Cafe Manhattan — Restaurant in City Centre

This first part is a review of my most recent visit, the second half is my original 5* review. This was my last night in Cape Town, so I booked for dinner & a show down the road, that establishment had the common sense to close their doors for the evening due to a lack of bookings. They informed me immediately. So I decided to return to Cafe Manhattan as I enjoyed my visit 5 days ago. The welcome was not as warm, then a fellow patron was picking his nose...I moved. My order arrived, half of which was wrong. I was not willing to wait, so I ate it. The main course was the Hake & Chips, or more like the Batter and chips... totally unacceptable for an establishment at the coast. The 2 smallest slivers of Hake in what seemed like half a loaf of bread's worth of batter. If you can't do it right, don't do it. Saving grace here were the sweet potatoe chips which were good! It seemed as if the owners/manager was not there as the staff got loud, and not in the least as attentive as I mention in my previous review below. Probably my last night at this place as well....

The previous 5* review: Somewhere somebody mentioned that the Burgers were Great! So I ordered The Blue Burger and it was Very Good! Only issue: I was not asked how I wanted the Burger cooked, and it was just a tad too close to well-done. But the heavenly Blue Cheese Sauce more than made up for that. They even 'dismantled' a falafel burger into falafel balls as a starter for me. So they are really keen on customer satisfaction, appreciated!! The staff were of the best I have experienced in recent years. The norm nowdays seems to be that staff could not care less, that is not the case at Manhattans. Brian & his coworkers were attentive and nothing was too much trouble! Great job...

I've been visiting this place over many years, and seen many changes, from the food being outstanding, to when they changed the (inflated) menu to a cheap Laminated A4 home-office style print (thank God you have proper menus again!) The staff, especially Mark has always been welcoming and accomodating, as much as the bar-men has always been cocky (not necessarily a bad thing). The cowboy, broke back mountain theme used to be spot-on, until they hired a decorator who's design choices are questionable. The bar walls are too white, pink and blue bathrooms (bit sexist in a LGBT friendly place) the random mix of colors looks like the Bo-Kaap had too much to drink in there, and cactus (fake I might add), and palm frond pillows, and Mexico, or Barbados or wherever the F they got inspiration from, when the place is called Café Manhattan? Just makes no sense. The fake plants are a real mood-kill! Look at what other restaurants are doing, people love sitting amongst living plants, Especially in de Waterkant. You've taken the charm of the entire neighborhood and made it look cheap with fake plants hanging from the facade. Sorry for calling it, but in all the years of existence, the place looks worst now than ever before. The southern fried chicken burger is still the...

I booked a whole section for my birthday party dinner. What made me really angry is the fact that I specifically asked for a virgin cocktail - so NO alcohol. The first sip I took I could immediately tell that there was alcohol in it. I went to the bar to complain and 5 different people would attempt to gaslighting me and tell me that there is no alcohol in or that they don't taste alcohol in it - when someone who doesn't drink at all can clearly tell there is. I eventually tracked down the person who made the cocktail and asked them if they put alcohol in and they said yes. This whole situation would probably result in none of us returning there because that is a pretty big mix up to make. I have not touched alcohol for 6 years and in one sip, that is all gone. What if I had been an recovering alcoholic who was reintroduced to alcohol that night? My cousin who also ordered a mocktail earlier in the night is not allowed to drink alcohol for religious reasons and has not had alcohol for over 13 years. I had to drive home alone, what if I believed the 5 people who told me I was wrong and got tipsy from that drink since my body is not used to alcohol? What if I got stopped at a roadblock and get locked up for drinking and driving and my whole career goes...