The Gardeners Cottage Restaurant — Restaurant in Western Cape

September '24: I hosted a surprise bridal shower with them in late September and the bride loved it.

As the organiser, there were definitely kinks in the venue's management of our group on the day: I did let them know I needed to set up beforehand, but when I got there an hour before the start, there were people seated at our tables and they told me I would only be able to set up 30 minutes. I ended up with 15 minutes to set up and this delay meant that my guests that arrived on time, actually had to help me set up because I was so behind.

This shot my stress levels sky high. Because they hadn't properly prepared our section, we were all very squashed when there was lot of space on the patio (it was just poor spatial planning because they hadn't prepared in advance and couldn't move the people seat around us, so they had to adapt our table to fit them).

Despite this, we did have a lovely time. The manager did come and apologise to me and said that it was a learning curb that they intended to learn from and fix with any future events, which I greatly appreciated. The venue was gorgeous, everyone RAVED about the food and the bride was none the wiser about our setup issues, so all in all, the guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and I will definitely be coming back in my personal capacity to try our more of their menu.

A special thanks to Nikita, who communicated with me via email to set up the event, for being so accommodating and working with me to get a menu that would suit our event.

Update: Went back a week ago (16 Feb '25) and I can honestly say that their service is just as bad as the last time. Not only did they need to move our whole party outside after I made the reservation (the day before) for outside because we had a puppy, when we arrived I had 3 waiters look straight at me waiting to be seated and turn away before avoiding eye contact all together for 8 minutes. Boiled my blood. Again, zero spacial awareness as they hastily threw our table together, had to move the table myself as they had pushed it so that two of the seats were inaccessible because they were right against a huge pot plant. When I tried to explain this to the staff who kept trying to move it back, I was met with blank stares. After wasting 15 minutes doing all this, they still rushed us to order and then forgot drinks that were ordered, only picking up on it two times after they were meant to be brought because they didn't stick around long enough for you to get their attention. Beyond disappointing when the food and venue are amazing, but service makes a big different and when it's bad? Just ruins the...

🌳 Nestled in the heart of Montebello Design Centre, The Gardeners Cottage is a charming escape from the city buzz — with its lush garden setting and serene atmosphere, it’s ideal for a tranquil breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea.

🍽️ Food: The menu leans toward wholesome, fresh ingredients with a good variety of options — from classic eggs benedict and homemade scones to more refined dishes like trout salad or their famous French toast. The portions are generous, and presentation is elegant without being pretentious. I had the spinach and feta omelette — light, flavourful, and perfectly cooked.

☕ Drinks: Their coffee is decent, though not spectacular. A nice range of teas and fresh juices. The carrot and ginger juice is especially refreshing.

🌿 Atmosphere: This is the true highlight. Tables are tucked under trees and umbrellas in a leafy courtyard that feels like a secret garden. You’ll hear birds chirping, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot the resident cats lounging nearby. It’s peaceful, photogenic, and makes for a great spot to unwind or catch up with friends. Indoor seating is also available but the garden is definitely where the magic is.

👩‍🍳 Service: Warm and polite, though it can be a bit slow during peak hours. Staff are knowledgeable about the menu and happy to make recommendations. Expect a relaxed pace rather than rushed efficiency.

💰 Price: Fairly priced for the setting and quality — you’re paying for the experience as much as the food, and it’s worth it.

🅿️ Parking: Available on-site and usually sufficient, though it can get tight on weekends.

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🌟 Would I return? Absolutely. It’s a lovely spot for a quiet breakfast or brunch, especially on sunny days. Ideal for solo visits with a book, or intimate catch-ups with close friends. Don’t rush it — this place is made for lingering.

📸 Don’t forget to snap a few photos — the ivy-covered walls and garden setting make it...

On my last day in Cape Town I decided to look for a highly rate breakfast spot and stumbled upon this place the Gardeners Cottage Restaurant. I was rather disappointed as when we got there the waiter whom we spoke to said we should have made a booking which I was not aware off. Anyway, looking around the place I could see a number of tables empty and so asked if I could take one of these. The response I was it is "apparently" reserved.

As I was about to leave he suggest a smallest table and offered that to us. We decided to take it seeing that the other tables was "apparently" booked and I was not in the mood to look for another breakfast spot.

And that my dear friends was a start of crappy service there after. Firstly their coffee or cappuccino was horrible. Not sure what brand they use but it tasted like weak filter coffee with added foam. I asked the waiter and he insisted this was not filter coffee and that they had a proper cappuccino machine. We then ordered the food which was okay, not much fault there .

My biggest gripe is that the time I spent sitting at this restaurant, those "apparently" booked tables stayed unoccupied for the entire duration of my breakfast. This was very frustrating as another couple who also came after us was giving this ridiculously small table yet these tables stood empty.

The service is really bad and I would not recommend anyone to go visit this spot as they make you feel unwelcome. I am not sure if this is how the owner trains it's staff to react to " certain" types of people but trust me this was my first and last visis to an ...