Amare — Restaurant in Bantry Bay

Firstly,the restaurant is beautiful and definitely aesthetically pleasing and unfortunately that’s where the good reviews end.

Upon arrival we were actually not welcomed. There was no-one at the door to receive us. After finally seating it took a while to start getting service. This came to my surprise as the restuarent was practically empty but I could gather that they are actually understaffed.

We ordered from the restaurant week menu( basically starter main and dessert) and also the seafood linguine. For starter we had the king clip which was actually really nice and would recommend it. For main we had the spaghetti with tomato which I would give a 3/10 (not very tasty to be honest) and the dessert we had chocolate torte which was really nice I also ordered the linguine with prawns and I must say this was the worst pasta I have ever had in my life. It was not well seasoned and it was first served without any condiments (we had to request Parmesan from the waiter and some chilli just to get some taste into this pasta and mind you this is a R350 pasta so I am expecting to be wowed after payin so much for pasta

On service I will give 0/10. We spent 3 hours at this establishment even though they barely had any customers because everything took so long. After receiving and eating the starter it took about 30 minutes just for the main meal to come and another 20 minutes waiting for dessert The pasta I must say was the worst pasta I had ever had. And if any complaints were rendered we were told by the manager that we do not know anything about pasta .Assuming we don’t know anything about pasta like she said,the food must still be edible. We practically had to put the entire Parmesan just to get some sort of taste from the pasta. Mind you this pasta was R350 and I have had way better pasta for much less

From the cocktail I ordered the frozen margarita but for the first time I could not finish a cocktail and had to switch to a hot chocolate which I also could not drink to completion. (Maybe I should have ordered wine because even my partner had the worst cocktail)I would not reccomend anyone to choose from their cocktail menu as they also do not have much variety.

The food is overpriced and definitely not worth the hype. It’s sad they don’t allow pictures because that’s the only reason anyone would want to go to this establishment.

I’m literally typing this as I am in the toilet because I have the worst stomach ache from the food I ate today. So on food i would rate it 2/10 for effort and definitely 10/10 on aesthetics.

I think what disappointed me the most,was that my partner wrote a review while we were still in the restaurant,upon our shock she followed us upstairs very angry about the review my partner wrote and basically told us we are not well travelled to know how pasta is supposed to taste,and practically said we should not take pictures as they are not the type of establishment for that even though unprovoked before we ordered food the first thing she said was and I quote “our bathrooms and upstairs are very pretty,if you ladies decide to take pictures you can go and take them upstairs but try avoid taking pictures by the amare wall as some customers complain” but immediately after seeing the bad review she came upstairs practically screaming at my friend because of the bad review she had left. We have never felt so disrespected and insulted. The manager is a big bully and does not take well to criticism.

Also if you sit outside at night I’d advice you pay attention to your belongings because someone attempted to grab our bag while we were still outside - but atleast there is parking because it’s actually not a busy restaurant.

It is a beautiful restaurant with great potential but they definitely need to train their stuff and the manager also needs training on how to handle customers and whatever issues are brought forward to her in a professional manner without attacking customers. I would definitely not recommend...

I’ve been a consistent customer at Amare, but today was truly a tipping point and a disappointing experience.

Upon arrival, the manager made a remark about my clothing. While I understand many restaurants have dress codes, the way it was addressed was unfriendly, judgmental, and unnecessary in tone. I value enjoying a comfortable atmosphere when dining, but instead, I felt uncomfortable and almost “held hostage” in the situation. The manager continued to justify her comments as though I had opposed her decision, laughing with staff while we sat there — as if we didn’t exist or weren’t worth acknowledging.

The environment felt hostile and dismissive. Other customers, clearly seen as “frequents,” were allowed to behave however they pleased, while we were treated as though we didn’t matter. It was clear there are “favorites,” and unfortunately, we weren’t among them.

The food was also disappointing. The fish I usually order (and have always enjoyed in the past) tasted off and bland this time. Even the mocktails we ordered tasted alcoholic, which was concerning and not what we asked for.

It’s sad to see a place with such potential being run this way. Management needs to change — every customer deserves respect, regardless of race, background, or whether they are deemed a “favorite.” Back-talking about customers within earshot and excusing poor behavior from staff is unacceptable. We are all human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity.

I refuse to go deeper as some comments over heard were just out right and bored like ok the spectrum of racist...

I’ve been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to visit Amare, the new and stylish gem in Bantry Bay, Cape Town.

From its elegant, chic design, this spot perfectly balances laid-back lunches after a beach day with the option to dress up for a sophisticated dinner. The decor is top-tier—instagrammable, sleek, and with just the right touch of allure.

The service was exceptional—welcoming, attentive, and effortlessly relaxed. We truly made friends during our visit, and I can’t wait to return and see Wandile and Audrey again. Thank you both for making the experience personal and memorable; I’ll definitely be back for coffee and a catch-up soon.

Now, let’s talk about the food… the food! The flavors of the Mediterranean are beautifully showcased here. It’s been a long time since I left a restaurant feeling light and satisfied, not bloated or uncomfortable. At Amare, the cuisine is fresh and clean—from the fish to the filet, the Camembert to the peppers, not to mention the olive oil and grapes and wide selection of wines. We fell in love with a Portuguese wine. That’s a first for me.

The menu is diverse, and the quality is simply divine.

Amare, true love it was and will be. Thank you for the delicious experience. I will certainly see...