Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français 

Food:

As ever, there's been a change after their annual winter shutdown. Not only is world-class chef Margot Janse revelling in her revamped, purpose-built kitchen, but she's rejigged the entire menu. The seven-course surprise menu is a celebration of South African flavour from start to finish with intriguing elements like tart spekboom leaves, buchu powder, buttermilk labneh (from Daisy, the Jersey cow) to Kalahari salted kabeljou. The fish is farmed, just one example of the ethics Janse insists on. (She's been known to call suppliers back to fetch their produce because it isn't organic as requested.) Seasonal influences also come into play. Immaculate technique is clear in the thought that has gone into every dish, right down to the presentation. The kid, cauliflower, amasi, radish and fermented garlic is partially cooked before being placed in an insulated 'wonderbag'. Little wonder that this establishment has not only made its way onto the list of the World's Top 50 restaurants, but stayed there for years – and become a global dining destination as a result.

Wine:

An excellent example of a well-constructed list. There are some unusual choices that are indicative of a personal stamp. The wine pairing with each course is optional.

Service:

They pride themselves on service here. It's ultra-professional yet still warm and friendly. There's no over familiarity or cold aloofness. Superbly well versed in the menu.

Ambience:

Refined and elegant yet simultaneously comfortable and warm. No pretence here. There's a lot to be said for crisp white napery, good crockery and crystal glasses. The food sits firmly centre-stage with the ambience and surrounds providing the support.

And...:

All is not as it seems with the chakalaka lollipop, and the organic egg must be tasted to be believed. (FM, October 2011)

Maylani Bezuidenhout
18-Jan-2012

My husband and I finally got the opportunity to dine at the famous Tasting Room for our 6th anniversary. I think the menu would be very exciting for foreign diners but I did not enjoy the chakalaka lollipop. The texture was awful! The rest of the five courses we had were acceptable with the cheese and crackers and the chocolate dessert being the best by far. Wildebees no matter how it's presented does nothing for me. Overall I'd say it's worthy of it's reputation but the prices are too high. Perhaps they could be adjusted for locals? They did that with our accommodation at The Last Word. The service was efficient and friendly but we didn't seem to have a dedicated waiter. We didn't have a problem with that, it was quite nice to be cared for so well by everyone! I must say I was surprised how plain the decor and view of the garden wall is considering the restaurant's reputation. Fancy glass doors though!

Comment on this review

Nino
22-Nov-2011

The setting and ambience was ok. However the rude and arrogant staff are very off putting. The food was mediocre at best due to lacking quality control. Definitley not worth a tourist's time or money spent. Not to mention the locals' despise for the service and quality which was only found out afterwards.

Mind boggling how they received a top ten rating.

Comment on this review

Comments

John
22-Nov-2011

I must say that this comment totally reflects my experience at the restaurant.

---

Gil Ferreira
11-Sep-2011

As this is a regularly rated South African premier restaurant, I have wanted to eat at The Tasting Room for quite a few years. The opportunity has never really presented itself, but this past Thursday was my birthday and my wife asked me where I would like to eat. I said The Tasting Room – which we laughed at, because we live in Johannesburg! Anyway, I had to come to Cape Town for a meeting, so I decided to arrange the meeting on the Thursday (my birthday) and arranged for my wife and daughter to fly with me. We would stay with my mom in Yzerfontein so that she could visit with her grand daughter – and then on Saturday night I booked my wife and I into a nice guesthouse in Franschhoek and we were going to The Tasting Room. Both of us are foodies – and really enjoy fine dining – so we were both extremely stoked about this trip.

So with all this anticipation the evening really turned into a damp squib. I must say it was really the most disappointed I have been for a very long time – and I guess with the anticipation of it all – it just really made the experience worse. The food was mediocre, the service was ok – but after each course (and there are 8 of them), we were asked, “how was that” – “so what did you think about that” – so that was completely off putting (I have to ask is this about the guests experience or are the paying customer there just to stroke the ego of the chef!).

The ambience was weird – very subdued atmosphere with 2 or 3 bars from a piece of music coming over the speakers every 10 minutes (what is that all about?) – I really cannot see how that added to anything. And the cutlery looked like something from my old boarding school!

Really, at R 770 per person and R 360 for the wine paring the dinner cost my wife and I R 2,200.00 and with accommodation etc the night ended up costing us R 3,500.00. I knew it was going to cost this much and was quite prepared to pay this for the “awesome” experience we were going to have. Right now, I feel robbed! I am actually angry by this whole situation.

And it was not just us.

There was an American couple that was sitting next to us, and they actually sent one of the dishes back! And, at the guest house we were staying at the proprietors asked us where we had a meal and we told them a very disappointing one at the Tasting Room – they then told us that a number of their guests had said the same thing.

The service I rate 5 out of 10. The Sommelier was really good and everybody was very friendly – but the constant asking if the food was good after every dish really was disturbing. This is a fine dining restaurant - we are the paying customers and as I said is it really the paying customer that has to stroke the ego of the chef?

The food I rate 3 out of 10. I cannot really think of one dish that either of us enjoyed completely. Yes, there were elements that were nice, they were very elegantly presented and the techniques used are what one expects from a top chef – but the “African Surprise” menu really fell very short of what I would expect from an establishment with all those accolades.

Ambience I rate 1 out of 10 – what are those few notes blurted over the speaker system every 10 minutes or so? The cutlery honestly reminded me of my old boarding school cutlery not that of a fine dining restaurant!

So all in all an extremely disappointing evening all around – I am afraid to say!

Comment on this review

Comments

Gil Ferreira
13-Sep-2011

As an update to my comment above, I sent the same comment to Margot Janse, head chef at LQF The Tasting Room. Within 24 hours she contacted me to apologise for the experience. She wanted to know exactly what went wrong. I am extremely impressed by this! I will give the Tasting Room the benefit of the doubt and will now try it again!

---

Read all reviews for Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français