Review Cafe Jiran - Durban

The food is great, out of this world, actually. Before I complained about the service, it was horrible. After I expressed how ridiculous it was, everything went smoothly.

I went to Durban for a holiday I would walk to this place for Dinner and chill, love the food the vibe and the staff is friendly, Itumeleng from the bar is very great at her job always smiling her service was exceptional, I even went there the next day because of her service really makes you feel welcome..

After an exploration of the Durban promenade this little Cafe/restaurant popped up and mind you Durban was sizzling hit yesterday. As we arrived, we were greeted by David and our drinks orders taken, we had really only come in to quench our thirst. David explained to us that they had revamped and gave us a quick run down or happy hour specials and the buffet special at their new breakfast spot right at the top of the Bellaire hotel called Sunset Lounge. Overall experience was great and now we have a new spot for drinks and breakfast.

I think it’s now called Sky Lounge, the staff here is so friendly and I’ve been there a few times because their buffet breakfast is amazing, I mostly enjoy the hot breakfast and the chefs special never disappoints- the last one I had was a liver and chutney by Chef Wonderboy. It was to die for. It’s also affordable so you won’t be disappointed here:)

Had a drink with friends, pleasant venue, attentive waitress, prices expensive but 2 for 1 happy hour is good value

Most beautiful experiences. Very friendly and helpful staff. Most beautifully presented food and drinks. Be it just a cappuccino , or a scrumptious romantic dinner, one will never be disappointed. Situated on the promenade. Comfortable seating inside or outdoors.

Jiran has the best coffee in the country. Hands down. Food menu is awesome, staff always friendly. Be sure to get extra friendly Veli to serve you.

Beautiful interior design of the place. Waiters are very welcoming and easy to talk to. Good customer service oriented, a great cafe place with good food and wifi and honestly a great stop for tourists...

Great coffee and a superb menu throughout the day....more especially their freshly squeezed fruit juices.

The best coffee restaurant in the North Beach area. Serves alcoholic beverages as well. Pleasant atmosphere. Friendly and helpful staff.

There must put the radio volume up as people upper there voices

Nice setting. Good menu options. Waiters were friendly and were quick to accommodate my wife and I. Great place to come to after a morning run or cycle on the beachfront. Would definitely visit the restaurant again. Wish they had more vegetarian options and bigger coffee mugs though, nevertheless still a good place to hang out!

Currently under renovations, and temporarily moved to the hotels secret bonsai garden which is stunning!

Cosy and amazing, the staff are top class

The cafe is placed in an incredible place near the shore of Indian Ocean. Though i have visited the place many times, i have not sat in the inside.The outdoor is fantastic! The view is so beautiful. The wind, the sound of the ocean gives you an amazing experience. The waiters are friendly and exceptional. Keep it up.

It's a place to visit in Durban across the beach front

My sisters and I went to Cafe Jiran for lunch on Women's day 08.08.2017, much to our disappointment, their lunch menu was so limited, waiter mentioned, there's a different menu for lunch and dinner. We acknowledged that and ordered, every meal was salt less, chicken snitzel was as hard as a rock, basically nothing was worth the money. Their meals are very standard for the price. Manager came to our table and we told him about how bad the food was, especially the chicken, he just looked, smiled and left, received our bill only to see, all was charged for, told the waiter, we will not pay for one meal, paid and walked out, we will never visit again. Sad, because, it used to be a NYC hangout, clearly service levels have dropped. Hopefully, something is done about these comments

Jiran has gone from fine dining to an expensive fast food outlet. We took friends from Cape Town last night, 21 January 2018, and the only thing that wasn't terrible was the beer and wine. This is in contrast to our last visit about a year ago where the food and service was exceptional. They've kept the prices up there but not the quality. The menu is now an abbreviated joke.

Disappointed. Was my favourite breakfast place for the last few years, but my visit today was a very limited menu and disappointing portions in both different breakfasts we ordered. Nice new look, but at the expense of the quality and quantity of food - sorry, I won't be back in a hurry...

I am very much impressed. Lovely atmosphere. Service was excellent. The food was devine. All in all it was worth the money. I will recommend Cafe Jiran to any visitor - like me. That's the place to go...

This used to be a great place, the staff drops the ball with below par service. I am sad to say. Great service makes a huge difference in the hospitality industry.....

Cafe Jiran's service and food is superb, Definitely a place to consider for a great meal. Compliments to the chef and service staff.

The atmosphere is right but the food is not good st all. I ordered mutton curry, it was overcooked and did not have salt. The dressing they used on the salad was bland. Not impressive at all.

