We dined at this restaurant as we were staying at the Franschhoek Country House & Villas and it was a couple of meters from our room. The staff at reception highly recommended it as well as internet reviews. Well, what a massive dissappointment! Even though the waiting staff was very attentive, the food and wine was a dissaster. We decided on the tasting menu with wine, as this normally reflects the quality of food. I also ordered a bottle of red to drink throughout the meal. When the red arrived it was warm. I had to put it on ice so as to top up our glasses with colder wine. The waitress insisted that the reds were stored in a wine cooler at 18 degrees, but after I assured her it was not, the truth came out. The cooler was faulty and the red was off the shelf. Bread with 2 "dips" and butter arrived. The "dips" were pureed avo (what? and why?) and olive oil and balsamic mix. The balsamic was either off or of very inferiour quality. Further on we were served Mussels in Hotpot. Four battered mussels, not tempura but soft and soggy batter, placed back in the shell, surrounding a pile of pomme fritte. On top of the "chips" was a pile of freezing cold watercress that destroyed the whole dish even further. Does the shef know what a hot-pot is? My wife had the braised pork belly that arrived with a long strip of "crackling". My wife took a bite of the crackling, grimaced and passed it to me. As I took a bite she described the texture and flavour as that of a toe-nail. We did laugh, but it was the worst "crackling" I had ever had. Unchewable and inedible. How can a shef allow that to be served? I had the "rack" of lamb, which was technically a french trimmed double chop, as you would do with veal. It had a fierry harrissa crust/spread on it. How can this be paired with a red wine? Deserts included a ball of butter rolled in some cocoa powder. We also noticed and commented on other diners returning plates that are nearly full of food. We have eaten in some of the best restaurants in Cape Town, Franshoek included, and this is not one of them.

Wow, absolutely awesome. The food was excellent. Extremely well prepared and very tasty. Great value for money too. A must try.

Monneaux has a delightful outdoor dining area, especially if the weather is good and the rushing sounds of multiple fountains do much to drown at the traffic noise from the main road.I found it strange that a restaurant in such a predominantly francophile area had a menu woven through with so many Asian flavours but perhaps this is deliberate. However, Im not convinced it works, as was perhaps evidenced by the lack of patrons on a warm, sunny day.While the service was attentive and the setting delightful, I personally found the food disappointing. A weekend of fine dining in Franschhoek tends to set up one up to expect great food but sadly Monneaux didnt deliver. The food wasnt bad, it just wasnt brilliant and as such, Im not convinced that it bears a return visit.

Maybe it is because my wife and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary or maybe it is because dining is a special event for us due to the cost thereof, but be that as it may, Monneaux presented us with the perfect setting to really enjoy each other’s company. At night the fairytale lighting is almost a bit surreal and as you move through the restaurant to your table the simple French décor wraps you in a different world from the one you have just escaped from. Our table was next to the fire place, which made it even more special!Before I comment on the food, allow me to define good service at a restaurant. It is not the “every 10 minute courtesy call by the waiter to ask if everything is all right” or the polished salesman/waiter to sell you another dish! The staff at Monneaux focused on each and every patron and it seemed that their only goal was to ensure that you got what you wanted, when you wanted it, but just a little bit better than you expected. Does that make sense? It is that unobtrusive service that is always available, but never intrudes. I wish I can copy this to many more restaurants…For our main meal, I had lamb shank and my wife had the pork. Both dishes were presented artfully and with culinary flair, but it was the taste and texture that left one with a sense that a lot of care and skill went into preparing the food. We couldn’t falter anything even if we wanted to be pedantic. We decided to experiment with the wine and chose a rosé from Vrede & Lust (Jess), which complimented the food perfectly, especially the pork.I don’t want to comment too much on the desert, but if you ever go to Monneaux, do not miss the opportunity to have their trio of crème brulè. One of them has a peppermint chocolate surprise hidden under the honey-suger crust that will leave you wanting more.I have learned an important lesson with my visit to Monneaux! Don’t always go to the “famous” names and trust the comments and views of Eat Out readers. There are many gems to be found and this is definitely one of them!