Baía Seafood Restaurant - V&A Waterfront — Restaurant in V&A Waterfront

What a beautiful experience, situated overlooking the harbour with Table mountain as your background.

The restaurant is elegantly adorned with various stylish decor that gives a art deco/tropical atmosphere.

I was shown towards the terrace overlooking the Waterfront. My table was elegantly made up in clean white linen. As I was seated I was offered a warm freshly baked bread roll.

The service is friendly and professional, the staff are knowledgeable of the menu and wine list and know how to advise and pair the perfect beverage with your meal. The waiter also informed me that Baia specialized in Shellfish, he did not lie.

Further creating the anticipation I am about to dine like Royalty.

The food was exquisite! Without a doubt the best Shellfish I have had in my Culinary history.

I opted for one of Baia's Specialties, Shellfish Platter for One. The platter which consists of 3 Queen Prawns, 3 Langistuines, 1 Baby lobster with two sides, Savoury rice and Chips together with a lemon and garlic sauce to compliment the Shellfish. Most pleasingly displayed on a clean oval white serving dish.

The crisp White wine with fruity undertones added that extra towards the Seafood. To finish off I opted for a dessert, Trio of Sorbet, which consists of Lemon, Mango and Mixed Berry.

Again classically dished in a round white serving dish and garnished with a single strawberry. The sharp zesty sweet and sour lemon, together with the sweet tropical mango and finally sweet, with touch of zest mixed berry sorbet cleansed my palate whilst refreshing me at the end of my meal.

On the sordid topic of coin. Baia is on the "very pricey" end. Expect to pay in-between R800-1,400 per person for two/three course meal. However, I do recommend adding this restaurant to your must visit list once you come down to Cape Town the Waterfront.

It's also recommended to book your table for the evening in advance as they do fill up quickly...

Review: Baia Restaurant, V&A Waterfront

We recently visited Baia Restaurant at the V&A Waterfront, and unfortunately, the lasting impression was one of disappointment.

To begin with the positives: the view of the pier is undeniably beautiful, offering a lovely backdrop to any meal. The staff were also friendly and welcoming, which we appreciated. Given Baia’s reputation as an anchor restaurant at the V&A, we had high expectations going in.

However, the experience quickly fell short in several key areas.

The peri-peri sauce tasted like little more than generic chilli sauce—lacking depth or character. The chicken was dry, and oddly served in what looked like a salad bowl, with a salad that seemed recycled or pre-packaged rather than fresh. The cocktails tasted as though they had come out of a packet, and the salt and pepper offered were of the fine, low-quality variety you’d expect from a fast-food chain, not a premium restaurant.

What makes this all the more frustrating is the pricing. The menu is expensive—on par with top-tier restaurants—but the quality simply doesn’t match the cost. Patrons might be willing to pay a premium for food and drink if the quality is there, but in this case, the offering was underwhelming across the board.

Baia trades heavily on its location and brand reputation, but unless serious attention is given to the quality and presentation of its food, I fear it will continue to disappoint discerning diners. A beautiful view can only carry a...

Monday 5 August I arrived at the restaurant announced the party I was with and was escorted through the main restaurant to another room and joined my party. The place was very cramped too many tables stuffed into the room . Our waiter arrived at our table and introduced himself. We received our beverages and chatted until the waiter started explaining the menu at such a speed.. I was with an international group who spoke very little English. I asked the waiter if he could slow down so that the non-English speaking guest could follow what he was saying. He carried on at the same pace.

Our food arrived and the waiter who brought it started screaming across our table on top of his voice at our waiter. I was shocked at this behaviour and I could see the expression on the faces of my guest as quite alarming.

The seafood platter was presented in very un- appetizing manner . The crayfish was dry and no source served with it. I have had better at Ocean Basket. The sirloin was well cooked but as bland as ever . No seasoning at all. The spots cravy / source was tasteless.

The rushing around of the waiters created a very chaotic and frenzied atmosphere really not conducive to fine dining...