From beginning to end it was an amazing experience! The atmosphere relaxing and view stunning. Wonderful food and brilliant staff. The manager comes around to take your order and we received great recommendations from him. From starters through dessert not a single bad dish, all delicious (Me and my husband's dishes were (Starters) 1. Smoked chicken pancake 2. Calamari (Mains) 1. Lamb Ossobuco 2. Sole (Dessert) 1. Tiramisu 2. Cheesecake). Well worth the price. Our server Gordon also fantastic and friendly. Will definitely be back on our next visit to Durban.
I been to the Roma Revolving Restaurant several times but I am always in awe. The slowly revolving restaurant is classy and sophisticated as you view Durban town and the Indian Ocean. Perfectly located. The staff are efficient friendly and polite. The food divine.
I promised my 6 year old son a visit to the revolving restaurant and he was fascinated with the view. Food was as good as it was 5 years ago. Waiters are on the ball, especially the ones that have been there for more than 20 years. What I love about Roma is the freshness of the food. They create a kids meals or half portions.
Food was sumptuous with fantastic views. Great food, great service from the legendary Gino, Tony and the professional staff. Will definitely be back many times again and again.
In one word: Excellent!!!
Best waiter ever: Brandino!!!
We will come back next time and always!!!
Great view on the entire city. You turn around and you have new picture from the window. Excellent!
Our waiter, Ravi, was extremely well mannered and helpful. The view was pleasant, and I would recommend to stay through the night. The food was good, al dente.
Succulent and saucy lamb chops with nicely seasoned fries. Tasty and soft fish with a side of lovely mash. The food here is lovely. The major selling point here for me though is the breathtaking views of Durban City. One minute you're overlooking the gorgeous harbour and sea and the next you're overlooking the pretty bright lights sprinkled across the CBD. We went there for supper so our view was pretty much light light lights and I loved it. Very romantic place to spend an evening pigging out and gushing about the fantastic views every few minutes with your special someone.
What an amazing experience! Great food excellent service and it was such a special evening. Will definitely be back here when I am in Durban.
Lovely restaurant and food. Beautiful views of Durban.
The waiters need to be more alert and faster
Had the duckling a la orange - loved every bite.
My boyfriend had the spaghetti pescatore. It was slightly sour but still delicious.
It was interesting how the desserts came on a tray. I liked that the desserts were brought to you and you could eat with your eyes first.
I have been here twice and i really enjoyed the experience... the food was great indeed.. I like the setting of the place...especially the carpet floors and velvet curtains giving you sort of that elite feel of when the place originally opened 45 years ago. i feel its elite of old school and i am an old soul so for me the place is excellent.
My experience from they steak at once and the prawn the second time was nothing short of perfect.
Roma has been a family favorite. However, I haven't returned for a few years. I'm so glad I took that break as I was welcomed to a different, fresh and exciting experience. Valentines lunch was superb. For starters we ordered calamari rings which we enjoyed. Mains included prawns which we thoroughly enjoyed. Seafood appeared to be a selection for most today. Lastly we were treated to desserts from the trolley: a slice of cookies and cream and chocolate mousse. Whilst this appeared to be from Chateau Gateaux, it was delicious nonetheless. When the bill arrived it was fair given our meals, service and the experience. The waiters were friendly. Although the restaurant was fairly busy ,We had no long waiting periods. The view was by far the best. I will definitely return to Roma for yet another great experience.
From my experience:
1. Best views
2. Friendly and helpful staff
3. Wonderful food (very good italian food)
4. Loved the desert table. Their pastry chef has worked for them for nearly 40 years.
Incredible.
I am so surprised to see this place does not have a 4.5+ rating.
So I decided to read other's reviews to see why.
Main points they complained about:
Not vegan, not vegetarian, no ample parking and one person even complained that the owner didn't make a fuss of them.
In all likeliness these people need a reality check.
Thanks Roma for a wonderful time!
Outstanding food. Outstanding service.
10/10!
Definitely a must go to!
Food was excellent and waiters and waitresses very friendly.
Desserts also excellent!
Once in a lifetime experience, one of a kind in Durban. I especially love the duck. The service was great. Book in advance. Very good ambience, charming decor. I was dissatisfied that there was no set dessert menu and that the waiter goes around with a trolley of desserts especially if someone has already picked the desserts that you want.
