Pigalle Restaurant-Sandton — Restaurant in Gauteng

As frequent patrons of Pigalle from about 4 years ago, we decided it was time to revisit. And oh, what a shock to the system this place is now. What used to be an establishment renowned for fine dining is now basically a fossil of a restaurant. As you walk through an abandoned center, you get the impression of a ghost town. Every single shop has been closed down. And there as it has been for decades in the corner, unrevamped, now very, very stale: Pigalle. I've never been to a restaurant where there has been something very wrong with all courses. This was a first. Snails arrive, we were basically chewing on grit. It was like eating fine bits of charcoal. Truly quite shocking. I usually order prawns but decided on lamb shank instead. What a mistake I will never repeat. I have never encountered such a dry, inedible, rock hard piece of meat in my life. Gravy which certainly can't pass as delicious, drowns this tiny little biltong of a lamb shank where I managed to pull, I kid you not, 5 pieces of meat. To reiterate this, from a tiny lamb shank that cost R375 (or was it R395?), I managed 5 small pieces of meat. After complaining about your starter you don't want to do the same with your main as you feel you are being ridiculous. Can food get any worse than this? On to the dessert. I'm a pastry chef, I don't skip this part. But should have to save the disappointment. On the menu, creme brule described as "vanilla pod infused". We sell and distribute pods so I know all the telltale signs of desserts where real vanilla is used. "Vanilla pod infused" is a total misrepresentation of this dessert which is literally just runny undercooked custard with absolutely no hint or sign of real vanilla pods. You would not only taste real vanilla but you would SEE vanilla seeds in custard if pods were used. You can't hide these facts. For a restaurant to have never freshened up its interior, nor its menu for decades is one thing I myself have never seen, given that there are truly excellent establishments that exist today where the quality of food far exceeds Pigalle's which in my book cannot pass as even acceptable at the very bare minimum. But having your standard of food drop to such a drastic low is almost disturbing. It is crucial for restaurants to keep up with ever increasing standards, but not only has Pigalle failed at this, its almost as if they actively choose to remain in an archaic state...

A Disastrous Experience at Pigalle Sandton

I recently had the misfortune of dining at Pigalle Sandton, and I can confidently say it was one of the worst dining experiences of my life. From the food to the service, everything about the evening was abysmal.

To start, the service was absolutely pathetic. Despite the restaurant being moderately busy, we waited an unforgivable FOUR hours for our food to arrive. Not once did the staff apologize or make an effort to update us on the delay. It felt like they had completely forgotten about us. The lack of attentiveness and professionalism from the waitstaff was shocking for an establishment that markets itself as a high-end restaurant.

When the food finally arrived, it was nothing short of a disaster. I ordered a fillet steak, and to my disbelief, the waitress seemed clueless and asked me which steak I was referring to on the menu. Shouldn’t the staff know their own menu? That was only the beginning of the nightmare. When the steak arrived, it was a complete joke—well-done on one side and raw on the other. How a kitchen manages such an uneven cook is beyond me. It was inedible and clearly not made by a chef who takes pride in their craft.

The dessert was no better. I ordered the ice cream nut cake, which was supposedly a signature item, and it was appalling. The texture was icy, and it tasted like it had been defrosted and refrozen multiple times. It was stale and lacked any semblance of flavor or freshness. Calling it a dessert is an insult to actual desserts.

Overall, Pigalle Sandton was a complete waste of time and money. The food was terrible, the service was pathetic, and the kitchen seems utterly incapable of delivering even the most basic dishes. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Save yourself the frustration and...

I visited Pigalle By Villamoura in Sandton City for the first time, expecting a fine dining experience. Unfortunately, the experience was a major letdown.

Service Issues No sales staff were available to welcome us upon entry. An African lady with revealing attire (cleavage exposed) begrudgingly took us to the dining area after we approached the till. When I asked for a quieter table, she refused, citing tables needed to be "done." We waited 15 minutes for a waiter. When seated outside (after requesting a change), we had to deal with a table lacking cutlery. A new waiter assigned "Philani" rudely asked if we'd be eating dinner. We opted for drinks and dessert instead. The waiter carried drinks by the cup handles - not on a tray. The waiter didn't check on us once and was nowhere to be found when we wanted to pay at the table (I had to go to the till) The lady with revealing attire asked for my order to print the bill at the till. A 10% service charge was added, then the waiter appeared and expected a further tip (Just for 2 drinks) The waiter refused to print a till slip stating the thermal roll is too expensive.

Ambiance and Cleanliness The dining area felt claustrophobic despite being only quarter-full there's just to many tables jammed inside there's no seating flow. We noticed scratches and gum on furniture, dirty clothes on a table - not what you'd expect from a "fine dining" restaurant.

Overall, the service was terrible and the entire experience was off-putting. Not worth the visit, the crumblz cookies...