Thali Restaurant — Restaurant in Gardens

My partner and I recently dined at Thali in Cape Town, eager to indulge in some Indian-inspired cuisine.

We opted for the Thali for Two, a set sharing menu comprising of 3 courses. The first course was a feast for the eyes and taste buds with its flavourful array of dishes. Combined with the lovely selection of sides and dressings, it was our favourite course. For the second course we tried the fish tacos and aubergine tacos. While the aubergine was particularly well prepared in comparison to many other aubergine dishes I’ve tried at other restaurants, the course overall did not stand out. The lamb korma and palak paneer, which we chose for our third course, fell short in regard to flavour, ending the meal in a bit of an anti-climax. Additionally, the garlic naan was disappointingly bland and slightly burnt tasting, though the rice redeemed this course.

For drinks we had the Dirty Mango Lassi and Dirty Lime Lassi, a lassi with a hint of rum, both of which complemented our meal well. While the mango lassi arrived promptly, there was a noticeable delay in receiving the lime lassi. Nevertheless, we recommend trying these drinks for an added twist to your dinner.

On the bright side, the service was great. Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and very helpful in explaining the menu and accommodating our dietary preferences. The restaurant offers pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options. The intervals between courses were well-paced, contributing to a smooth and enjoyable dining experience.

The overall ambiance fell short of our expectations. The restaurant lacked warmth and charm and we noticed some staff members glued to their phones.

In conclusion, Thali offers a mixed bag experience. While the food showcases some commendable flavors and presentation, there are inconsistencies that detract from the overall enjoyment. The service is a definite highlight, but the lackluster atmosphere leaves much to be desired. While we may not rush back anytime soon, Thali is worth a try for those seeking an interesting dining experience...

It saddens me to write the following tonight. I adore Liam Tomlin and everything he does. I love his food, his restaurants and his books. I did his courses way back and I learned so much about food from him. Thali brings all of that together. I’ve been there three times and the food is AMAZING. But tonight I left there with the feeling that I might not return. In full disclosure it was First Thursday in Cape Town and Thali was busy as well. So we came especially early knowing that we were unable to book. We grabbed a good table, ordered wine and waited for the dishes to flow in. It got a lot busier as we moved through our courses and remembering the chocolate fondant, I was eager for dessert. Of course we decided on the chocolate fondant and were earnestly warned that it will take a long time “especially on nights this busy”. To me it just felt like they wanted us out of the door to seat the next table. Quick turnaround is what I go to Spur for. Not a great meal at around R700 a head. You could also see and taste the haste in the Chai Chocolate Fondant. I will always remember Liam’s chocolate fondant as perfection - I’ve used the recipe before and I cried when it came out perfect. This was not that. It was dry and overcooked(baked?). We were so rattled at this stage that we completely forgot to order our last round of drinks, paid the bill (which was speedily delivered of course) and left. I’ve never experienced this at another top restaurant. Where they are actually actively discouraging you to order a dish. I mean???...

We had a mixed experience at Thali, but on the whole we enjoyed ourselves. The first two courses were absolutely delicious! We started with a vegetarian platter filled with interesting flavours. The second course was a line-fish sashimi with cooked mussels and this was spectacular. Maybe some of the best seafood I've had in a while. The final course were two curries, which were technically brilliant - soft meat, glossy sauce - but lacked in flavour. There are other more affordable places where you can get better curry in Cape Town.

They have a lovely drinks and wine collection, however they do the "fancy restaurant" thing where they take your wine bottle away and top it up as needed. Unfortunately they completely forgot about us and we had to ask twice for someone to refill our glasses. The waiters also seemed quite flustered and lacking in confidence, which I think is a training/capacity issue. Thali should either halve the number of people they serve, or double the waiting staff.

In summary, I think it's a fun restaurant to try and I would recommend going (there is the potential for a wonderful experience), but I don't think we will...