Review The Bench Eatery & Bar - George

Food was nice. I had the sea food pizza. It says it come with cubes of hake, it was crumbles of fish. Chicken livers starter.. not the best. Disappointed on the pizza bread starter... it's a focaccia with cheese on it. That's not a pizza bread in my eyes.. beers are not cold on tap.....

Lovely place, 3 different areas you can sit at. Front area where there are standard tables, upstairs which has tables and a bar (bit louder) and the area at the back. I sat at the back and it was really nicely lit and decorated. Best in the evening. Staff are really good, friendly and attentive. Food was good, I had the ribs but the chips and onion rings were a little disappointing. Tasted bit old and oily, defo not fresh. Kids enjoyed their pizza and steak. A place I would certainly visit again when in George.

We enjoyed a peaceful dinner ... we opted to sit in the front part.... we could not fault any thing on the food or service.... would recommend it to any one.... the younger people all go to the back an upper level (obviously more lively) you actually have an choice....

The coffee was very good. The waiter was friendly and although I didn't order a full meal... the plate of hot chips to nibble on was nice. Will visit again

This is what they call a happy coincidence. Was looking for someplace to eat and this was the second place to come up on Google Maps. They have a steampunk vibe going. And the menu is like a little news paper. Food portions are decent and overall reasonably priced. Bonus, sat the whole afternoon chatting with a local. They also have a cocktail bar on top and and the smokers have the best beer garden at the back.

This eatery has a great vibe and energy. The food and coffee are great quality and value for money and the staff and atmosphere are great. The decor is interesting and makes the place totally unique and a great experience in mid town George!!

Although we loved the venue with its authentic theme, we only had time to have a cupachino and a chai latte. If the food is as food as these drinks then they are worth the visit.

Nice decor. Good menu.Food well prepared and tasty. Service was good and friendly. A bit of miscommunication between the waitress and kitchen staff concerning the doneness of the eggs but still a pleasant experience.

Just about the only open place we could find for breakfast on the public holiday. Great find. The finer touches like rye bread, marmalade and good coffee.

Really enjoyed my experience, friendly waiter. We ate burgers, it was delicious, definitely value for money.

It is a comfy place to kick back and relax. Their section upstairs is also nice and quaint.

Nice veg burger and chips. They have a decent selection of cocktails, but I only had a beer so can’t comment on them. Service was very friendly. It was very quiet for a Friday night, but I’m assuming that was just because it was Good Friday. Would come again.

Great food, good coffee, noteworthy attention to detail in the decor, worth multiple visits

Excellent service here. Nice to feel you are appreciated as a customer. The food was good, but they ran out of ribs so we had the last portion (wanted two). They needed more sauce. The rest was great though.

The service was good, the waiters are a bit overzealous, However, not to the extent that it is annoying. Helpful, knowledgeable and considerate in their job. The price of their food seemed a bit steep, but a nice surprise I got with the portion size! You wait a tat longer, but it is freshly prepared,. My advice is not to go hungry. They have a selection of craft beer of which the waiter persuaded me to try. It is fairly good, but it was a once-off indulgence. It was a mid-week late lunch, so the place was half empty. The seating is benches, as the name suggests, so it is hard seating. Overall, the quality of the food impressed, the service was on standard and the venue clean, but not very much cosy. Will I visit again? Yes, their salad might just rate the best in this town!

What an amazing surprise. Best burger I have had in a very long time. Freshly prepared and surely worth the wait. The beef patty is for sure a 100% beef patty, and the bun was freshly baked. Portion size is huge, I could not finish it. I had a cappuccino and its the best in town. Love the vibe, the ambiance and the decor, name suits this gem perfectly. I sat on a chair and Mom on the bench which had a back rest, the other chairs and tables seemed not fitted for her as they had no back rests and would be hard, but for the younger crowd its perfect. We were happily greeted and welcomed by most of the waitering staff. Service was good and prompt. Deon jy het wenner, baie dankie vir baie lekker "lunch", will be visiting again. I highly recommend The Bench for the hungry and thristy.

A really good experience. The burger was the best I’ve had in ages and was exactly as it was described on the menu. Loved the beer too. The service provided by Marissa was excellent. I highly recommend a visit.

Super lekker plek... love die Almond cappuccino en die health options!!! Goeie diens. Great vibe!

The best place in town! Friendly staff all around and Marissa makes a great manager. Value for your money and a very nice vibe.

Heerlike kos en heerlike atmosfeer. Ek en my liefie sal beslis vir ons cheat meals by julle kom inloer, en glo my dis n helse kompliment. As ons n cheat meal kry cheat ons net met die beste kos!

