Review Duchess Of Wisbeach - Cape Town Central

Wow! What a gem! Excellent service and food and for a first timer, what a surprise when the music started, guests singing, swinging servettes. We had a awesome time, will definitely recommend it to all my friends. And I will be back when I am in Cape Town again.

This was the most amazing restaurant I've ever been to. Food 5star the entertainment excellent. The host Theresa Beukes, was awesome. I had 2 other guests who had a blown away experience. Will definitely go back.

I celebrated with friends an impending nuptial. Bacherolete vibes and was warmly greeted from entry with a level of service that one would expect from an establishment with fine dining in its description. The service was excellent. The food was outstanding. The vibe was the right amount of class meets elegance. And was fully impressed as someone that usually does not frequent such places. It is super important to book as I saw first hand how busy this place can get. I would also recommend looking fierce and fabulous as this place is one of those places where you want to be enjoying the soft life as deliciously as possible

The dinner was really nice. The server was very caring, the food was tasty, the wine was good. We will definitely come back!

Nice restaurant. Friendly people. Good food. Young ambient.

Absolutely a wonderful night. Food is a delicious! service is amazing!

They allow dogs that are well behaved! Nice to find a place to go to dinner after a promenade walk.... A great crowd, good service and good food. Open for drinks until 2am in the morning....

Had the most amazing experience here, lovely evening and fantastic service. Staff had the perfect time to asl if the food is good (not like other places that ask while you have a mouth full of food). Every part of our 3 course meal was up to standard and more. That said we had been there more than once because of the food and service.

Wonderful place. Delicious food. Amazing staff.. overall a fantastic place with a great vibe. Definitely worth it!

So much fun. Yummy food, drinks, and friendly staff. The whole place turns into such a fun party closer to 9/10. Highly recommend with a group of friends :)

The weirdest most fantastic place I have ever been. One moment I was eating delicious kingklip, and thr next I was dancing on the table to ABBA 🧚‍♀️💃🏻 Your life has a gaping hole in it if you do not visit The Dutchess. Sorry.

I love this place. Lovely food, and they care about visitors safety. I wish more places where like this. I cannot recommend them enough. I’ve only discovered them, but I plan on coming here for the duration of my stay. Living in Europe and having lived in USA, I will be honest that they don’t quite make it a perfect Europe/USA experience in Cape Town. But what they do do, is they take the best from that and combine that with a quintessential capetownian flair. Which in mind, goes above and beyond what they promise.

Our family made this our first dinner venue when we got to Cape Town on the 29th December. What an unbelievable experience! The restaurant was packed( only vaxxed allowed in) food and service was excellent. And the music and fun factor in full flow. We will be back!

Dinner this evening at the dutchess of wisbeach was phenomenal! Service was top notch with informative waitrons ready to cater to our every need. A well appointed menu offered gourmet meals accompanied by a delectable house red wine. All in all it proved to be a most enjoyable experience not to be missed! I would recommend this little sea point gem anytime x

Love this place! It’s quirky, pretentious (in a good way �), great atmosphere, beautiful people.... oh yeah, and the food is great too! A definite must!

Lovely venue. The food was excellent. The music decent, but tended to become a bit loud later on in the evening.

The food was really good and waitress was very attentive. Not my typical choice of restaurant but it is definitely an experience dining with porcelain dogs scattered throughout the restaurant and then to realise you are also accompanied by furry friends at other tables.

Qwerky fun intimate vibe. A hidden gem. Definitely on my night out route for a drink and bite to eat.

The worst experience I've ever had in Cape Town! 5 items on the menu were not available. We waited just over 2hrs for our food which arrived over a period of 20min, so the first to receive their food had finished as the last received theirs. All in all a lot of hype and dismal execution!

Love this place. Theresa is amazing and so are the staff. Best part is they allow me to bring my fur baby with 💜 Toby loves you guys. #bestsquash #deliciouslambchops

I love this place. The vibe, the quirky decor, the outstanding food and the eclectic mix of fabulous people! Always a "must" on our list when in the Mother City!

I ate here last night and the service was excellent, friendly staff and fast service. The meal was one of the best I've had in recent memory.

Excellent food and fabulous staff - love this place!

Amazing in every single way, the food is good, the service and atmosphere is excellent. Best evening we had in Cape Town. Massive thank you to Michael for making our evening special

Well ... as for that mad hatter Robin. You can't please every patron, but you did a bloody fine job. Food was fantastic. Book your table in advance.

Great food, great experience! Definitely found a little gem of a restuarant!

