Mahā Café — Restaurant in Point

Too many mishaps at Maha Cafe. Upon my arrival at Maha, I clarified with three different servers that the meal I was interested in ordering was vegan. This is because I was told that the chef won't make substitutions for any of the other meals on the menu to suit a vegan diet. After 30 minutes, in a hardly crowded cafe, I was given four lentil dumplings in burnt onion dashi. I ate two dumplings and as I cut into the third, I found chicken. I sent the food back and, after another 20 minutes, was served two new dumplings. When I asked for the dumplings to be removed from the bill, the server asked the chef who sent her back to our table with a firm 'no'. I complained further and asked her to speak to the chef again. She came back, clearly shaken, and said not to pay. I asked if she would be held responsible and would have to pay for the my meal. She averted the question. I asked what the chef said to which she replied that we shouldn't have eaten the food if we weren't going to pay for it.

There are so many things wrong with this experience and this autocratic style of management. Firstly, not at any point did the chef/ manager come out to apologise or discuss the serious problems I encountered at the cafe - he sent the server to me and clearly reprimanded her - showing me that he felt little remorse. Further, forcing the customer to pay for the chef's mistake showed me that there was no accountability. Not only did the chef undermine my ethical and moral conscious as a vegan, he undermines his staff who seem genuinely afraid to truthfully tell the customer that he may make them pay for the incorrectly prepared meal. This begs the question of cross contamination and whether any of the food is truly vegan or vegetarian.

Eventually, I paid for the dumplings out of sheer anxiety that the server would have to pay for it out of her pocket. I will NOT be going back to Maha Cafe unless there is a serious shift in management including perhaps truly investigating the philosophies of hospitality and undergoing sensitivity training. I think this will promote a less hostile working environment and prevent customers from having similarly infuriating...

update went back to maha café for breakfast. (we are still wanting to come back for lunch) They did an exceptional eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise sauce. It was also nice seeing they do a single egg as eggs benedict is an extremely rich dish and is often over portioned. We also had their breakfast bun which was exceptional. Many places think of the bread as an after thought but they do their own roll and own tomato chutney which makes all the difference. They also did a 3 cheese toasted sandwich with gratinated cheese on top. Would definitely recommend trying them for breakfast.

It is a really nice change of pace to find some where in Durban that one can get a good coffee and a fresh homemade pastry. A lot of places in Durban offer either a full breakfast which can often be very heavy early in the morning or some frozen pastries or muffins. This reminded one a lot of being in Europe as we had a properly made machiatto (a rarity in Durban as they tend to be milk heavy) with a freshly baked homemade croissant filled with cheese and a decadently rich brownie made with high quality chocolate. Making your own croissants is no small feet and it was perfectly laminated and buttery and my wife who is a pastry chef loved the brownie. We will definitely be back again to try out their lunch offerings which are modern and fresh with tantalising flavour combinations. It is really refreshing to see a cafe not doing something different and not the same few menu items that every cafe offers. They also have an extensive drinks menu that includes high end cocktails with proper mixology, freshly squeezed juices and a selection of teas (proper teas not fruit flavored stuff pretending to be tea) If you are in Durban and looking for a cafe that is exceptional and different from the usual fair definitely give Maha a try. We will definitely be back to in the future and will update...

The setting is calm, peaceful, tranquil and clean ... I love the chic minimalstic vibe going on at Maha Cafe - Very well designed and thoughtful planning. The ambience and design aesthetic alone makes one want to linger a little longer. Having visited during the week, I was surprised to see how well patronized this secluded gem was. The service was excellent and professional as we were well attended to by our host, Mo and our waiter. The food! Well, I'm going to go all out and say top class in presentation and flavors- I could not fault the chef on my delicious meal. I had ox tongue with baby potato hash, cherry tomato, red onion and poached egg, topped with leek ash mayo and my daughter had zucchini pancakes with sugar pea hummus, roasted peppers, brinjal jam and salt lemon with dukka spices... What a treat! The quality and excellence of the meal at such an affordable price was well worth the visit. I was pleasently surprised to note that on the Daily Menu you could request a meal according to your dietary requirements, which  included food allergies and intolerances. Vegans are welcome too! Our bill for the two of us including meals, drinks and tip was way under R300.  This spot ticked all the boxes! A must visit when in Durban, and to top it off the newly opened South Beach Pier and Ushaka Marine World is just a few 100 metres away. Oh! And not forgetting this spot is...