Simon's Restaurant — Restaurant in Constantia

I visited this restaurant for the first time yesterday after lunchtime (around 13:00), drawn in by its promise of fine dining, family vibes, scenic views, and artistic ambiance. While some elements met expectations, the overall experience was underwhelming and left us a little disappointed.

To begin, the service fell short right from the start. Our waitress never introduced herself, which set a rather impersonal tone for the meal. (I still do not know who she or they were as we had a few faces) Small details like that matter, especially in a fine dining setting where service is expected to be warm and attentive.

The falafel starter was cold and had a sour taste, which immediately raised concerns about freshness. When we asked if it had been made fresh, we received conflicting responses—one waitress claimed it was, while another admitted it had been made that morning. This inconsistency was disappointing and didn't inspire confidence in the kitchen’s standards. We received another batch, this time warm but still had a sour taste.

During our meal, a couple entered the indoor dining area with a wet dog (what looked like a medium-sized German Shepherd). The dog was walked around the room while people were eating, and unfortunately, it carried a strong wet-dog odor. While we’re animal lovers ourselves, there should be a designated section for guests with pets—especially to maintain hygiene and comfort for other diners.

On a more positive note, the main course was absolutely delicious, and the views outside were stunning. The outdoor surroundings and the local arts and crafts displays were definitely highlights and brought charm to the overall atmosphere; The presentation of the food was beautiful.

Unfortunately, dessert was another letdown. The cakes we ordered were dry and dense, almost like fruitcake or stale bread—not what we expected from a place like this.

What was most disappointing, however, was how our feedback was handled. After mentioning that we were unhappy with the starter and dessert, the waitstaff became noticeably cold. We received unfriendly stares and felt an uncomfortable shift in their attitude. There wasn't that much effort to correct the issues or engage with us in a respectful, professional manner.

To top it off, we noticed that other tables were shown a menu board featuring specials—but this was never offered to us. It left us wondering why we were treated differently and added to the sense of exclusion.

In conclusion, while the main course, views, and crafts were enjoyable, the poor service, inconsistent food quality detracted significantly from our experience. This visit didn’t live up to the fine dining, Family standard we were expecting, and unfortunately, I don’t see myself returning to eat. I'd love to try the wine selection and beautiful...

CELIACS BEWARE - honestly I was so looking forward to celebrating my brother’s birthday and had mentioned when I booked that 2 of our party were Celiac (highly allergic to gluten). When we arrived we spoke to the manager and the chef explained the severity of our condition and asked what was “safe” for us to eat - we were assured the peri peri chicken was gluten free as were the peri peri prawns . At this stage we were impressed. Then the food arrived I tasted it then saw that there was clear cross contamination on my plate and immediately the manager apologised and they removed my food and then returned a plate of plain grilled chicken. At this stage my niece had been eating her meal and mentioned she was feeling ill. We were very confused because when my new meal arrived suddenly all sauce was removed and then asked the waiter to immediately check if the peri peri sauce was actually gluten free … she disappeared and didn’t return. Asked another waiter … same story! I then was feeling exceptionally ill and told my brother to finish my food because something didn’t taste good - when he cut open the chicken I had been consuming it was opaque and raw. At this point both my niece and myself were vomitting and violently ill. The manager arrived and to her credit she was very apologetic and said she had been busy with a function on the other side. She tried everything to try and help and gave us a complementary drinks and kept apologising. However being celiac and being “glutened” is severe. Not only that but due to medication if I consume raw or undercooked food my risk of infection is extremely high and dangerous. I would rather a restaurant says they cannot guarantee anything gluten free or cannot cater for patrons with allergies. I ended up at the doctors after our meal to Simon’s as I just got progressively more ill after the meal. Staff need to be educated on allergies as this could honestly have been avoided. Warning for anyone who is gluten free to...

Wanted to try the place since the surroundings are very beautiful. Since it was windy, decided to sit inside. The interior does not match the beauty of the outside at all. However, the food and are the more important aspects. Menu offered a large range of products which i usually already a red flag since a jack of all trades is usually a master of none. Ordered a steak medium rare (filet) and it was overcooked. There was barely any pink to be seen and besides that not very tender for a filet. Normally don’t send back my food quickly but taking in consideration the price I pay i decided to do so this time. The waiter was friendly and did this for us. However the new steak was absolutely rare. Like i said, I don’t send back my food often, let alone twice. But this steak you can still hear the cow moo. After sending this back, which again the waiter was understanding, a defensive manager came to our table to argue. Instead of trying to solve this issue he was looking to argue. Eventually i asked if he can simply cook the steak in between the two temperatures that i just received, he finally after 5 minutes of useless confrontation gave in and said he can put the steak on a little longer. Received the steak and it was still too rare. I have eaten at various places in cape town that offer steak and definitely recommend any other one over this restaurant. Places such as as nv-80 (sea point) and butcher shop & grill (green point) know how to perfectly cook the steak to right temperature and have great cuts of meat. Simon’s restaurant is not advisable for neither food, service or atmosphere (inside). Only positives were the outside view...