Beautiful interesting decor, lovely atmosphere, great friendly service. The food ... Delicious. Ill be back for that lemon sorbet :)

New years dinner...so unprofessional waitress who spoiled the evening. And the food was nothing to brag about.. set .enu a.d oh so over priced...

Never disappoints , lovely & warm on a cold night . Food great & staff always look after you . Always leave feeling relaxed & feel like I have been entertained !!

Very very slow service. Then all of a sudden when the majority had left, the waiters started undressing and performed a kind of a strip tease show and it was like we weren’t in a restaurant anymore but rather a night club. Weird but also fun.

Great Vibe, great food and friendly service! Will definitely be back here. The music was fantastic, menu is just the right size, not too big and the food was delicious. Not huge portions! The bar was a great start to the evening too

Delicious wagyu beef burger and gourmet truffle oil Mac and cheese! What’s more is the atmosphere which is fun yet romantic, dogs roaming around and a beautiful setting. I really enjoyed dining here

Cozy and intimate, but also eclectic and a bit different. Good food and especially great, warm and enthusiastic service. The salmon tartar was delicious, a must try, and so was the calamari tube main. The staff really went out of their way to make it special as it was a friend's birthday.

Great setting friendly and bubbly staff, love it. I was recommended the peri peri chicken and was great, the wisbeach chips was disappointing, like your normal side order But what a spot and Thursday night it’s apparently a great spot for a bit of a night out. I will definitely be back the table next to me had the wagu burgers defiantly have to try

This place has great potential - a good location and great set up. Just wish the service and management was better. An hour after we placed our orders we were informed that they had run out of the Mac and Cheese (the reason why we were there). Manager apologized with shots but by this time we were hungry and dissatisfied with the way we were treated. I had the cottage pie - it lacked all seasoning. The mushrooms on toast was great though. Steak was average. Don’t think the kitchen can keep up sign their popularity neither can the service team.

Always so much fun at the Duchess! The place has a great atmosphere.<br/><br/>The service has only been excellent! Fast, efficient & friendly. <br/><br/>Good, simple, honest food. The dishes are fresh & tasty. They make a mean steak tartare & the peri peri chicken is delicious. Other dishes to try is their salmon tartare & beef tagliata. The fries are great too.<br/><br/>

Had the most amazing evening - staff friendly - food magnificent and ambiance 10/10 . I highly recommend this place - been to it 8x and love it

Quaint, lively, eclectic and boisterous little eatery in a quiet part of the city. The food is home cooked and fresh - the Cape Malay curry is to die for 😋<br/><br/>The attention to detail and dedication of the waitstaff is outstanding..<br/><br/>To Kelly & Robin, thank u for the beautiful evening and amazing service 👌

Great experience overall. Decor and ambience fantastic, a small and intimate space gives the feeling of cosines with sophistication. Clear and concise menu. Ordered the Fish and Chips -classic and delicious- also had a taste of my neighbour's lamb chops- the gravy was amazing 😱.

The food is plain and absolutely overpriced. There are dogs running around from the kitchen and smoke coming from the bar section, a woman (chef/owner) is yelling from the kitchen. Later this place turns into a disco with music blasting and most of the people being drunk at this time. Just unbelievable! If there is any place to avoid in Sea Point: This is it!<br/>

Great service and food. Knowledgeable waiter with great wine recommendations, good wine list, superb wagyu burger, delicious salad. Has not disappointed in 5 years

I can not believe after ages and fortunes spent at these place , to been treated so bad with an ARROGANT owner last night , who just came and shouts at us in front of whole restaurant instead try to sort problem like a human, just because we took chair from other table!!! Very bad food, overpriced, and heard quite few bad reviews ,these place kept us because of friendly stuff and bar atmosphere , but after owners behave won't be back, would rather go to club upstairs where u treated with respect.

I absolutely love the regal and vintage decor in this restaurant. It's got a romantic but festive and vibey feel to it. The menu isn't too extensive that's the only problem I have but the cocktails are phenomenal.

Worst dining experience I've ever had! <br/><br/>Arrogant staff<br/>Poor food<br/>No presentation<br/>Worst is the defensive manager who can see no wrong with the poor dining experience she offers. <br/><br/>Never go there!!!

Let me start of by saying that the food was okay to say the least, the staff especially the waiters have no idea what they are doing. Running around trying to serve way to many different tables, definitely understaffed. After our starters arrived at our table of 10, we were told that everyone who ordered the crayfish linguini will have to order something else because they had run out of crayfish. Really?? Great planning, the problem from what I can tell is you have the head chef/owner hanging out at the bar petting her dog instead of running her kitchen. Its a good vibe but they are trying to hard to be something they are not.