Had a coffe morning there on 25th November 2017 in their 'temporary' venue due to renovations to their Cafe! Their Manager on duty, Sandile was amazing, our waiter and service,fabulous and the coffe and muffins divine. Had some lunch afterwards which was awesome. Definitely worth a visit!

I was there 2 days ago for the first time but I loved it everything was absolutely perfect � for me,the staff was very friendly and welcoming I'm definitely coming back.

First timers. We ended up going back in the evening for drinks. Lovely place. Food was great and very reasonably priced. Definitely going to be our new "Go To" place. Thank you. Looking forward to trying your lamb shank next.

As of today my family and I are no longer customers of Cafe Jiran. My parents frequented this restaurant are highly disappointed at the poor service level. We arrived at 11.30am we were given both the lunch and breakfast menu. However we were NOT ALLOWED to order from the lunch menu as it was before 12pm. Why was the menu given to us in the first place? My mother had ordered a toasted sandwich and at 11.45am after we had already ordered we were told they cannot make a toasted cheese and tomato due to their RULES that sandwiches ,cannot be ordered before 12pm!!!!!A whole 15minutes, the manager did not want to make any exceptions as this was the rule and the chef WOULD NOT make it before 12!!!! As we asked for the bill and asked them to cancel the order , then only was an exception of 15minutes allowed. A simple toasted cheese and tomato sandwich - Seriously?! The service has really deteriorated!

Ethereal! The melee, the food, the exceptional service, everything was just perfect!! Definitely a restaurant I'd recommend to any foodie in the Durban area!

Coffee good... wait 40mins for a muffin. No toasted sandwiches available for breakfast but thy serve burgers....seriously

While Cafe Kiran has a lovely ambiance and the decor is appealing the overall dining experience was not great. Sure if was a Sunday evening but the service was terrible, dirty dishes were left on our table the entire meal. The sauce that came with the steak had an unpleasant taste however the steak itself was cooked well. The pasta was bland and absolutely enormous, this just ended up being a waste of food. The wind that was ordered with the steak only came after we asked what had happened to it and then only arrived a while later again. Their coffee selection looked promising and the reviews of their cakes looks good, however their dinner was well below par.

A very nice small cafe , great service , great food and friendly staff, I love it! <br/><br/>I plan to frequent this eatery henceforth, I really recommend it!

This vibey little place has the perfect setting for drink meet ups and some snacks!<br/><br/>The decor is funky and fresh and it is easily accessible so long as you can find parking on the Parade.<br/><br/>The service is efficient not too naggy and not too slow, just right.<br/><br/>I'll definitely be back!

Bacon, eggs, tomato and toast. I guess when you're paying R35 for something, you can't expect much more than what you actually paying for lol. Lovely breakfast, plain and simple (as well as delicious freshly baked bran muffin and one of the best chai teas I've ever had!) Staff are very friendly & its quite affordable for a hotel restaurant.

The menu as loaded in Zomato has changed drastically. This place is more of a Cafe and no longer a fine dining restaurant. The manager had a mostly unapologetic attitude when we explained to them that we came all the way from PMB to try their menu as advertised on Zomato because of the rave reviews. The chef was in no position to make ANYTHING off the old menu selection. The choices now on their menu are super limited. Do not bother with this place it's a total disappointment.

Shocking service. Inattentive waiters who have no clue what's on their menu. Dirty. Menu has changed so really not worth the effort. Stay at home to avoid disappointment 🤷🏻‍♀️<br/><br/>It's actually sad that this used to be one of the best breakfast spots in Durban🤷🏻‍♀️

Cafe Jiran seems to be the local social spot. Many people popping in for their morning coffee, water is provided for dogs. Great coffee, street vibe and good breakfasts.

The Parmesan crusted pork neck is the most delicious meal! We went back two nights in a row. It's incredibly tender without being fatty and just sublime. The decor, ambience and accompaniments are average (sauerkraut wasn't great) but I'd go again for this dish!!

This is not at the the Blue Waters Hotel. Very disappointing as we liked the menu and are staying at the Blue Waters Hotel.<br/><br/>Please update your details to Bellairs hotel.

Thanks Great coffee (doesn't disappoint) and accepting error in offering curry that was frozen. You offered us a cake. Many thanks. Still love it there @

Chef is not flexible with meals.... too strict. The food was great but because the chef refused to do something outside his strict rules it was not fantastic. Be more flexible dude.

Great spot for a lazy breakfast followed by a stroll along the beach. Just a pity there aren't any sea views. <br/><br/>The service was friendly and warm. Ordered the flower tea which was the prettiest tea I've had.<br/><br/>The breakfast was great and really well priced. Loved the chicken sausage.