We went there last night, and I do not say this lightly, we received the best complaint resolution I have ever seen in a restaurant, and I work in the hospitality industry. We had a minor problem and the manager on duty really went way above and beyond to fix it for us and ensure that we are happy. A truly great evening and I want to thank the bench once again for really going the extra mile for us, we will be back again soon!

The Bench is n great plek met n goeie atmosfeer! Dis die lekkerste poppers wat ek al geproe het en Caroline is n awesome kelnerin. Baie dankie vir die wonderlike diens!!

I just love the whole scene of the place feels nice and calming it was not my first time certainly won't be my last I just love the food and the milkshakes are a dream well done <3

Had breakfast this morning. Firstly the bagel was hard like a rock and second of all the children's size orange juice was R36 rand!!!!! What a rip off. Are the oranges flown in from Milan!!

Repeat visits due to the fact that the food is good and it is my boys favourite place to eat. Friendly staff and great atmosphere for family meals.

Great place. Madelein's service is always excellent. Their coffee is good and their breakfasts are scrumptious!

It's not fast food, it's good food. Friendly staff and a great selection of beer.

Always find this place ideal for a good coffee before my morning meetings, or a quick lunch between meetings, as most times I'm only in George for business. Comfortable and conveniently positioned.

Cool vibes, great food and good value. Served us with a plastic straw though 🙁 Would dine again!<br/>Good place for a small get-together. Not excessive seating.

Went on a whim and wanted to order a quick breakfast. Was quickly seated. Decided on a burger instead of breakfast. It took a long time and I had to ask the waiter how much longer as other people received their meals that came way after me. Giving them a 4 star as the burger was really good. Would go back and hopefully have a better experience

Amazing cocktails. Really good service. Food takes time but it's prepared fresh. Calamari tender never had such soft calamari ever. Fis fresh tasty. Well prepared.

We were a big group of 16 people, all of our burgers were horrible, the buns were old and crumbled to pieces when trying to eat them. The Striped Horse beer was disgusting and not drinkable (so were some of the other brands). The service was also not great, we had to order our drinks from the bar as they took so long to come and ask us what we wanted. And our food took well over 40min before arriving. All in all VERY disappointing.

Still one of my favourite restaurants in George. Whether it's for breakfast (tried the breakfast stirfry this morning, can definitely recommend it), lunch or dinner, the service is superb, food is of the highest quality and the vibe is rustic and laid back. They also have the best cocktails in town

Firstly let me state that the BENCH is not at the location found on Zomato. It is around another 2.5km down York Street. Now that that's out of the way, the review.<br/>From the outside the outside The BENCH is very unassuming and quite understated, inside has a relaxing, rustic vibe. <br/>Both times we have visited we were served by very friendly staff who served us with a smile. Although on the second occasion our waitress was a little slow and forgot to bring us water it did not significantly impact our experience. <br/>The BENCH has an amazing selection of craft beers and even a few of our favourites on tap (Darling Breweries Bone Crusher). They also served Liefmans Fruitesse which is my absolute favourite.<br/>The milkshakes are also incredible. I recommend the Milo milkshake. We have had breakfast and lunch at The BENCH and both were positive experiences. If you have a sweet tooth try the Nutella flapjacks with whipped cream, they are heavenly. The burgers are original and one can see effort went into making them. <br/>Our experience at The BENCH has been exceptionally positive and I cannot wait to return!

Nice place, good vibe, awesome beer! For a tapas restaurant I expected small important details like extra plates for sharing and serviettes.

Have never had food here but I never pass the place without picking up a takeaway coffee. It's so reasonably priced and absolutely delicious.

This is a cool looking hipster hang-out with a fresh menu and good service. I just found it a bit of pricey for the portion sizes. <br/><br/>If you're looking for a coffee or a breakfast spot in George give them a try for the atmosphere.<br/>

Amazing spot for breakfast or brunch! In fact I had the best breakfast in years..<br/><br/>The Bench is modern, trendy and just enough hipster without it ruining the charm of the garden route. Their menu is light and equipped for the breakfast / lunch working crowd. If you're bacon-obsessed like me, you'll be pleased to find bacon on almost all of their menu items. I ordered the stacker which was a mashup of flapjacks, bacon and brie cheese, drizzled with syrup and caramelised strawberries. It was amazing! To compliment this our table ordered their signature corn fritters which were incredible too. <br/><br/>I can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu!

We loved the modern/rustic vibe. The food was tasty, well priced and service was great! We would definitely recommend it to anyone in the area!

Love this cafe! Being One of the most modern cafes in town gives locals something new to try. <br/><br/>I also love how the menu is right in front of you on huge chalkboard.