Terrarium Restaurant — Restaurant in undefined

I've never heard of this restaurant before till I decided to search around the V&A yesterday in my lunch break. So I came across Dash. It's a bit hidden away. I quickly pulled out my phone and looked at some Google reviews. "Well... Others seem to like it." I thought to myself. So I made a reservation for evening.

When my wife and I arrived we were greeted by the friendliest staff imaginable. From the get go we knew it would be a memorable evening.

My wife had a Dash-In-A-Box drink which she thoroughly enjoyed. Since I had to drive I just stuck to the boring stuff.

Even though the food menu was highly priced we decided to each do a 6 course taster valued at R650 pp. At first I was skeptical as the portions, we were told, were very small... Will it be enough? With this 6 course tasting you get 3 starters (set options), 2 mains (choice between duck & line fish and then a choice between beef and venison) and lastly a desert.

From the get go the starters were amazing. Every bite is full of explosive taste. We're were waiting for our second round of starter to arrive when a man, the floor manager I presumed, came to us to chat a bit. He said if we liked the food thus far we should wait for the mushroom starter. At this point I was thinking, "... Really? Mushrooms. What is so special about that?" Well... The very first bite blew my mind. Have you ever had food that was so good that you wish the whole world around you could just quiet down and disappear so that you can indulge in this epic moment? That was exactly what happened with the mushroom starter. I would highly recommend this dish. Upon my next visit I'll order just this starter but double up on its portions.

The rest of the food that followed was also incredibly delicious through to the desert.

After we had our dinner I sat there thinking that I had way too much to eat but it was so worth it. So my initial skepticism of whether the food would be enough was definitely quenched.

Dash has wine and food pairings too that we regrettably did not yet participate in.

There is also a older man who plays the piano in the foyer and sings which adds some lovely ambience.

If you're looking for a lovely night out on a date with food more tastier than anything you've had before then this...

Super disappointing. As a food blogger and influencer, it's always exciting to tick restaurants off the list whilst visiting a new country or city, visiting Dash was no different. Unfortunately it went from bad to worse. We arrived just before another couple yet was left in the bar waiting for our table whilst the other couple were immediately taken to their seats. Starters came and the vegetable soup was incredibly bland whilst the calamari had been cooked in oil which was not hot enough, meaning it wasn't crispy but instead soggy and oily - what I will say is the squid wasn't overcooked, it was tender and the tartar sauce served alongside it was flavourful and executed well. We couldn't comment on any further food as after waiting 1 hour from after we had finished our starters, and having been told on 3 separate occasions that our mains were just coming, we asked for the bill and left. It shouldn't take 2 hours to serve 1 X vegetable soup, 1 X calamari, 1 X steak and 1 X tomato pasta. The restaurant was not at all busy nor did we have a large group with multiple, complex courses to get out. A complimentary drink or something may have smoothed things over a little, but instead we were presented with the bill and left after sitting around for 2 hours, still starving and gravely...

What an amazing experience! From the time we called them we were greeted by a super friendly lady, who, upon taking our reservation, also asked if we have any dietary restrictions (never had that before LOL!). My bf and I ran late for our reservation but they assured us there’d be no problem, and truthfully so because when we reached the V&A, and struggled to find the place, Wesley gave us the most patient and friendly directions over the phone. During our evening, he also continued to ensure that we were having a good time. Our waitress, Zameka, was so funny and welcoming - and of course super efficient! (I think she’s the one who helped us on the phone). She made sure to check on us, kept our food warm while we took pictures and her charming demeanour made us feel so at ease. Now, let’s get to the chef! Their food was incredible. From the amuse-bouche to the soup to the main dishes, my bf and I were so shocked at how the flavours all came together with every dish. Usually we always have to order extra chilli or sauces to accompany our meals but everything we needed was incorporated into the dish itself. To top it off, we were given free bubbly courtesy of our anniversary date! Great music, great ambience, great food, pretty much can’t wait to...