Had a really great breakfast experience this morning! The English breakfast with additional bacon, sunny-side up eggs & a juicy chicken sausage accompanied with a cup of "well dragon" tea (I apologize for the incorrect name of it) was absolutely amazing! The food is well priced and very flavorful. If only Johannesburg had inexpensive cafés! <br/><br/>A definite must if you want value for money food and really good service from staff!

Most times I've only really stopped by here for a quick fix of their amazing dessert and cake selection, but tonight we sat in for dinner & boy was that a good time! From the starter through to the main course, all meals were perfectly made (especially the meat. I really wish I had a hole in my stomach so I can devour almost everything on the menu

Nice quaint spot near the beach. Good vibe. Tasty and healthy vegetarian selection of food. Fresh juices and great coffee. Ideal for mid-morning snack or treat after long run/cycle on the beach.

Honestly I was very disappointed with this place. Their food was awful but the immaculate presentation of the food deceives you. However their drinks and cake were really fabulous. The staff are efficient and friendly and they will make concerstantion with you if they see you are sitting alone.

The coffee is fantastic. Great barista skills. The aftertaste is somewhay aniseedy. I love it. Great location too.<br/><br/>Love the lounge jazz music being played in the background.

Great meal, great service and amazing coffee!!!!! Cracker Cafe and will definitely be back. Highly recommend the crispy bacon breakfast special!

Lovely cafe in north beach. Very nice to sit outside of you can get a table, it's very popular. A wide selection of juices and smoothies is available. Grilled haloumi salad was great, and so was the lamb burger.

Great location and superb coffee with a number of different blends to chose from. Service is average but something must be done about the open sugar bowls. Found a bug in one of them. Good breakfast options and the fresh juices are exactly that.

Love this spot. For tea and coffee lovers this is a must visit. It's such an under rated venue with great service. Their fresh fruit and veggie smoothies are also a must try after your beachfront walk/run/cycle.

While staying at Belaire hotel.. It was really convenient having a coffee shop in the hotel foyer. You always bump into somebody you know and the vibe is cool and laid back but so to is the service. The service is appalling. From incorrect orders to delayed service. It's hard to believe how busy the cafe is. I can only think it's down to the scarcity of good coffee and decor on the beach strip. If you want to just watch people go by this is a great spot but if you want good service.. Rather pass. Also no free wifi.

I love the ambience and the coffee there chocolate cake is good. ..if you into real coffee you have to visit jiran ...its for coffee lovers. .they open till late

This is such an underrated and overlooked coffee spot on the beach strip. They are just a roads crossing away from the beach itself and nestled at the nape of a little hotel. <br/><br/>I have often enjoyed a decent cappuccino here. The carrot cake is unusual and disappointing, the chocolate cake dry and overly sweet. But I love this spot for the way the green tea is served in such a special way, ceremonious as a tea ritual should be. The coffee is good and my waffle was hit and miss. <br/><br/>Crispy outside and soft and fluffy on the inside Belgian waffle, unfortunately let down by watery icy ice cream. Also the smallest scoop of ice cream on earth! <br/><br/>I have had smoothies and milkshakes here before as well which were great. Definitely worth visiting this spot, it is a lovely chilled hangout. I'm really impressed and obsessed with the green tea selection and the way it is served (I'm big into herbal teas especially green and white tea)

Coffee is excellent here with a wide variety of choices that exceed most restaurants. The same is true for their vast tea options. The food is very fresh and full of flavour and well presented. There are a number of breakfast and lunch options which include wraps, salads, soups and pastas as well as tapas. There are quite a few vegetarian options too! Service is relaxed but if you need a waiter you can just ring from your table. Been here a few times and never had a bad experience.

Unfortunately service and cake was shocking. Waited 15 minutes before I had to get someone to help us. The cake which we received 10minutes after our coffee was hard and cold. Had heard great reviews of this cafe but not going to rush back there any time soon !<br/>

Service was fantastic, food was outstanding. Hake was skinned prior to cooking . Must have the summer juice it was awesome. Peanut butter Ice. Cream was to die for. Brownie was awesome. It is a must do when down at the Durban beach front

Cafe Jiran is a perfect lazy sunday coffee and cake stops. Its beautifully situated on the beachfront with indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly staff and beautiful decor enhance your experience.One could easily think they are in Europe. I have the special of the day which was coffee and cake which was amazing.The cakes on offer were chocolate, cheesecake and carrot cake.I opted for chocolate boy was I not prepared for this huge chunk of choccieness that arrived, moist, full of flavour and fab icing.Perfect sunday treat will I visit again yes even if its just for coffee and cake:-)