Lupa Osteria The Verge — Restaurant in Gauteng

Disappointing Anniversary Dinner at Lupa at The Verge

My partner and I recently visited the newly opened Lupa at The Verge to celebrate our anniversary. Having walked past the restaurant before, we were drawn in by its classy and elegant appearance, which made it seem like the perfect spot for a special evening. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a memorable celebration quickly turned into a disappointing experience.

We had reserved a table and arrived about 10 minutes early, but were seated right away. The restaurant looked busy and lively, with most tables marked as reserved — a promising sign of popularity and, we hoped, quality.

The evening started with drinks and complimentary breadsticks, which were unfortunately stale. We then ordered the arancini as a starter and a margherita pizza to share. While the arancini arrived promptly (within 10 minutes), we were shocked to find them frozen in the middle — and not just cold, but containing actual ice. We sent them back, and the waitress apologized. A replacement plate was brought out shortly afterward, but to our disbelief, the second batch was also frozen in the center.

At this point, what appeared to be the manager came over to apologize and promised us a “sweet surprise” at the end of the meal to make up for the mishap. Sadly, this promise was never fulfilled.

After refusing a third replacement of the arancini, we moved on to the margherita pizza, hoping for a safer option. Unfortunately, the pizza tasted identical to a frozen Dr. Oetker pizza — the kind you can easily find at local supermarkets like Pick n Pay or Checkers.

Our pasta mains arrived next, preceded by a small plate of standard toppings (parmesan, chili, and garlic). Oddly, the plate was whisked away shortly after we had sprinkled a bit on our dishes, without any explanation. Reaching for more later, we were surprised to find it gone.

We ordered two types of pasta — penne and fettuccine. The penne was undercooked and chewy, with a bland sauce that could’ve easily been made at home. The fettuccine was over-sauced and poorly cut, with the strands so short they resembled penne. It lacked flavor and felt hastily put together.

By this point, the excitement of the evening had long worn off. We waited a bit longer, hoping for the “something sweet” that was promised, but it never arrived. Eventually, we asked for the bill. Before leaving, we spoke again to the manager to mention the missing dessert. He apologized and asked us to leave our number, promising to be in touch and to personally assist us should we return.

But after such a disappointing experience — on what should have been a special night — we won’t be going back to LUPA at The Verge, nor recommending it to friends or family. The restaurant may look inviting from the outside, but our experience was underwhelming at best and frustrating at worst.

They asked me to WhatsApp them, as you can see below. I message the number three times and there’s been no response, which I’m not surprised by. I don’t know about you but if my business got a bad complaint I’d be on it immediately. (Added a screenshot as proof of the chat they are rushing to respond...

I first looked at the reviews. There where mixed both positive and negative. But seeing that we have had a good experience at Lupa Bedfordview we decided to do take-aways. I called in advance to place my order. I didn't get the name of the lady who assisted me but I must say it was a difficult conversation. The line was clear so there was no difficulty hearing each other, but I had to repeat myself over and over again. By the time I hung up I wasnt very positive about the the order. She asked me to be there in 30min which was fine with me as I first wanted to pop into the Pick & Pay anyway. Got there about 40min later. The place was packed. Waited about 5min and my 5 pizzas was brought out. Loved the fact that they keep the avocado seperate for you to put om the pizza with extra Parmesan chilly and garlic. Well guys well done the pizza was really good. I am not a big pizza fan but the Bianco was amazing. Strongly recommend Lupa...

Very Disappointed – First and Last Visit

We were really looking forward to trying Lupa Osteria, but sadly, it was a huge letdown. This was the first time ever that neither my husband nor I could finish our meals — and that says a lot.

We ordered a pasta dish with chilli, but there was absolutely no chilli heat or flavour. Instead, the pasta was swimming in oil — so much so that I can still taste the olive oil four hours later. The pasta itself was overcooked and clumped together, despite all the oil. It felt like the kitchen just poured in oil and skipped everything else: no seasoning, no flavour, no balance.

The only saving grace was the ambience of the restaurant, which is actually quite nice, and our waiter who was friendly and professional. Unfortunately, the food was terrible and incredibly overpriced for the quality.

Very disappointed and won’t...