The Restaurant at Newton Johnson — Restaurant in Overstrand Local Municipality

We had high expectations based on other reviews but unfortunately they were not met. Let me start with the positives. The starters were 5 star! We had the aubergine and the porcini gnocchi, both were great! After that the food was a less exciting. However, the service all just felt a bit rookie which is driving this rating. We had asked earlier in the day if we could change our reservation to 30 minutes later, and were told NO, which is fair enough. However, when we then showed up on time we had to sit at our table for 45 minutes before we were allowed to order as "the kitchen wasn't ready" for our order. Taking our order should be irrelevant with the busyness of the kitchen. And 5 minutes after finally being allowed to order they brought out some bread. Which again, could have been brought out a lot earlier whilst we were sat there waiting to place our order. Some of the waiters/waitresses were clearly trying to be nice, but it felt like it was their first shift with a lack of know-how and smoothness, but I put that down to management and training. And the front of house staff seemed a little flustered and stressed, which isnt really the vibe you're looking for in a place like this. So no, we won't...

I initially thought the starter was a bit small but it was very tasty. But after the main I felt the overall meal was a decent size.

I think the food is well presented and was very tasty.

My only small issue was the acoustics are not great. There is a lot of glass windows, nice for the view but then a tiled floor and low ceiling, just made the restaurant noisy and difficult to hear what people at my table were talking about. Maybe need to some finishing to dampen then sound. This would also make the restaurant feel warmer and more cozy.

One other area for improvement is the place feels like it has a story but the very good waitress didn’t tell us anything about the restaurant. How the food or menu are designed or what is the story to the chef or something that adds to the overall dining experience.

Personally I enjoyed my food and I would recommend the restaurant. I would like to go back as there were other things on the menu that...

With the wine tasting center and restaurant being built high up against the hillside, The Newton Johnson Wine Estate arguably has one of the best views of the Hemel-and-Aarde valley. I have never been to their restaurant, but doing a tasting of their wines while you have such a great view is very special. I loved walking out onto their deck area after receiving each wine, but just be careful as the wind can sometimes be very strong, so hold onto your glass. The farm is however not all about the view, with their wines in my opinion being the main attraction. From their whites to their reds, you are sure to find something you like and the tasting room staff are generally very knowledgeable. Even though their tasting room is on the smaller side it is still worth a visit, even on a cold and rainy day - their Full Stop Rock will definitely warm you up. They keep to the standard of the other farms in the area and it's a...