Aubergine Restaurant

I visited this very pretty and cozy restaurant in September with my wife. It truly serves amazing food and wines. We opted for their degustation menu and loved every bit of it. That night, it featured salmon trout, quail, springbok, etc. A feast. The place was not very busy, which means the chef had a chance to come out and chat us up for a few minutes. The service was impeccable throughout the meal, and we let very happy. We shall return.

The most frustrating part of this Christmas Eve dinner was that it was sold as a high‑quality, special occasion experience and delivered what was easily the worst meal and overall dining experience at this price point in Cape Town. Overall experience - This was meant to be a festive, five‑course Christmas Eve menu, but it turned into a more than three and a half hour ordeal for food that ranged from mediocre to inedible. - The only reason we stayed until the end was because everything, including the mandatory gratuity of 12,5%, had been paid upfront, leaving us effectively trapped at the table. Food and menu - The menu was a mess: courses felt inconsistent and poorly thought through, with dishes that did not belong together and no coherent progression. Shocking from a self proclaimed well-trained chef who allegedly has worked in Michelin star restaurants. - Quality was embarrassingly poor for the price, with several dishes that would have been disappointing even in a cheap, casual spot, let alone a restaurant claiming this level of refinement. - The menu description and the plates were not consistent. Some items were missing and when asked they were brought on later in a bowl (I thought this was a joke seeing what was being served - see photos). - Total price: +\- 4608 R/ 235€ for two people without wine pairing (ordered our own bottle). Timing and service flow - A five‑course menu should not take over three hours to limp to the finish line; the pacing was chaotic, with long, unexplained gaps between courses that killed any sense of occasion. It took them twenty minutes to even pass by our table. - Wine menu was great but the sommelier could not bring the wine types we liked and kept on trying different styles which we repetitively explained that we did not like until a relatively cheaper house wine was proposed which we didn’t even consider in the first place (note: we had indicated that we were hesitating between two bottles). - By the time later courses arrived, any anticipation had been replaced by boredom and frustration, which is the last thing anyone wants on Christmas Eve. Pricing and value - For the price being charged, this restaurant positions itself as a high‑end, special‑occasion venue, but the reality fell miles short of that promise. Now I understand why we had to pay everything up front… - Between the lacklustre food, incoherent menu, extra charges, wrong items on our bill, and glacial pacing, the value for money was so poor that it felt less like dining out and more like being taken advantage of. Again, the only reason we stayed at this place is because we paid for it up front. Otherwise we would’ve walked out after the first dish! Staff and safety concerns - The one saving grace was the staff: the front‑of‑house team were genuinely lovely and did their best, but they were clearly let down by the kitchen and management. - Most concerningly and to top this horrendous night off, one of us ended up with food poisoning afterwards, which is completely unacceptable in any restaurant. If you are considering this place for a special occasion or festive menu, look elsewhere and run away; at this quality and price point, there are many restaurants in Cape Town that actually deliver the experience they promise. You can also see from the previous reviewer who was there that evening this experience was shared by everyone in the room that night.

The food was really good and tasty. Delicately presented. The restaurant has a fantastic, warm and welcoming atmosphere. We were completely ignored by the sommelier which left a bitter taste in our mouth. He literally skipped our table. In the end another gent attended to us. The dining was great! The wining was awkward. The wine selection is very good however. Some unique bottles. I can appreciate that others may have a vastly different experience.

Great food and presentation. Outstanding wine list and profund explaination. How the staff was talking about guests was an absolut low light and cooled down the atmosphere. I left with that taste.

The staff’s service, friendliness and attention to detail was such a hit! This was an amazing fine dining experience with fresh, tasty dishes and amazingly paired wines. My partner and I were celebrating our anniversary and the restaurant was an excellent choice, very intimate and fitting for a special occasion or as a great experience for a wine-loving foodie. We also especially enjoyed the sommelier, his knowledge and personality made each course a unique experience and it worked well the intimate ambiance of the restaurant 🙌🏾

Excellent meal, with delicious Springbok filet, melting in mouth and an amazing choice of "small plates", covering a large number of local delicacies. Maybe, alogside the gentle and smiling service, the most attractive part of the evening was created by Mr Ralph Reynolds, outstanding sommelier who walked us through his extensive wine list, including the jewels of the SA wineyards.

Amazing dinner service and fantastic chefs menu. Our waiter gave wine pairings for each dish and even came up with a custom mocktail. We would definitely go back for another great meal!

Excellent! We went for lunch and it was relaxed and welcoming atmosphere! - The sommelier was really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful - the wine that he recommended was delicious and went really well with the food - we had the lunch small place menu, which was tasty, interesting and perfectly presented - cherry empanadas were unique and very moorish - we will definitely go back!