Ocaso Rosebank — Restaurant in Gauteng

Mixed first impression: friendly service, tasty bar food, and a great terrace, but loud, a bit rough around the edges, and not quite a restaurant vibe. More beach club than dining spot — promising for summer, but needs refinement.

We visited Ocaso on its second night after opening. Naturally, some things are still finding their rhythm — this is a first impression, and we’re planning to return in summer to see how things evolve.

What we liked: • Location: Excellent and easily accessible in Rosebank. • Service: Very friendly and attentive. The team is clearly trying to make guests feel welcome and looked after. • Ambience: Heavily Corona-branded and designed in soft beige tones — a stylish look that works well. The terrace looks like it will be a fantastic hangout once the warm evenings return. • Music: A live DJ was playing during our visit, with a Funktion-One sound system delivering crisp, clear audio. That said, the music didn’t connect to any Latin or Mexican theme — more typical party-pop than genre-specific. • Food: Our tacos arrived quickly and were tasty. Don’t expect authentic Mexican (they’re served folded, more bar-style than traditional open tacos), but they work well as upscale bar food. Vegetarian options very limited.

What could be improved: • Noise levels: Inside, it was loud — too loud for a relaxed dinner conversation. If the goal is more of a bar or club atmosphere, this makes sense, but it’s something to be aware of. • Security: Guests are screened for weapons at the door. While safety matters, this level of security feels unusual for a restaurant and suggests the venue is anticipating possible issues. Again, more fitting for a nightclub than a casual dining space. • Drinks: The first round of margaritas was underwhelming — not well balanced, and glasses were only about two-thirds full. The second round was more frustrating: cocktails like The Sleepless and The Amafumo couldn’t be made due to missing ingredients. That said, the bar staff handled the situation with friendliness and professionalism. • Cleanliness & polish: Small details — like sticky glassware, visible cardboard boxes, open staff doors, and leftover paint splashes from recent renovations — detract from the premium image the venue is aiming for. • Furniture & floor: The floor is uneven, and most tables wobble — not ideal when you’re trying to enjoy drinks or dinner. • Social media presence: The current (June 2025) Instagram page features mostly AI-generated atmospheric images, which don’t reflect the actual venue or food. More real, high-quality photos would help set accurate expectations. • Service charge: A fixed service charge is added to the bill — more common in fine dining. Worth noting when calculating your tip.

Price point: We paid R850 for two people, which included two cocktails, two beers, one water, and two taco servings. A service charge was automatically included.

Final thoughts: Ocaso isn’t your typical restaurant — it feels more like a stylish, indoor-outdoor beach club with bar-centric food and a party vibe. It’s not the right choice for a date night or business dinner, but could work well for after-work drinks with friends. With some refinement — and once summer rolls in — the venue has strong potential, especially thanks to its well-designed terrace and...

So my friends and I decided to go to ocaso after seeing the gentleman who appeared on tik tok for his gauc demos and to our surprise, Thabo (that's the guys name) actually happened to be our waiter. PS: this review is purely on the service that Thabo delivered because it was absolutely breath taking. The king of recommendations (as he calls himself) actually delivered and over exceeded our expectations. He was concise, he communicated, he was punctual he was just the cherry on top, infact the whole damn cake. The bar took a while to get our drinks despatched however, he calmly explained to us that the restaurant was horribly understaffed that evening and that settled us completely. The reason why certain establishments thrive is because of employees like Thabo. I have been to ocaso twice before and was bitterly disappointed at the service I received, however Thabo just gave us an unforgettable experience. I'm so overwhelmed at how well researched and informed he is about the menu, the drink and food pairing. We actually ended up just making sure that we stayed the whole night. His sales skills are so good we went over budget, however, an experience like him makes you even find joy in the most mundane of meals, experiences and drinks. Ocaso, Thabo is a keeper and an asset. I'll be back for a corporate function soon. Trust me, I'm a girl of my word and Thabo will be serving our table no...

Aesthetics of this restaurant are great mix of kolonaki and akti, however for the price point and the fact that this is supposed to be a Mexican restaurant leaves much to be desired. The food is bland, especially for the limited menu offered. Surely if you're going to do a few Mexican items for a ridiculous price it would be atleast flavourful. The hostess started our lunch date by setting out that this resturant has a three hour turn around time, which isn't mentioned when the reservation was made. In any event we didn't stay long enough given that the table side guacamole for R135 was one and a half unripe avos with sprinkle of onion and tomato. The empandas were absolutely flavourless , a garage pie would be more satisfying. The taquitos were about the most edible thing ordered, but the mayo used takes away from any true Mexican flavour it was trying to achieve. To top of this experience the food also made my partner sick after our lunch.

If you're a foodie looking for a good meal this place is not for you. If you're an influencer looking for views and a place to make your reels this might be...