and price factor than enhance the flavor. The duck meat itself was slightly dry; we would have preferred the crispy skin served separately, as it boasted a delightful sweet-buttery taste. Overall, we found this presentation lacking and not entirely successful.
Service:
Given the restaurant's ambiance, décor, and pricing, one might expect top-tier service. However, the service we experienced was mediocre; although the staff was friendly, but they forgot orders, required explanations repeated, and neglected to replenish tea and water promptly. These minor setbacks detracted from the overall dining experience.
Overall, while the restaurant presented a decent dining experience, it seems to be more of a one-time encounter for us.
While my husband and I don't typically opt for Chinese cuisine during our lunch or dinner outings due to some dishes seeming unfamiliar or less appealing, we decided to visit this establishment for lunch, they offer dim sum, that we love and have their signature Peking duck.
The restaurant features an open kitchen, soaring ceilings, elegant chandeliers, and white tablecloths, creating an ambiance fit for special occasions rather than casual dining.
Food:
Our order consisted of four varieties of dim sum, with two steamed and two fried options. While we enjoyed the dumplings, it seemed like they all had a similar filling of shrimp and other ingredients. The taste of the steamed selections was subtle and lacked vibrancy; we felt that they were missing a standout flavor. In contrast, we favored the fried dim sum for their crispy dough texture. My personal favorite was the fried dim sum with foie gras—the rich taste of foie gras elevated the dish and added depth to the flavors.
Our next dish was the signature Peking duck with black caviar. The customary serving involves placing the crispy duck skin on pancakes topped with a bit of caviar. The quality of the caviar was average, barely noticeable when eaten with the duck skin. Its inclusion seemed more to elevate the dish's luxury and price factor than enhance the flavor. The duck meat itself was slightly dry; we would have preferred the crispy skin served separately, as it boasted a delightful sweet-buttery taste. Overall, we found this presentation lacking and not entirely successful.
Service:
Given the restaurant's ambiance, décor, and pricing, one might expect top-tier service. However, the service we experienced was mediocre; although the staff was friendly, but they forgot orders, required explanations repeated, and neglected to replenish tea and water promptly. These minor setbacks detracted from the overall dining experience.
Overall, while the restaurant presented a decent dining experience, it seems to be more of a one-time encounter for us.
A wonderful café for a relaxed lunch or breakfast.
Living nearby, my husband and I frequented this restaurant quite often. As for me, one of the most pleasant with Arabic cuisine. The cozy interior, impeccable service, and delectable dishes never failed during our 5-6 visits.
The omelette is particularly delicious, and the battered and grilled shrimp we ordered were really gigantic. The food preparation left us with no complaints. Highly recommended.
P.S. Unfortunately, we were not fond of the baklava dessert with ice cream—it was the worst we've ever tasted. The puff pastry was overly dry and difficult to cut, giving the impression of being stale. While the ice cream was good on its own, it did not complement the dry, tough puff pastry. Visually appealing but lacking in taste.
Living nearby, my husband and I frequented this restaurant quite often. As for me, one of the most pleasant with Arabic cuisine. The cozy interior, impeccable service, and delectable dishes never failed during our 5-6 visits.
The omelette is particularly delicious, and the battered and grilled shrimp we ordered were really gigantic. The food preparation left us with no complaints. Highly recommended.
P.S. Unfortunately, we were not fond of the baklava dessert with ice cream—it was the worst we've ever tasted. The puff pastry was overly dry and difficult to cut, giving the impression of being stale. While the ice cream was good on its own, it did not complement the dry, tough puff pastry. Visually appealing but lacking in taste.