Hacienda Coastal Mexican by PAN Collection — Restaurant in City Centre

Our server was awesome, sweet and accommodating. So this review does not reflect her at all. Moreover, most of the food and cocktails were delicious. The tacos were nice, lambchop was excellent and the charred corn was probably the best fusion of flavours. The mole was alright, and the 'adobe' rice (I think they mean adobo?) was not very anything. Super flavourless.

However, this review does reflect the restaurant. We felt SO rushed. We barely finished a third of the food on our plates before the next one was piled on the table. A busser even tried removing the plates twice while we still had food on it and were busy munching away? Normally I'd accredit this to just an off day, but I had this same feeling of being rushed at another Chefs Warehouse location a few months ago. I understand Chefs Warehouse is touching new cuisines and growing across Cape Town rapidly, but this is starting to reflect at multiple locations. We can't help but begin to think the system of 'get as many people in and out in a day' is the new company objective. You pay a pretty penny for the night, and from being seated to walking out the door, it was a total 1h 30. We barely had time to sip our first cocktail before the dish runs began.

We also understand a resto having fixed time slots to make sure people can fit, but I'm sorry, other fine dining restos in Cape Town manage to make it worth your money when they charge for a dining experience. At this point we can't help but think to Hacienda, just kind of choose your crowd? If you want to be fine dining, make it so and allow it to be an actual experience. Give people time to eat, explain the dishes more (mole is so complex and so interesting. Only mentioning it can include 30+ ingredients does it no justice). Otherwise, if you want to make it casual, then make it a regular restaurant that doesn't take months of attempts to book because of fixed slots.

Overall, advice is if you're going to do Chefs Warehouse and want fish dishes, rather go to Tintswalo. They don't rush you out and it feels like an actual experience. Otherwise, options like Aubergine or Fyn will feel worth your money, you won't be rushed, and you'll leave feeling like you learned about your food and got what you paid for. And if you want the same level of authentic Mexican quality, without feeling like you're overpaying for an average experience, go to Una Mas in Seapoint. Their dishes are to die for, and they treat their Mexican dishes and drinks with more respect and authenticity (if you want Mezcal, they actually serve...

Visited in December 2024. South Africa. Capetown.

A Mexican restaurant in Cape Town? Intriguing indeed. As aficionados of the humble taco, we were eager to sample the fare at Hacienda Coastal. The restaurant’s interior is undeniably beautiful; its design incorporates a significant amount of wood, while the bar, in particular, stands out as a work of art. We opted for the terrace, a pleasant outdoor space.

The Food: The food, predictably, revolved around the taco, and the selection was extensive. We sampled four varieties, each served as two generously-sized tacos on soft tortillas. The lobster taco, featuring succulent pieces of lobster lightly battered and served with fennel, was a triumph of flavour. The juicy lobster, perfectly complemented by the light sauce, achieved a harmonious balance that allowed the seafood to shine without being overwhelmed. The fish taco with spicy mango was, by contrast, a somewhat richer and more indulgent affair. The boldness of the fish, intensified by a generously portioned, rich sauce, resulted in a complex, if somewhat heavy, flavour profile. My favourites, however, were the beef brisket tacos with a pineapple dressing. The intensely flavourful, slow-cooked brisket, offset by a piquant sauce and served on a soft corn tortilla, proved a remarkable textural and flavour experience. Finally, the chicken tacos, featuring perfectly cooked, tender chicken, accompanied by chimichurri and avocado, coalesced into a well-balanced and satisfying whole. As a pleasant, unprompted gesture, a complimentary candy floss arrived to sweeten the experience. However, our shrimp in sauce proved to be a less triumphant affair; the shrimp were undercooked in the center, with a slightly crunchy interior and an unsettling consistency. This dish was promptly removed from the bill, demonstrating a laudable level of customer care.

Service:

We were impressed by the attentive service; we felt like valued guests of this “hospitable hacienda.” The prompt removal of the unsatisfactory dish from the bill was a testament to the restaurant’s commitment to customer satisfaction.

In conclusion: I wholeheartedly recommend this Mexican restaurant. The menu offers a tantalizing array of intriguing options, and the tacos were, for the most part, exceptional. For those seeking an authentic and flavourful Mexican experience in Cape Town, Hacienda Coastal is a...

This is quite a delayed review, but here are my two cents.

We decided to explore a bit of Bree on a Friday after a hard Thursday of rocking out to The Offspring, Green Day, and Hacienda Coastal Mexican sounded intriguing. We were seated inside because sometimes reservations are silly - whatever happened to spontaneity. Anyway, they made a plan - thanks.

It was our first time at Hacienda, and we're locals (from Stellenbosch/Somerset West). We couldn’t make up our minds, as there were quite a few dishes to choose from. The two couples settled on the corn dish (and others), which was really phenomenal for such a simple yellow veg.

As for the mole, this same friend was really enjoying it (though it was the third couple’s dish), and likened it to marmite/bovril diluted with some water (I hope that’s a compliment). However, my gripe is with the half-price margaritas between 4-5 pm (or some time in the afternoon). I think it was R95.

It came in a tumbler, and that same friend took the massive ice block out of the tumbler, and I think there was the equivalent of three small lady sips of that delicious margarita. So, I ordered the base margarita with a different tequila (I had asked the waitress for something with “less tequila”… not Cuervo please 🤮). She suggested two different brands, which went over my head. She also came back to say, obviously, it would be at the normal price, not the half-price one - but sure, I didn’t think much of it.

The bill came, and our girlfriend and I ordered the same thing (not the special half price). It worked out to almost R250 for one of those "special" margaritas. It was charged at the base margarita price, plus two shots of tequila. I mean, R250 for three small lady sips - not gulps. And honestly, I’m not sure what metric system was used, but those were not equivalent to two shots.

The thing is, why are we charging tourist prices? Don’t you want it to be accessible to locals who just want to explore the CBD, have a good time, and not feel ripped off?

(Everyone loved the salt trail on the tumblers and the...