Harissa Bistro

Sunday, January 15th, 2017

Reviewed by Barbora Tellinger

Until six months ago we were regulars at Harissa. Inconsistent meals and indifferent service made us stay away for a while. Upon our return we found that things had not improved. Our food was sub-standard and the music was for clubbing teenagers. Our complaint resulted in a voucher from the owner, which was an excellent gesture. Unfortunately our lunch today saw little improvement. Dirty wine glasses, dancing waiters, a steak which I deliberately ordered as medium/well (because the chef always under does steaks) was presented very much medium rare and still bleeding, the Kwaito and Hip Hop which littered the playlist, being ignored for 15 minutes after our plates had been removed.... This used to be a fine dining experience, which means that your menu needs to change occasionally, or at least include a few specials. Failure of this suggests a bored chef merely going through the motions. A fine dining restaurant should play sophisticated music, preferably devoid of vocals. Waiters should not be dancing as they serve diners, this is not a cheap franchise. Regular training of staff is urgently required to bring this restaurant back to what it was and to ensure its survival. I would love to be a regular patron again, but unfortunately my earnings are too precious for this.