We booked a table for 7 , upon walking in to the establishment you walk through the bar area which is right at the entrance of the restaurant , problem was that this is where all the smokers hang out , so the first experience is through a cigarette filled room before you sit and order food. Unfortunately this restaurant will squeeze every last cm with tables as we were packed in like sardines , so much so the waitress had to ask the head of the table to hand out the meals. Trying to walk in the restaurant to the bathroom was futile. The waitresses were so over burdened that we could not get drinks at times and over 20 minutes later just cancelled , the food had alot to be desired , I ordered the rack of lamb which arrived barely cooked , when asked the waitress said that is how it is meant to be served. The chicken was at best average , before we left, the table next to us had 2 rack of lambs delivered , well cooked and braised. Needless to say when told a coffee could take 30 mins we realised that they obviously didn't have time to cook the lamb in time for the rest of the meals. All in all very loud, but good atmosphere , not great service and raw food

There is a lot of hype about the Duchess. I would like to say it's not for everyone. It's wild, fun and a very different experience especially the later it gets. The food was very good but very pricy and I wouldn't say value for money. However I had great time with a couple of mates, the waiters are very interactive and almost overly friendly. If you're looking for a fun boozy night, I would really recommend

Donned a jacket and and grey hair and chose this local favourite for my 30th birthday. The head chef smoking cigarettes and the host on a mountain of Peruvian flying powder only seemed to amplify what is a loud rambunctious party atmosphere. I like to think that anywhere with a giant bullhead in its entrance hall is going to provide an entertaining evening, and just like my creepy uncle throwing me a 16 year old barmitzfa when I'm not even Jewish... it did. The mussels to start made me want to bring working jobs back to America. And the beef tagilliatta for mains, with a side of their famous fries made me kinda wet. Because of the salivating. Flip, dirty minds. One of our party had the prawn cakes and finding the prawns was like searching for legendary Pokemon in Bonteheuwel, as it was mostly potatoes, but the rest of the crew all left slightly drunk and highly satisfied. Don't come here if you want to chill, but if you're keen to have a great meal, whip your Tits out and potentially indulge in some class A narcotics, there's few better!

A firm favourite! This 'off beat' restaurant will have you smiling all night. Whimsical, dramatic, fanciful and gracious. Great spot for dinner, dancing and drinks!! Fabulous food, service, atmosphere and decor makes this a real winner.....

Words can't even describe the way I feel about our dining experience at The Duchess of Wisbeach last night. It was a surprise farewell party my friends arranged for me and it's a pity that this will be the last impression I leave Cape Town with. <br/>Completely overbooked, we were shoved in like sardines. When my friend wanted to use the loo and the door was locked for ages the waitress said to her "I wouldn't go there, they're all doing coke in there" When we wanted to order mains there was hardly anything left to choose from. Anyway, I do understand it was their last night of trade for the season, so obviously they ran out of some of the items. We ordered coffees after the meal and waited 30 minutes because the waitress was having wine and supper at another table with her colleagues. When we got her attention to ask how long the coffee will be still she completely lost it!! - probably feeling like we are disturbing her little dinner party - Complaining and shouting to her colleagues at their table. When we tried to speak to her nicely she said we should go f**k ourselves. She went to the owner and while the owner was looking at us said "f**k them". - Apparently she has a fiery temper. She brought the bill without us even asking for it and threw it on the table. I'm sorry but I can't tip a person who treats us like absolute trash. She drew so much attention that people around us were asking us what the hell is going on with her. She even threw the table next to us' bill at them and they commented that she's quite feisty. She told my friend to "move out of her f****** way" as we were making our way towards the door. When we were about to leave the manager spoke to us outside and said that "she is a c***" and he will address her about the situation but when he went inside they all laughed. I am completely disgusted by this experience and I think there must be some sort of substance fueling the temper of some of these people here....

Never seem to really remember the food as every evening turns into a complete party night. One of Cape Town's best. The bar is amazing and the owner is lovely. Never disappointed whenever I visit!

Intimate vibe, fantastic food, great tequila, soulful music and amazing personalities !<br/>Really enjoyed this spot. Go in a group and let the night take you - you'll have loads more fun :)

Rather disappointing! Having heard quite a bit about the place, we were eager to visit. Unfortunately, we seemed to have picked the wrong meals on the menu, being fish & chips (R165) and the prawn cakes. The fish batter was dense and slightly over done and the waiter didn't bother to acknowledge my feedback. The prawn cakes should have been labelled potato cake. Was so uninspired that i choose to have dessert some where else. I don't think I'll be back in a hurry.

