Enjoyed lunch at Oasis Bistro at Mount Nelson on its first day open for the season. Thankfully fresh decor, a lighter and more interesting buffet complemented by a concise a la carte menu. Good food and service. Hope they decide to open it in the evenings too.

We went to the apparently newly renovated Oasis Bistro for a Saturday afternoon lunch, and were bitterly disappointed.

After reading some of the reviews I was really looking forward to delicious food, in a beautiful, relaxed setting. However, I found it to be the exact opposite.

The waiters weren't able to answer any of our questions regarding the menu, and the food was totally overpriced, unappetizing and unappealing.

I expected so much more, and will in future stick to the Planet Restaurant.

Bistro Oasis, nice place for an easy lunch but the kitchen is not able to serve a starter Cevice as a main portion but serve the Tartare as a main in a starter portion? And it was hardly seasoned for R150?
Do they belong to a 5* Hotel?

I have been to the Mount Nelson several times for both their morning and afternoon high teas, as well as their excellent Planet Restaurant, however my last afternoon high tea experience will be the last time I ever set foot in the hotel.

What should be a five-star setting involved unset tables, sulky waitrons, non-existent service, chipped tea apparatus, general disorganisation, and a snake of a queue that stretched right around the buffet table almost the entire afternoon.

I took my mother-in-law here and was so embarrassed by the experience that I felt I should complain. After contacting both the reservations line and the food and beverages manager, I am yet to hear a response (and this was three weeks ago now).

Appalling from a hotel I once held in such high esteem. My only conclusion is that the foreigners keep them afloat in the summer months. Best of luck come the off-peak season next year! They clearly aren't worried about losing out on business.