Peppertree Restaurant — Restaurant in Gauteng

My husband and I were looking for a nice restaurant to celebrate my birthday, but we didn't want to go to the usual restaurants. He found this guesthouse restaurant called Pepper Tree that is associated with the Oppikoppi Guest House, and we made a reservation.

They had stunning modern gas heaters with tall visible fires inside that kept the outside area warm where we were seated. There were strings of light bulbs everywhere creating a fairy garden kind of atmosphere. One of the best features of the restaurant was the beeper button on the table that calls your waiter. We were also given a clean blanket that smelled good to put over our legs. It felt more like a 5-star hotel restaurant rather than a guesthouse restaurant and we were impressed.

We ordered the tempura prawn starter to share, and it was the crispiest tempura I've ever tasted. The lemon butter sauce was a little on the acidic side, but we preferred that to it being oily. They presented it with some dry ice that made the prettiest cloud around the prawn and made everything look very fresh. It's also visible on one of the pictures. The café latte had some very crisp writing on it that looked very pretty.

The menu had so many options, I had a hard time picking a main meal. The waiter allowed me to taste the fillet's red wine basting sauce before I decided whether I wanted to order it. Obviously, it tasted a bit raw as it was not cooked with the meat, but I decided to give it a chance as it tasted quite well-seasoned. Unfortunately, the red wine basting spoiled the taste of the fillet in my opinion. I have experienced this before, so it was my mistake ordering it, but I expected a bit more. The portion of rice was huge and turned out very dry with no sauce on it. The pumpkin fritters were quite nice, but overall, the main meal was a bit of a let-down. My husband's meat lovers pizza was much tastier, and he was over the moon with his salted caramel milkshake. He said it was the best milkshake he'd ever had.

We shared the chocolate volcano dessert, and it was just indescribable. Good quality chocolate overload with ice cream to round it all off. I'll recommend it to anyone. I was even offered a cappuccino on the house because it was my birthday. There was some "happy birthday" art on top of the cappuccino's foam, and after enquiring how they did it, the waiter said they have an edible art printer and he took the template from Instagram.

Overall, the service was amazing and the waiter very friendly. We'll return for the starters and...

Hospitality Lesson 101: How NOT to treat Patrons

My raving reviews about this exceptional eatery are on record on different digital platforms. This isolated incident would not deter me from visiting the restaurant again.

I phoned the establishment yesterday morning at 11:06. I have a log of this call on my phone.

During that conversation, I confirmed my booking for four people at 17:00 and I arranged that in the event that it was going to rain, we would prefer to have a table inside. The lady who answered the phone confirmed this arrangement. The booking had been done online, using the Google maps functionality on Tuesday already – three days in advance.

Never ever was I treated so loudly in the most humiliating and condescending way in front of other patrons in a restaurant where some random manager, whom I have never seen there before, emphatically denied that I had a booking and claimed that the restaurant was fully booked anyway. I will spare you the details of this most unfortunate and unprofessional interaction, but I would like to tell you that at no stage between our arrival just before 17:00 and our departure after 21:00 was the restaurant filled to more than about half its capacity.

Fortunately, he had a sudden change of heart and offered us a table minutes before our invited guests arrived. They thoroughly enjoyed the dining experience that we had invited them for without knowing what happened moments before their arrival.

After his unprovoked and most aggressive behaviour, we were met with the usual high standard of service and the most delicious food that we have become accustomed to. Apart from my side dish of vegetables that never arrived, the dining experience was outstanding, and our guests were very impressed with the restaurant. The one even expressed that it was the most delicious meal he had ever had – a favourite that he always orders when it is on a menu. We shall return in future, and I will appreciate an explanation from that manager before he embarrasses himself in this despicable...

Disappointing Christmas Lunch Experience at Peppertree Restaurant

My recent Christmas lunch experience at Peppertree Restaurant left much to be desired, as several issues marred what should have been a festive and enjoyable occasion.

One of the primary disappointments was the absence of air conditioning or fans in the dining area, creating an uncomfortably hot atmosphere. Despite the festive season, the lack of a basic cooling system significantly detracted from the overall dining experience.

Another major concern was the extensive delay in serving our pre-ordered meals. Despite having placed our food orders a week in advance during the reservation process, we endured an astonishing 2.5-hour wait before lunch was finally served. This significant delay resulted in frustration among our party and negatively impacted the overall enjoyment of the event.

To compound matters, there was a notable lack of running water in the vicinity of the toilets and for ordering beverages, including coffee. This basic amenity oversight further added to the inconvenience and highlighted a lack of attention to detail in the restaurant's operational management.

Perhaps the most egregious issue was the ongoing construction activity, particularly the disruptive jackhammer noise, located a mere 2 meters from our dining table. Despite the restaurant being aware of our reservation and the timing, the intrusive construction noise created a highly unpleasant dining environment and demonstrated a lack of consideration for the patrons.

While the restaurant may have potential, the numerous operational shortcomings during our visit significantly impacted our overall satisfaction. It is my hope that these issues are addressed promptly, ensuring a more enjoyable experience for...