Otherwise good
Went there after years a little while back and the food coupled with the great service and awesome view made for a wonderful date night. We shared starters, mains were delicious and the epic dessert trolley was all delicious..
Eurisa Silushka Naicker
+3.5
This is a great place for a breathtaking dining experience. The views, especially at night, decor, music selection and old fashioned styled waitress make for an experience. The food however is very average. The maitre'd was rather condescending when I was trying to get clarity on a few dishes. The service was practically non existent. I had 3 courses. The most outstanding was my crayfish soup. My mains was dissapointing and the 'hand made pasta' turned out to be vermicelli from a packet. Definitely not fresh. The dessert trolley cakes all looked like they were from chateaux gateaux. The cassata was average. I tasted some of the seafood pasta from my mum in law and it was great! I think the more average priced dishes are ordered frequently and are well prepared.
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Old school as it comes! You find very few restaurants anywhere in the world like this hidden gem. A classic menu which I bet hasn't been changed in decades, reading the menu took me back to my memories of the long gone restaurants I was treated to as a child. Yes the service is a little old school, yes the wait between starters and main course was a little long. But that's the quirkiness that has almost become a distant memory from another era.
I mean where can you meet a professional 30 year veteran on a desert trolley , serving classic recipes only your grandmother could have made, I presumed lost to the new generation of chefs a long time ago. But unbelievably Roma has survived and I am very privileged to have had the chance to dine in another era.
These businesses in my opinion deserve our support more than any others. stop eating cheap factory produced franchise rubbish, save up a little extra cash for a real meal and good glass of wine at establishments like Roma before it's too late.
Went there last night. First of all, the prices are higher than the ones here, add about 20 - 30 % to them. The food was absolutely delicious, the portions are small but surprisingly filling. The waiters are absolute darlings, I get why they have old people as waiters.. It goes with the theme of the restaurant, it's all about class. The food takes a while to get prepared but I guess it's because they want us to enjoy the view. You honestly feel like royalty.
Megan Penguin-Leigh Swarts
+3.5
Great experience, stunning views.
Parking is not the best but there are security guards.
The staff are super friendly and their coffee is delicious. Good pasta however the restaurant has old fashioned decor. We only stayed for one rotation because we started getting motion sickness.
Absolutely love going there. The service is outstanding very friendly and very professional. They are very informative about their food and the food is just outstanding. Lovely view and outstanding food. Definitely a must go back.
We went to Roma revolving restaurant to celebrate and it was a great evening! The views are worth the price of the food and it's a real novelty! The Italian owners are absolutely delightful and so friendly. The bread sticks started us off on a good note and I thoroughly enjoyed my pepper fillet with delicious pepper sauce and vegetables. The butternut was really tasty. My fellow diners had veal and fish and both really enjoyed it. We then shared a creamy three chocolate mousse and a really yummy tiramisu. I recommend the tiramisu as I enjoy anything coffee flavoured!
All in all, worth a visit and enjoy the warm Italian hospitality.
My all time favourite place. Been here so many times over the years and the quality of food and service remains outstanding. My all time favourites are the chicken pancake starter and the Old Man Steak. Will continue to go back. Have many beautiful memories made here which are very precious to me. Well done Roma
Amazing place. The view is incredible and the staff are very friendly. The food was great possibly the best Italian food in Durban. We were treated like royalty. A definite must. The dessert guy AkA the Cake Boss has a huge personality and great cake.
Such an incredible restaurant. The view is unbelievable and the atmosphere is great. The only major downfall is that there was no aircon last night. By the time we had finished our mains we were literally sweating from the heat that we didn't even want to stay another minute for dessert. Not a nice way to end such a lovely evening.
Went here recently for the first time to celebrate my anniversary. It was such an enjoyable experience!
The view really does add to the whole vibe of the evening! We really enjoyed the food and the service.
My girlfriend had the calamari starter (her way of measuring restaurants) and said that it was possibly the best she's had, which is saying a lot.
I had the chicken livers which were good. Then I had the lasagna for the main which was nice, but didn't quite live up to my expectations. Steph had a seafood dish was absolutely delicious.
We didn't do any dessert, but they looked nice.