All hail the Duchess of Wisbeach! This busy little restaurant will knock you off your feet, literally and figuratively! <br/>Literally - because the place is quite tightly packed, always buzzing with people and the waiters are always rushing around to ensure swift service<br/>Figuratively - the food is exquisite! <br/>The calamari to start is fantastic! Perfectly cooked, with a melt-in-the-mouth consistency! The soy, chili and lemon sauce that accompany's the dish is a taste that is irreplaceable!<br/>The mains were lovely! The Lamb chops are so tender and juicy along with amazing chips and stuffed tomato! <br/>All of this was topped off with a vanilla pod panacotta and berry coulis, which had the most beautiful consistency as it wobbled merrily on the plate as our waitress laid it down on the table! I also managed to steal a cheeky bite of my Boyfriends hot sticky apricot pudding, which just bought about a sudden BANG of flavor!! Although very happy with my choice, My spoon was itching to dig into the sticky apricot pudding because the flavors were undeniably fantastic! <br/>One of my fave parts of this restaurant is that the chef takes the time and effort to interact with her guests/customers. This brings about the buzzing ambience, as the excitement of seeing the person who is in charge of creating such magnificent foods arises. Here's another hint: be sure to book in advance! Walk in's are often turned away because it would be impossible to plan in such short time in such a small space for spontaneous visits. What a wonderful experience! Thank you kindly :)

Slightly disappointed with this promising and trending dinner spot. Although the food was alright, the overall experience was unfortunately lacking in what you would expect from a fine dining experience.<br/><br/>My first impression of the place was that it's quite small. I wouldn't recommend going there if you're a group larger than 5. Once we were seated, we heard a huge racquet coming from the kitchen. We asked our waitress what was going on and were told they were "tenderizing the meat". This carried on for a good 30 minutes. Also, there was a lot of carrying around of chairs and general commotion, which gave me the impression that they were a bit unorganized.<br/><br/>Our waitress poured us our wine and then disappeared. We managed to catch the attention of another waitress who went on to take over our table for the evening. And I must say, points to her because she really did take good care of us. And was the most decently dressed of all the waitresses! This was the other thing that bothered me - the waitresses' "uniforms" looked very unprofessional and didn't suit the ambiance of the restaurant at all. They looked quite tacky - I don't know if this is the look they're going for, but it's definitely not up to standard.<br/><br/>For starters, we ordered the Duchess salad for the table, which arrived quickly and tasted lovely. I loved the dressing it came with! <br/><br/>Mains consisted of kingklip, prawn cakes, lamb chops and peri peri chicken. The kingklip was devine - soft with a crispy skin, deliciously served with mashed potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The lamb and chicken were also fantastic and bursting with flavor, with just the right amount of spices. The prawn cakes were more fish than prawn and very dry - definitely wouldn't order that again. I also tried their "famous" french fries, but this was nothing special and tasted very much like chips I would've had at any other steakhouse.<br/><br/>You do get a very personal atmosphere in that the staff are very friendly and the owner herself is there every night, along with her two dogs. But the decor and furniture in the restaurant is quite tattered and in serious need of renovation. Some time during our dinner, there was a huge puff of smoke that came from the bar area, which seemed to have been a smoking area. But the smoke blew directly into the restaurant! Combined with the noisy kitchen and the chaotic atmosphere, it just wasn't a great dining experience. I'm sorry to say that Duchess of Wisbeach isn't worth all the recent rave reviews it's been getting. I don't think I'll be returning any time soon.

This was the first restaurant I went to in Cape Town. I was very pleased with how helpful the staff was, and the service was very friendly and hard working. The food was tasty too, and at night the music gets turned up a little louder and people seem to stick around to mingle with a few drinks.

Now this place has a great vibe. It's busy but you will not be forgotten for a moment by the staff, they are all fantastic. This is obviously one of the "in places" of Cape Town. Celebrities, sportsmen and politicians abound! To top it all the food is also really good.

This is one of the raddest places I've been to. The 300 gram sirloin was one of the best steaks I've had and three of us had that, plus drinks for the evening and the bill was R600, which is so well priced. The staff are fun and friendly and all round it's just an amazing place to visit and I highly recommend it.

