Boathouse Sushi — Restaurant in Western Cape

Went there on the afternoon of 28 January 2023 for lunch. The pictures on their FB page looked very appealing and I wanted to try it. The take away from this establishment was that service drastically needs to improve.

We were 2 people, once we entered the doors we made eye contact with the chefs behind the sushi conveying belt, as we were waiting to be greeted by a waiter. They were not busy when we arrived as only 2 tables (which were 3 people per table) were taken, the rest of the tables were open with about 2 tables reserved. After a few minutes a black male waiter (I think he's name is Philip) approached us and told us we can sit anywhere where there is no reserve sign. Keep in mind that more people entered after we sat down, a couple was seated behind us at the conveyer belt.

Our table was next to an empty reserved table, which was no problem at all. The floor where we sat was not swept as there were food particles of the previous customers on the floor. Not a train smash but something to observe. We were seated at 2h34pm, I've screenshot the photos taken with the time as proof. So Philip comes around after a few minutes (I use few minutes lightly here) and takes our drink order. I order a Cosmo (also known as a Cosmopolitan, which is a pink cocktail because of the cranberry juice) and my partner orders a brandy bush. We proceed to give our sushi order as well. I order sushi boat no. 14 (22 piece) and my partner orders sushi boat no. 8. (16 piece). My partner and myself explain to Philip to please ensure that boat no. 8 must replace the prawn with anything else as he has a prawn allergy. While my partner is talking to Philip, who at the time is more focused on another black female lady (also a waiter, which we found out later) and Philip just walks away. Philip and this lady (whose name we never got) goes behind the bar/register counter - it appeared that he was making our drinks.

Another couple enter and they sit at a reserved table opposite us, they ordered a glass of red wine and a beer, and were served by Philip within 5 minutes of seating. I reckoned it might have been because they were reserved. My partner reckoned it is because their drinks were easy to retrieve. After 20 minutes, the black female waiter comes with 2 drinks that have Coca-Cola in it. She states that my Cosmo is topped up with Coke as that is what the recipe states. Mind you, the ingredients for the cocktail is listed on the menu (cranberry juice and vodka). So I ask her what's in the drink and her response was "I actually can't remember, I'll go check for you". At this point my partner points out to her the ingredients that is supposed to be used and never in our lives have we heard about a Cosmo being topped up with Coca-Cola. She removed the drink and apologized and said she will go and bring the correct drink. Unfortunately I have no photo of this duped Cosmo as I was way too shocked at her response. So the mood already shifted from our side at this point. A few minutes later the waitress comes back with a pink drink in a Durbanville Hills wine glass and a straw. There was massive ice...

Won't be back. We were there during loadshedding, which is understandable that the room got stuffy, but no doors were kept open for ventilation, this expecially during covid. We were seated on the wall side of the conveyer belt, as they said you can place normal orders from there, however the layout is really not great with only a few tables to sit at, and if you sit at the conveyer at the wall side, which was the only spot available when we arrived, the waiter cannot reach you and the other clients sitting have to stand up for anyone that wants to get out as there is no space to move around. We had to get up for other people that sat next to us that wanted to go, and another couple had to stand up for us to leave again. So you can't quickly go to the bathroom as then people eating have to stand up again. When the sushi arrived, the serving plates of the boats & bridges are really pretty to look at, but very impractical as they are so high and the table is already high, it makes it hard to handle to sushi seated there. Both my husband and I had maki in our platters, our maki all stuck to each other with the seaweed, which made it fall apart. So the moment you try taking a piece it starts unwrapping itself. The handroll was the biggest disappointment! Paying R40+ for a handroll that barely had any rice or filling. My husband litterally folded his handroll in two as it was just empty seaweed at the bottom. Would not advise anyone waiting their money on it. It was filled not even halfway. This is not at all the standard we are use to from local spots. In all honesty I'm not sure why they are so popular, for R320+ (excluding tip) and drinking 1 soda drink each, I've had much nicer experiences and sushi. The sushi on the conveyer also was not covered with a see through bowl, so all the sushi was going around, passing everyone sitting around the conveyer, and exposed to everyones breathing, with covid taking into mind. It's just mind boggling. Friendly staff, but overwhelmed with so many people entering and exiting. Photos look fine but it just does not capture the true experience. Such a disappointment as I've heard so much great things. But there are honestly to me much better spots. Sushi taste was in all honestly average, nothing to write home about. Platters also almost all have salmon in, very little just prawn or other options. Which makes it hard if you cannot eat salmon during pregnancy. So best bet is to just make up your own platter, which will also work out more expensive. Overall, better local spots to support, with better experience, better tasting sushi, and that is not that over crowded. Clients take away orders standing open the entire time while waiting for a waiter to somewhere along the line close them. Just not on...

Let me preface this review by saying that I originally had rated this establishment at 5 stars and never felt the need to inspect the experiences of others or change my review in any way. Unfortunately, I now need to change my review.

Something has happened over the last few months at Boathouse that has caused a steady decline in the quality of the food and service. Before the most recent visit, the food quality was already no longer consistently a 8/9 out of 10 as it had been before. It was quite strange that they regularly had trouble with bookings and seating management, and the service was often slower than usual, albeit still friendly.

On my most recent visit, I'm sorry to say the quality of the food was just not up to scratch at all. The salmon did not taste fresh, and the deep fried rolls were made using quite clearly not sushi grade salmon, and may have even been trout. It tasted extremely pungent, to the point that it completely ruined my appetite. We were also served raw deep fried dishes that we had to send back.

The waiter was very accommodating and professional however they turned off the music when we were the last table in the restaurant, even when it was over an hour till closing time and we hadn't been there long. When it was clear we weren't leaving anytime soon, they put the music so loud that we couldn't hear each other talk. They then began to pack up all around us and made us feel incredibly unwelcome. This is despite all of us being regulars.

It's a great shame where it looks like this restaurant is going, and we did note that the one waiter that had been there for ages seems like he is no longer there as we haven't seen him in a while. I really hope that Boathouse turns their ship around and sails for clearer waters, since for a long time, they were clearly the best sushi place in Cape Town when it came to great sushi that provides value.

I'll be taking a break from visiting and I hope that the next time I come back leads me to consider editing...