De Grendel Wine Estate and Restaurant — Attraction in Cape Town Ward 1

….….Although we know the De Grendal Wine Estate well this is our first visit to the restaurant. We are here for a birthday-dinner. We were filled with a certain amount of anxiousness when we received the invitation as this will afford us the opportunity to encounter couture cuisine as one can only imagine at a sitting per person of R 475.00. From what we heard its real-lii an extraordinary encounter to be mesmerised by the amazing dishes that the chefs present in the most artistic and tantalising ways. Its always a pleasure to come to De Grendal with its breathtaking picturesque views. The walk to the restaurant is a bit long as you have to walk down a long ramp but at least there are things to see like the distilling tanks and the massive store-room filled with wooden-barrels of wines. When you enter the restaurant you are already overwhelmed by what you see the kitchen on the left, the love-lii bar on the right and when you look ahead the beau-tii of the running green lash lawns, the lake, the vine-yards and in the distance the majestic Table Mountain. There are wooden sliding shutters to block out the sun during last afternoon and earl-ii evenings, but when opened during sunset the most stunning views are to be observed. Our waiter for the evening was “Justice” and he did justice to his his calling by being pleasant, professional even humorous at times and adding an atmosphere of celebration. There is no “Ala Carte” menu for lunch and dinner only the chef’s 2 Course & 3 Course which is made up of: - 3 x Breads served with jersey-butter & romesco. The chefs choice “Amuse Bouche” (Mouth-Teaser) 5 x Starters: - Beetroot-Tarte, Yellowfin Tuna, Norwegian Salmon, Springbok Loin & Chicken. 5 x Mains: - Arborio, Pork-Belly, Beef-Fillet, Line-Fish & Lamb-Rack. 3 x Desserts: - Lemon Mousse, Chocolate Malva & Trio of Sorbet or a Cheese-Platter. We started the evening off with a bottle of DE GRENDAL “Proposal” MCC Brut Rose’ And each meal of our choice from the menu reaching our table from the kitchen was so impressive-lii well and meticulous-lii garnished as if it each was a master-piece. You just wondered at times if you must eat it or just stare at it in awe. The meals were insidious-lii delicious and scrumptious. And the desserts were so divine-lii tantalising. The chef even sent a plate inscribe with “Happy Birthday” to our table for the birthday girl and the chef was willing to come to the table to sing happy birthday but the birthday girl declined the offer. It was indeed an elegant evening well spent in an elegant venue. What we saw with so many patrons here tonight is that people will pay for class and not take the cost into consideration. This establishment comes high-lii recommended even if you visit here only once in a lifetime…..NB! They have guest...

Honestly one of the most disappointing experiences I’ve ever had at a wine estate — and I didn’t even make it past the gate. I phoned ahead to confirm if they take walk-ins or if a booking was needed. The person I spoke to assured me that they accept both, so we decided to make the drive — a full hour from where we were staying.

When we arrived, the security guard stopped us and immediately said they were fully booked. His tone was dismissive and quite rude, and he refused to let us in, even just to have a quick look around or visit the wine shop. It was incredibly frustrating because I had made the effort to call beforehand specifically to avoid this situation.

What really left a bad impression was the complete lack of flexibility or hospitality. Even though we understood they were busy, they could have at least allowed us in to enjoy the view, walk around the grounds, or visit the tasting room for a bottle to take home. Instead, we were turned away at the gate without a chance to experience anything.

After driving all that way and being excited to finally visit, it felt like a waste of time and energy. Communication clearly isn’t consistent between their staff and the front gate, and the attitude we were met with was unacceptable for a place that calls itself a luxury wine estate. Unfortunately, this experience completely put me off ever going back or recommending De Grendel to anyone.

We then went to Durbanville Hills Winery, and the difference was like night and day. They were welcoming, accommodating, and went out of their way to make space for us even without a booking. So, for anyone in the same situation — rather go there! You’ll actually be treated with kindness and leave with a smile instead of...

We came as part of a large group for dinner at the restaurant here. My first impression was that this place has a major wow factor for location- we arrived at sunset and the view back on table mountain was spectacular- it took our breath away. Worth it just to see that to be honest! The farm is beautiful and the main building is charming- the restaurant is nestled inside and has panoramic views- you can also see the chefs working in the kitchen which is really cool. We had a three course meal and wine. All the wine was excellent, we were very happy, and the service was fantastic- prompt, but no one was bothering us too much! The only reason for three stars was because I thought the vegetarian/vegan options were a bit lackluster. There is only one option for vegetarians and vegans per course on the set menu, which isnt an issue in itself (the menu was concise anyways, which I actually appreciated) but it becomes a problem when the veggie dishes clearly aren’t given as much care, thought and love as the meat dishes. Nothing was horrible but comparative to the meat dishes, the vegetarian/vegan options were just not good enough for a place of this calibre and price. I think if there was a little more love put into this part of the menu, I really wouldnt be able to fault De Grendel, but as a vegetarian I just didnt leave feeling like I’d had a really fantastic meal, which was a shame given the gorgeous atmosphere and location, and...