Galjoen

Stellar service by Million and the team — they were exceptionally accommodating even though we arrived late, which we really appreciated. The wine pairings were excellent, especially the Olifantsberg Carignan, and the staff’s enthusiasm and knowledge really stood out. However, the menu itself was a little disappointing. The bread course and tuna sashimi were highlights — fresh, balanced, and beautifully presented. But from there, the flavours became a bit heavy-handed. The mussel dish was overly sweet, and many of the courses leaned too strong on spice or seasoning, which masked the delicate flavours of the seafood. Both the marlin and squid were deep-fried, which felt unexpected for a fine-dining seafood tasting menu — and their bold dressings overwhelmed the fish. The yellowtail was far too salty, though the pap and chakalaka were excellent, and the charred shallot was a standout component. A pleasant standout was the palette cleanser. How refreshing and flavourful. Really well done! The “Just Cheese” course leaned too much on the bread — it arrived a bit cold and didn’t deliver the rich cheese experience we’d hoped for. The dessert (“Berries & Bubbles”) was tasty and visually lovely but not particularly memorable. The petit fours, unfortunately, were not pleasant and felt lacking in creativity. Overall, the restaurant has promise — the service and wines are top-notch — but the food feels like it’s trying too hard to mimic the style of other high-end spots (Waterside, Epice) rather than celebrating what makes a seafood restaurant special: clean, precise flavours and the beauty of the ingredients themselves. Still a long way to go to reach five stars, but a well-meaning effort from a passionate team.

Brilliant evening going through the tasting menu at Galjoen. Enjoyed every dish. Tasting menus can sometimes feel slow and ultimately like way too much. In this case, the pace between dishes was perfect and left feeling full but not stuffed. We loved it and would definitely go back as the menu changes frequently so more dishes to try.

I was really looking forward to celebrating a solo birthday lunch here. When I called to book at the end of July, I specifically mentioned a dish I had recently seen posted online, so I was excited to experience that menu and there was even a discussion about adjusting the dish to be pregnancy friendly but I was not advised that it may be removed at the time of my booking. Unfortunately, the overall experience was a real let-down. • The first kitchen snack I had seen online included crispy bits, peanuts and biltong, but the biltong wasn’t served during my visit, just the crispy bits and peanuts • The secondary complimentary snack (a ceviche course) that had been advertised online had been removed and replaced with a lime palate-cleansing sorbet. • The main course was particularly disappointing. The online menu showed a generous piece of hake served with fries, coleslaw and two sauces. During my visit, the main consisted of a very very small piece of fish on a touch of pap, which honestly had the substance of a starter portion more than a main course. • Dessert was pleasant enough, but not particularly memorable. So to recap the menu let down: meat ingredient removed from snacks starter. Ceviche (fish) based starter/snack replaced with water based palate cleaner. Generous main portion of fish replaced by itty bitty starter portion and not enough accompaniment to make it considerable of a main portion. Nothing really stood out in terms of flavour/punch or made me marvel at what was being placed in front of me and as a foodie who wanted to spoil herself a little on a special day, it was disappointing. I also ordered a drink with cola tonic and ginger ale but was served one with lemonade and lime cordial instead. Once I pointed it out, it was corrected quickly and removed from my bill, which I appreciated. Another disappointing part of the experience was that, while two courses were being explained and served, the server was leaned over my table quite a bit and I observed saliva land on or very near my plate. As a pregnant diner, this made me a bit uncomfortable and unfortunately spoiled the meal for me and I felt too embarrassed to even bring it up, I just moved my plate over to the far end/tried to block the plate with my hand when other courses were served. Overall, the experience didn’t reflect what had been advertised online for the month prior, and the value for money simply wasn’t there. The portions and menu differed significantly from what had attracted me to book in the first place. It feels like everyone in July got the private school experience whereas August diners are getting the recession experience. It was also a let down as I’ve experienced multiple exceptional meals and top notch service at the sister restaurant, Belly of the beast. Not sure if this was just an off day for the restaurant overall but I do think the menu needs to be beefed up a bit, considering what was served just days prior. Other diners may love the August menu, this was my experience and opinion. I completely understand that menus evolve and dishes change seasonally. My disappointment isn’t that the menu changed, but that the experience was still being marketed under the same “Winter Lunch Menu - Extended” offering despite the courses and portions being substantially reduced from what had been advertised just days earlier. Had I known the menu and value proposition had changed so significantly, I would have adjusted my expectations or chosen to visit at another time. Photos of what was posted/served in July via social media screenshots vs what I was served in August

Galjoen came highly recommended and lived up to it — mostly. Great industrial-minimal interior, attentive staff, and they adjusted the entire menu to be gluten free for me, which is unusual. The menu is a nice journey, well presented and paired with wines. Highlights were the seaweed snacks, tuna tartar and the fish curry. Some dishes were a little bland if I’m honest, but the presentation always saved face. Only note — could use some soundproofing.. it gets loud