Culture Wine Bar — Restaurant in City Centre

If you want to go somewhere to spend lots of money and show off how rich you are then this is the perfect place!!! For someone wanting a glass or two of wine, and some charcuterie - which is what we were looking for, then this may not be the best place.

My friend and I sat at a table but the table was so huge we couldn't hear each other so went to sit at the bar. The bar stools were very uncomfortable, and I kept sliding off mine. We ordered a wine flight, to get a sense of what we might like to order more of and were planning on ordering charcuterie - we're glad we didn't.

For a start, the thimble-full of wine we were poured was barely enough for a taste. I guess you don't have weights and measures requirements in SA.

Secondly, after we finished our white wine the bar person went to pour red wine into the same glasses and seemed genuinely shocked when we asked for fresh glasses.

There were a number of large open topped metal containers on the bar in front of us with bottles of white wine being chilled. A member of bar staff hauled a 25kg bag of ice up on top of it and tried to fill it up - sending ice all over the place. Next time, try transferring the ice into a smaller container to fill up the big containers so you don't shower your guests with ice.

We watched a member of staff putting together a charcuterie board for someone else - the packets of cold meat looked like they had come from Pick n Pay and while there was some crackers there was no sign of any bread. There also seemed to be no choice in your meats and cheese.

There was a member of staff who was 'tasting' each bottle of wine he opened - he had more to drink from each bottle than we had in our 'flight' tasting.

I guess this is where Cape Town's elite gather - it wasn't for...

This place, is the definition of “If you know, you know”. Culture Wine Bar is a bespoke wine-lovers paradise on Bree Street, Cape Town. It is subtly preserved and hidden by its equally unique counterparts (The Blue Room and Grub and Vine). What I love about this place is the following: 1: If you think you know wine, sit your humble @ss down and be prepared to be surprised- no matter what level of “connoisseur” you are, you’ll leave this space learning or tasting something new. 2: The people who work within the brand are so passionate about what they do- Special mention to Muzi (just do yourself a favour and ask for him). Victor Okolo is also a familiar face in the space. 3: This place brings wine makers to life. I always imagined Paul Cluver as a sexy bottle of soul satisfying wine after a long day in the office, until I saw him setting at the table opposite me. They have events that create intimate and special platforms to link great wines and winemakers with wine enthusiasts and industry professionals. 4: It’s the most beautifully unpretentious space you’ll find. Which, especially in CPT, is a breath of fresh air! Come as you are, embrace the space and let the space embraces you! (if you’re lucky, Matt Manning, Chef, Wine Drinker and the owner, might just join you after your 5th (maybe 12th- but whose counting) glass of wine when the music sounds too good to not get up and have an embarazzing dance at the end of an...

We recently dined here, and while the food and overall experience were excellent, there was an incident that left a sour note. We ordered a cheese plate and asked if there were any preserves or chutney to accompany it. After waiting for 30 minutes with no follow-up, we asked the manager, Vik, about it, but still heard nothing. By the time 40 minutes had passed, we had barely touched the cheese plate and decided to ask for it to be removed from the bill due to the long delay.

To our surprise, the manager informed us that if the plate was taken off, it would come out of our waiter Mozi’s salary—a policy we found appalling and completely inappropriate. When we objected, the manager suggested we remove the gratuity instead, which we were uncomfortable doing because Mozi had otherwise been great. This entire situation felt like a failure of management to take accountability and prioritize the customer experience. Blaming the staff and trying to pass the cost to the waiter created a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

In a fine-dining establishment with a significant bill, we would have expected a more professional and guest-focused resolution, such as simply removing the cheese plate as a goodwill gesture. Instead, the handling of this situation reflected poorly on the management and overshadowed what was otherwise an...