Fishmonger Illovo — Restaurant in Gauteng

It is with regret that I write this review - would have preferred to write directly to the owner - Pedro, or anyone at the restaurant......but could not find their emails anywhere....

We have been frequently this restaurant for literally decades. Pretty much for for the 23 years or so of their existence! And have enjoyed scores of meals there. In fact it was our very favourite Jhb restaurant.

Until a few days that is ......... 2 couples went out to lunch there. It was extremely disappointing from a service perspective. Our waiter went missing for a large part of the meal. What he was doing - have no idea?

The food came to the table after a reasonable waiting time. Only 2 meals initially, and then an inordinate wait of time. And another meal came out .........and then a long further wait for the 4th meal. No apologies given.... By that stage, the rest of the meals were cold......

Two dishes out of four dishes were good – this being the sea bass and the kingklip. That said the selection of line fish that day was very limited – sea bass it was – period!

The 2 calamari dishes however were most disappointing ! The actual calamari was adequate re both meals But..... the first was the calamari Mediterranean - which came with an overpowering stodgy sauce - probably not fresh, it didn't taste that way.... And far, far,far too much of it sloshed over the calamari. The sauce also looked like it had been under lights for quite some time with a layer of 'slime' on top! Most of that meal went untouched! And nobody enquired just why?

The other calamari dish was deep fried, and dumped on the plate... ok - but the crust was 'over fried' and consequently not very tasty!

And then a mention on the chips - the Fishmonger's chips are usually some of the very best in town.... This time most certainly not! They were quite soggy - usually nice and crisp....... And cold .....much too cold to serve...!

In our experience the Fishmonger has always provided superior food and superior service. All this comes with a premium price. No problem with that - patrons will know an expensive outing beckons.

However our last meal was a major disappointment as indicated above. Why didn't we send it back - or to ask for a Manager? Because the couples hadn't seen each other for ages. And were being polite - in that sending back / or complaining would really have disturbed the mood of the...

Being loyal customers here for many years , returning last night it felt like an entirely new restaurant. The food and service is usually exceptional and that’s why we save up to come here on special occasions . Firstly, the restaurant was being cleaned when dinner service was starting (mops and cleaning of floor) - equipment left hanging around with the lingering smell of cleaning detergent and not the delicious smell of seafood - this was only moved away much later in the evening. Our waiter (I don’t want to mention names on an open platform) did not even bring us menus until we asked. We then had to ask for rolls for the tables whilst watching families who arrived after us already being given menus , rolls etc. In our previous experiences, the prawns have always been excellent so my mum and I opted for those . Hers half chips and half veg and mine just veg. I asked if I could have a bit more spinach since I wasn’t having chips to which the waiter laughed . We then asked to speak to Derrick who swiftly took over some of the order . When the prawns came the lemon butter sauce came on the side - to which are waiter said my mum said we did not want sauce on the prawns. However, we were not even asked when ordering, if we wanted the lemon butter on the prawns as it usually comes or on the side. When we order our prawns it’s usually cooked in the sauce so the prawns aren’t dry. The lemon butter sauce which came on the side was luke warm. Usually, the waiters always collect the shells as you eat from side plates , we had to ask for this . However, the worst part of the experience was that both my mum and myself have been up all night with nausea, cramps and diarrhoea- clearly the prawns were not fresh. I could not even attend work today and had to get medication from the doctor. Pedro’s fishmonger has always been the best seafood spot in town, I just am so disappointed after the experience last night. It also felt like larger tables who were spending more got treated far better which also isn’t right . This is just my experience as I previously have always rated them 5 stars...

My favorite restaurant in Johannesburg. Started coming here 11 years ago

Fishmongers

We travel from the USA to Johannesburg FOR THIS RESTAURANT. We go every 2-3 yrs and we dream about it in between. Here’s why:

[ ] The food is always superb. They never have an off day, ever. Nowhere does fish melt in your mouth as it does here. The food is always fresh and cooked to perfection. [ ] This is a white cloth restaurant. The staff are at your beckon call when you need them. They clear the table after every course and are extremely professional. [ ] The staff is very knowledgeable. They know their stuff and can recommend dishes and wine pairings. [ ] We don’t personally know the staff but I will bet they are treated well. Why? We have been coming here for yrs and you tend to see the same people over and over again. And they greet you as regulars! [ ] We travel with children - 5 of them. They are all 10 and under. This is not easy but despite being a white cloth, fancy restaurant, they do accommodate children. In fact, they have a decent kids menu and they offer “lucky packets” for each child. Lucky packets have little surprise toys and treats inside. [ ] Children’s meals are awesome. You know how at some restaurant, the children’s food is horrible? Not here! Firsts, it’s huge. They seem big enough for adults. Second, it’s delicious. [ ] This is an Upscale restaurant priced for regular folks. If you are a foreigner traveling to South Africa, this will easily be in your price range. You will feel like you should be charged more. [ ] We spend our whole meal “oohing” and “aahing.” We are the kind of family who try each other’s foods, so the whole meal goes like that. And it doesn’t end with the main course either. The desserts are awesome too. They have double cream ice cream....