Only thing I can add is don't order the house wine, it's poison.
I'm a regular here whenever I go back to Durban! Love the view and the food, honestly the seafood is definitely a must and dessert is to die for!
My mum took my fiancé and I out to dinner. It was such a lovely experience. The waiters are very friendly and helpful. My choice of starter was a smoked chicken pancake which was covered in a creamy sauce, for mains I had the ravioli dish which I found pretty average. The ravioli was chewy and tough but the sauce was delicious. Dessert was brought on a trolley for us to choose from. We chose the chocolate mousse, red velvet cake and a pecan nut cake.
The view of Durban is pretty amazing and such a lovely view to have dinner.
We had a friend's dinner party there, absolutely beautiful.
It was our first time, so everything was exquisite.
We were served by the owner, which was quiet an honor and he made some great recommendations for us. Enjoyed my generous veal casserole portion greatly.
The girls enjoyed their meals too, we loved the decor and ambience.
We enjoyed the dessert trolley - cake is a girl's best friend.. The service was good, we didn't really have to wait a long for our meals - we ordered our starters and mains at the same time which made it easier with receiving our meals.
The 360 rotation is absolutely amazing and the background music was lively, and kept the conversation flowing. Will definitely go again..
What an old school gem. Loved the waiters. Some of which have worked there since 1969 !!
Although the portions were on the smaller side , the flavor and quality is 5 star.
The view is of course like nowhere else in Durban.
Incredible panoramic 360 degree views of Durban City Centre, Coastline and Harbour. Good vegetarian pastas. Un-intentionally retro. Revolving still fascinating for all.
A pleasure from start to end. Had to move my booking twice, and they happily obliged even thou the restaurant was full to capacity. Well experienced and friendly staff kept us entertained throughout the night. The food was amazing, fit for the special occasion and prices weren't bad at all. For such at old establishment the deco is still amazing and the furniture in decent shape although it's showing some age.
Hearty food👌
Passionate service (a little slow though)👍
Decor could do with some modernization....
But all in all, your palate will be well pleased 😊
Milani Milzybear Motlohi
+4
Beautiful, elegant and something one should always experience! The restaurant spins slowly while you enjoy your food. The food is prepared well and made to perfection. The Chef is dedicated to such perfection. I enjoy going there it's completely unique and a place for special occasions.
The food at Roma was really really good. A group of 18 of us went up the 30 something flights to eat and drink merrily. The one thing we noticed was that all the meals had amazing sauces. That got us thinking. Do they just leave the sauce to simmer while the restaurant stirs it as it revolves... hmmm... amazing idea...
Friendly staff on arrival. The view of Durban harbour at night is mind blowing!!!! The atmosphere is created by the view. The deco is outdated! No complaints about the food as it was yummy!
Food was overpriced as is to be expected, but delicious nonetheless. The carpets are not ideal and the decor outdated. The duck d'orange was to die for. Lovely service and friendly professional staff
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Whatever reviews I have read about this restaurant about the service being too slow, waiters not friendly, place dilapidated and food not good quality contradicts everything I experienced at lunch today.
I booked via email. They were very quick to help with bookings and extra information. When we got there the entrance was beautiful with statutes and artwork. The waiters who assisted us (and about 3 of them) took such good care of us. They spoke to us about the restaurants and made good suggestions with regards to meals. The food was delicious! Nothing could be complained about. The duckling ala orange is a must try. For someone who has never eaten duck before that leap of faith was well worth it.
The view...the view...the view...absolutely amazing. Seeing the harbour and watching the boats go in and out and the beautiful ocean there is no comfort compared to watching such beauty.
If you are thinking about visiting Roma stop thinking and go. You will never be dissapointed! We also had an opportunity to meet the owner who was incredibly kind and very passionate about what he does! Make sure you go on the roof top aswell to take in more of the beautiful views. Well worth the visit!
This place is simply amazing. For locals, you have to experience it at least once. And if you got any foreign guests this is a must. You view the whole of Durban in an hour of sitting there. The experience is phenomenal. The food is incredible. Proper Italian dishes made authentically. The decor and service is also of a high level.