We went to the Duchess of Wisbeach for my father’s birthday on Saturday<br/>evening, it was a lovely experience. The restaurant was cosy and<br/>intimate, quirky and welcoming. <br/><br/> <br/>The owner is a big dog lover so you will find random<br/>little dog statues around the restaurant which was quite quirky and cute but<br/>still kept the place looking fancy. The evening I was there, there were two<br/>small dogs roaming around the restaurant which I thought was sweet and added<br/>that personal touch. The dogs came to say hi if you called them but didn’t bother<br/>anyone or randomly come and join your table. <br/><br/> <br/>Everyone at the table had something different and no one<br/>was disappointed with any of their meals. I had the macaroni (you don’t usually<br/>see such a common dish at such a nice restaurant which is why I figured it must<br/>be a damn good one to be on the menu. It was!). Following mains I ordered the<br/>poached pear dessert which was a great treat as not very many restaurants serve<br/>this dessert.

Small and intimate layout but anything but quiet. Staff are friendly but stretched a little too thin. Our food was excellent but ranged from good to very good. It was vibey with fun people overflowing into the street. <br/><br/>Owner and chef Theresa is unique. At times she makes Gordon Ramsey seem tame from behind her kitchen counter. If you're offended by "robust" kitchen management then this place isn't for you. <br/><br/>We found Theresa very hospitable and friendly - we invited her to join us for a drink at our table. <br/><br/>Overall the experience was great giving it my 4.5 rating

Such a gem of a restaurant - quirky, warm and full of character! Food is humble and simple in presentation and delicious in flavor! Great service too!

Walk through the door into a whimsical, warm, quirky wonder of; great classic and French music, cutesy decor, suave customers, off beat and charismatic waiters, beautiful wine and delicious food. I loved the tables and set up (although the waiter did steal our candle leaving us in the dark), cozy crowded atmosphere (the waiter later moved our table closer to the wall to fit in a table in an overbooked area), delicious food (I can definitely recommend the kingklip, halloumi salad and fillet with bernaise sauce), and unexpected fun. The service was somewhat invisible (absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder) and we were definitely left wanting (he did warm up to more frequent visits when he started hoing our table for free shots). Overall a thoroughly enjoyable off beat experience. I would love to return on a quieter night (if possible) with a more attentive waiter (if possible). Definitely recommended for a fun night with suave friends (all ages, all types) or fun date night!

I can't tell you how much I love this place. I go every chance I get and have never been disappointed. It's loud, sometimes brash, even eccentric. But it's like you're eating at your favourite Aunt's place; you know, the one with 12 dogs and martinis for breakfast. The one you've always wanted to be like. The food is great, the staff camp, familiar and friendly. All round a lovely, lovely experience.

Wow! An amazing experience! From the moment you walk in, to the moment you leave, the ambience is awesome. The staff are super friendly and welcoming. The food is glorious!<br/><br/>I've been going there for dinner since 2010 and each time the experience has been the same. <br/><br/>Thank you Duchess!

Allows smoking at bar in poorly ventilated restaurant. Illegal and made my food taste like ashes. Will never eat here again. Avoid at all costs.

I am not a particularly fussy person. I enjoy great conversations, cherish spending time with my fantastic friends and have a passion for the service industry.<br/>Customer centricity is a value I hold dear to my heart and try at every opportunity to make my GUESTS/CLIENTS know just how much I value them. Tonight at the Pop Up Italian Restaurant above The Duchess of Wisbeach I experienced customer service at it's worst.<br/>I had the displeasure of interacting with a very lonely, abusive restaurant owner of The Duchess of Wisbeach. The entire dinning experience was a comedy of errors. The service was non existent. The manager and owner were absent throughout this entire ordeal. After asking for the bill for the third time this heartless woman appeared and began to lambast us in front of her restaurant. (Unbeknown to her I knew a large majority of her patrons) She must have been dying to unleash her personal frustrations in life on someone. That someone just happened to be me. When she began to lecture me how I know nothing about the service industry I could only chuckle to myself. If only she knew just how passionate I was about it and just how much it meant to me.<br/>When I asked her to stop screaming at me she continued to scream even louder "young people like you do not belong in this restaurant." We paid the bill even after every other table in the restaurant advised us not to. Whilst she might have gained a couple of rand I honestly feel that I gained more.<br/>I was reminded just how important it is to love what you do. How important it is to be present and how important it is to always remain humble.<br/>Theresa Beukes from the The Duchess of Wisbeach you can sleep peacefully tonight knowing that I will never step foot back into your disgusting excuse for a restaurant.<br/>You deserve all the misery you bring onto yourself.<br/>