Morgenhof Wine Estate — Restaurant in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

Most disappointing birthday horseriding and picnic experience that were valuable lessons.

Lesson 1: Don't pay upfront before receiving a service and ensuring you are getting what is outlined that one should. I made the mistake of paying upfront and things just went wrong from there.

Lesson 2: Safety is paramount. Yes, things go wrong. Yes, there is compassion for that. But when they add up, it's time to call it off. When we arrived, the horses were half an hour late and we were left to wait in the sun. We had a chat with the amicable staff yet when it came to meeting our riders, they were a bit short and moody. They didn't really bother to explain anything to us, one impatiently grabbed my leg and shoved it into the stir-up. I knew then this wasn't going to be a pleasant ride. The horses picked up on the moods and wouldn't budge. The staff didn't really know what to do and eventually just rode ahead. We were also given zero safety briefings, and we mentioned we are beginners. When we asked questions, the staff were annoyed at them and responded as though expecting that we should already know. This didn't really add to a pleasant mood for everyone involved. A small introduction into what horse-riding entails and how to ensure safety is a must. When my horse bolted to the side of the path, it was unexpected for me and I didn't know how to stop the horse. I stopped the ride then. In the end, the staff were as friendly as to offer us to meet the horses, and we were grateful to accept. But we weren't able to connect with the horses at all really, as they would not stop talking and give us quiet space to just be with the horses. Unpleasant.

If offered a refund, take it immediately. We voiced our disappointment to Chandre, who was amazing and professional throughout. She understood our perspective and agreed to refund us in part (which is all we asked for). So we walked away and started enjoying our picnic. This was not to last too long, as we were approached again on the lawn by her and her manager, this is whilst we are celebrating a birthday, feeling at peace after the unpleasant ride. We felt this was very intrusive. Instead of interrupting our special moment, it could have waited until the end, but the manager was intent on finding us to resolve this. The reason for doing so was to avoid giving us a refund all along, although we were guaranteed we would. Highly unprofessional behavior from their side, as it was obvious they were not here to listen to us but to affirm their standpoint and go back on Chandre's word as to not refund us, was the intention all along. No matter what points we brought up, they were weaponized against us, as not to refund us. No acknowledgment from the manager for any of the points that we brought up, We felt unheard, we were belittled, our concerns disregarded and now we had to debate our standpoint when it should have been clear cut from the beginning as there was an agreement of a, again, partial refund.

As a former customer service manager and trainer for an airline, the key takeaways here are: 1) active listening and 2) mutual respect. No the customer is not always right. But the situation could easily have been diffused or kept diffused, by honoring the intial agreement. It goes to show that financial gain is the main motivation and that will never garantuee one a successful, humane business. Highly unpleasant experience but a good learning curve to take...

I booked here for my mother's 80th birthday lunch because my parents have enjoyed many good meals here and because my hard of hearing father likes a quieter restaurant. I hadn't been for a while but I'm afraid that although the estate is beautiful the restaurant is looking tired, unloved and not being managed well. On the day of our visit the estate was suffering a power cut (not their fault) but I was surprised that although I had booked and confirmed in advance for an inside table, they had done nothing to make the place look welcoming. The power had been down since 8am and no one had thought to put out a couple of candles or light the fire on a rainy day. The place looked really dingy and bare. When I confirmed the booking I had told them that it was my mom's 80th and the restaurant didn't even manage to wish her a happy birthday while we were there. I had brought along my own balloons and a couple of table decorations but it doesn't take that much effort to at least write 'Happy Birthday' on the dessert - but nope, even though there were only 2 other tables, they couldn't manage that. Even the Spur gets that bit right. The food was mostly good. The lamb main course was really tasty. The starter salad with calamari however, was rather uninspiring for the price and the calamari tough and tasteless. Altogether a completely underwhelming experience. It suited us to have a quiet restaurant but it does also indicate that there are better...

I had the pleasure of visiting Morgenhof recently, and I must say that it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm hospitality that made us feel right at home.

One of the highlights of our visit was the incredible food. Claudio, the chef, served us the best pizza we have ever tasted. The tomato and herb topping was so flavorful and aromatic that we couldn't stop raving about it. The crust was perfectly crispy and light, and the cheese was perfectly melted. It was clear that Claudio takes great pride in his work, and his passion for cooking shines through in every dish.

But the experience didn't end there. We also had the pleasure of meeting Duncan, an inspirational leader who is clearly committed to creating something truly special at Morgenhof. He shared with us his vision for the future, and we were left feeling curious and excited to see what the next few years will bring.

Overall, our visit to Morgenhof was extraordinary, and we can't wait to come back in two years to see the results of Duncan's plan. If you're looking for a memorable dining experience with exceptional food and a welcoming atmosphere, then Morgenhof should be at the top of your list. Thank you to Claudio, Duncan, and the entire team for an...