A beautiful restaurant with a beautiful view. It is more fitting to go there in the evening. I was impressed with the starter (I had a prawn starter) for the main I had a sea food pasta which was good..The service was great, its a beautiful place! loved it!
Best time to go to Roma is dinner time. The view is stunning. The restaurant takes about an hour to revolve. I have been there twice and I tried the pasta which was average and the next time I tried the duck which was good. Overall experience was really nice. Setting was intimate so would be good for a romantic dinner date.
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In reading Roma's reviews, you'll notice that there are two opinions: it's either loved or loathed. It comes down to expectations.
For me it is a treasure, a remnant from the sixties/seventies. If they ever want to refurbish, I would like them to keep it in the same style, with the same old fashioned feel. On entry, you are transported to an earlier era -from the wellcome by the maitré to the red velvet window drapes and the old fashioned hotel style crockery.
The retaurant is 32 floors up and revolving slowly with breathtaking views over Durban and Durban Harbour.
Service is leisurely, with two head waiters taking all the orders. Most of the service staff have clearly been there for years.
To start with I had the Lobster Bisque. Creamy, savoury soup with good colour and a fair amount of fresh lobster nuggets - a nice surprise.
Fresh Yellowtail with a lobster sauce and mash potato was the main cource. The fish was perfectly cooked and very fresh. The sauce divine - creamy, glossy with good ballance of flavour.
Desert is served from a desert trolley. I must confess that the trolley itself is not aestheticly pleasing - puddings like tiramisu and peppermint crisp tarts are served in stainless steel pans, straight out of the kitchen. Plating of said deserts leaves much to be desired!
Crepes Suzette are prepared at the table - quite a show, but it's only available for two or more persons. I settled for Tiramisu.
Plating was poor but it tasted good! It might have been the best Tiramiso I've ever had!
I would go back any time!
Pasta’s are divine!!!!!! Best service,best view. Smoked chicken pancake was divine and so too was the white chocolate dessert. Desserts were good. And did I mention how good the service is. They actually organized ice cream for us even it's not on the menu!! Simeon D Roach Cameron Rajoo Kemsley Rajoo P
Roma is unique. In many ways it reminds me of the seventies and eighties - relaxed dining taking time to savour the delicious meals, being greeted by one of the maitre d' and thoroughly professional waiters. The service is deliberately slow so that you enjoy the ambiance and the slowly moving view of Durban Harbour and Durban city.
The menu is expansive and everything we have savoured was top draw.
For desserts the crêpes suzette is a must. This is one of the few restaurants in South Africa that not only still offers this classic but does it justice by preparing at your table with all the theatrics.
If you do not see the same part of Durban at least three times through your window, you have been too hasty!
Went for dinner and enjoyed the slow pace revolving of the restaurant which allowed one to appreciate the tranquility of the Durban Bay at night as well as the city. We found the service efficient and personal and the various dishes ordered (which included pastas, seafood, chicken were well prepared). The dessert trolley was extensive and tasty. Although the decor and design is in need of urgent repair making the atmosphere unpleasant.
360^ degrees view of the Durban coast, amazing food. Romantic Resturant to impress your partner. Resturant revolves with amazing views and delicious food. Must go place
Food was superb. That together with stunning views of Durban cbd, the harbour and Moses Mabhida stadium just made up for the lack of good service. With such an amazing asset of a revolving restaurant one would expect top notch service. That was my only disappointment.
This place is great. Getting a panoramic view of Durban while enjoying a great meal is unparalleled.
The service was great.
I highly recommend the fillet old man which is fillet cooked in brandy with creamy mustard and mushroom sauce served with noodles. Another great meal is the veal.
I enjoyed myself here but have to say the decor and general appearance of the roma is getting tired and in need of some redecorating ASAP.
Epic experience to eat on the 32nd floor while you're treated to an amazing view while you revolve. The food itself however is average. The complimentary bread basket was stale, but I enjoyed my spinach and ricotta cannelloni (however got no parmesan to go with it) and my girlfriend enjoyed her veal. The service we received from our waiter was below standard. But we ended the evening off on the bar on the deck, and overall, had a great time.
I hosted my sisters birthday dinner @Cargo Hold Restaurant and their service was absolutely AMAZING. Chef Warren and some staff members helped me with my decor setup without even having to ask. They went out of their way to make sure that everything was perfect(and exactly the way I want), before the birthday girl and other guests arrived. Even the ladies at reception were very welcoming, including the rest of the staff as well. The food was absolutely delicious, everything was just, 10/10 minus NOTHING!
Quick response received when we requested a reservation. We were warmly greeted on arrival by the host. Our waitress seemed lost but she did request assistance from the chef who was extremely accomodating. Chef Warren meals were delicious. The knife went thru the beef sirloin like a knife thru butter. The haloumi was absolutely soft and warm with a crisp batter. Pasta was well seasoned. The tank makes the experience at Cargo Hold a delight.
Cargo Hold is situated next to Ushaka Marine inside the ship.
The interior where you can see a huge shark/fish tank is amazing!
The pasta was a little overpriced but the atmosphere was good. Good for the experience.
Dear Warren and Team . Thank you for the amazing seafood platters and Lamb Shank.
The views of the aquarium were spectacular .The entire team was so welcoming and professional, and all our expectations were met. We'll come back every time we're in the area. Best Kingklip I've ever had !
Very nice location and very nice decors. Lovely aquarium inside, which the kids and the adults will enjoy.. The only thing is that the food is ok.. With that great location and great decors.. I can only rate it for a forcing 4/5.. We had a great time there. Improve the food quality.. You gonna ge a 5 stars restaurant in Durban.
The Stars are for the view. The food was what you would expect, good. But the prices are CRAZY and OVERRATED. But for the fact that I booked 2 weeks in advance just to get the best table by the tank, which i never landed getting. The only thing that was SUPER AMAZING and ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE was the tank. Cant remember much else. So, would i go again, yes but only for the view.
We visited for a pre-birthday dinner on a Saturday evening. Cargo Hold is renowned for the amazing aquarium dining experience, and being seated next to the fish tank is a one-of-a-kind experience. We ordered the aphrodite platter (seafood) which was fresh and wonderfully prepared with a garlic sauce, and the pork ribs which was average, and the chocolate volcano for dessert which was good.
The service was slow, which was later explained that they were short-staffed that evening.
All in all it was a unique and enjoyable dining experience.
Wow! I lived in Durban my whole life but only visited Cargo Hold in May 2022 with my person and then with my Fam in December 2022.
Took my person there to celebrate our anniversary. I booked a table near the tank in advance. The views and food was absolutely amazing, the service was great.
My person loved the lamb shank, couldn't stop talking about it. I ordered the prawn platter, absolutely no regrets 😍
When I went back with my Fam, we ordered the lamb shank, steak, seafood platter, chicken liver and halloumi starter. Definitely no regrets.
Watch the fish swimming by while enjoying delicious food!
This place deserves a 10 star rating. Nothing better than dining while watching fish swim right next to you. The food is absolutely delicious. A must for anyone visiting Durban
What an amazing experience.
The head chef was so friendly and so accommodating. The food was "The Jobs"👌👌👌
The drinks and the dessert were even better.
Thank u. We will definitely be returning.
Had my wedding at the restaurant. The staff are so accommodating and friendly. The food was amazing! It was an intimate wedding that was absolutely perfect! Thank you Cargo Hold.
Service was a little on the slow side, and the restaurant was pretty loud, but the aquarium right next to the table was a killer, and the food was good as well.
I would recommend anyone to go to the Cargo hold, it was tranquil and inviting. The tank set up is so stunning and when the lights go off its something absolutely gorgeous my only nit pick would be for them to tank the music alittle as it felt one song played whole night but that's just a preference not a problem. It really was a wonderful experience
Cargo Hold Restaurant in Durban offers a unique dining experience with its stunning location in the old cargo hold of a ship. The ambiance is truly exceptional, surrounded by ocean views and a captivating underwater world. The seafood selection is a highlight, with fresh and delicious options. The service was attentive and friendly. A memorable dining spot for special occasions or a romantic evening.
Absolutely fantastic! Sitting at the fish tank is so relaxing, perfect for marriage proposals. The seafood platter was gorgeous with a delicious garlic sauce. The wine selection is good. The service must be worked on though, the staff member setting up at the door did not greet us, the waiter was also a bit condescending, however we held our own. My score is based on the food, fish tank, atmosphere and background music.
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