Review Van Der Linde Restaurant - Johannesburg

Great restaurant, nice atmosphere. Ate from the vegan menu, had the charred vegetables, was awesome. Only thing is they had have added some bread or starch to make it more filling as a main meal. There's a beautiful koi pond at the back and the toilets are clean The staff are courteous and friendly, and it's a nice setup.

I just love the decor and the gorgeous view from this place. The rib eye was delicious and I loved the Salsa Verde that accompanied the Carpenter fish, I wish there was more of it! Was really surprised by the great coffee too! Best Americano I've had in a while.

What an amazing restaurant. Not only is it stunning to look at but the food and service is out of this world. Will definitely go back again to try the breakfast buffet and some cake for breakfast. Thank you to all the staff for an amazing morning when I needed it most !!! Best team ever.

Great place, friendly service and awsome food. Very interesting menu and great wine selection. Will definitely visit again soon.

Wonderful, lovely ambience, professional service. Attention to detail, food presented well. We had the fillet. It was perfectly cooked with delicious accompanying chimichurri sauce. Their cheesecake was also of the best we had. A bit pricey.

Great food (pani puri, lamb gnocchi and mushroom and truffle ravioli) except for dessert which we didn't enjoy (backed chocolate pudding). Service could be better, but they haven't been opened for long yet.

Exquisite service , charming ambience, salubrious and tasty food, amazing coffee and great price. Will be frequenting the place again real soon. Special mention goes to our waitress Lungi - outstanding service!

What a lovely lunch! Thank you for the great and wholesome food. Your chips were incredible! Decor and ambiance so nice and vibey! The price very reasonable for the quality of food. Amori you legend!

Linden is growing and its restaurant scene is definitely keeping up. We had a lovely Sunday lunch at Van Der Linde and were pleasantly surprised. From the moment you walk in and see all this beautiful kitchen and dining space to enjoying their delicious food. I liked the lunch menu and the fact that there weren’t too many choices. Both the Chicken Parma and Salmon Fish cakes were cooked perfectly and there was a lot of flavour. Not sure what will happen during winter and load shedding as we experienced a power outage (after our meal) and the restaurant seemed to go on shut down. The waiter did advise that there was a generator but couldn’t explain why it wasn’t working. This was 30 minutes after the power had been off.

Hip little bistro in Linden. Food is adventurous and fun. The atmosphere is great but the musuc can be a bit loud. The sevice is a little slow but staff are friendly and attentive.

Good menu offer for vegetarian and meat lovers... fresh food and decent service. Lovely decor ..cozy with fine finishes.

True excellency. Care has been given to every aspect right down to the French cutlery. Food is always fantastic. Nice wine selection, even by the glass. Fresh pasta made daily. Great atmosphere and lovely decor.

The decor is functional chic, and simply lovely. Not a big menu, but unique options.

This was a lovely place for brunch; the food was incredibly tasty and well priced and the staff and service was great! It's also in a quiet area which is fantastic if you are trying to get away from the hustle and bustle.

One of our favourite restaurants. Ambience is fantastic food even better you can't go wrong!

We loved this restaurant cause they love food great quality good services knowledgeable staff

Very good vibe and service! Delicious food as well. Wine a bit expensive...

The ambience of the restaurant is a 10/10 especially if you are into nature inspired decor. The indoor plants and their courtyard garden is awesome. My food unfortunately was a 2/10, the 1st caffe latte with almond milk was too strong. I only enjoyed the second cup which was replaced for me. Also the brown rice salad was not very tasty, I think I imagined a warm bowl when I saw black beans and brown rice salad. I just ate it because I was hungry and it's healthy 😩. The service was also slow, we waited a bit before we were served.

Exceptional, beautifully presented food . Great vibe and good service. A great addition to the very interesting and different food options now available in Linden .

Beautiful restaurant, lovely vibe and the best lamb I have had in ages! Absolutely divine. Little pricey though and wine is super expensive but definitely worth a visit on special occasions. Loved it!

The chef was willing to accommodate and expertly execute various requests made by our table. <br/><br/>Excellent service, food knowledge, ambiance & overall experience.

My hubbie and i had an amazing experience this evening. I had the quail with roasted vegetables and he had sea bass. The restaurant is upmarket with excellent, attentive service. The menu is interesting - lots of interesting flavour combinations. I'll definitely be back.

A few weeks ago I attended a media lunch at Van Der Linde Restaurant. Van Der Linde, aka VDL Restaurant, is situated in Linden. The restaurant is headed up by Chef Amori Burger who believes in serving up simple food that is well executed and that is exactly what you can expect from VDL. VDL serves an array of interesting cocktails and they boast an extensive wine list so you’re bound to find something that tickles your fancy. We started off with a vegan dish; ‘fish and chips’. It was deep fried seaweed served with a creamy garlic aioli dipping sauce. When Chef Amori first introduced this dish, I didn’t quite know what to think (in all honesty). I’m not a vegan personally and so I had about zero interest in this dish. My misconceived perception of vegan ‘fish and chips’ all changed with just one bite. Wow, wow, wow! It was absolutely incredible. This dish was tasty beyond my imagination. I certainly have a new found respect for vegan food. We were then served a series of main dishes to share. The mussel and saffron bucatini was a lovely pasta served with mussels, saffron butter and anchovy. One of my favourite dishes was the pork meatballs. The meatballs were served with baked creamy turnips and potatoes in a rich gravy. A simple, homely dish packed with savoury earthy flavours that tasted incredible. Another tasty dish was the lamb chops. They were crusted chops served with red pepper chutney, warm yoghurt, pickled carrot and babaganoush. Being a media lunch, were treated to many desserts at VDL, allowing us to try and taste a number of them. The desserts were absolutely beautifully presented and picture perfect. The lemon meringue was lovely and a real treat for the sweet tooth fans. The crème brûlée is another great choice and a bonus that it’s served with VDL’s homemade short bread. The short bread, too, is fantastic! But the winning dessert dish for me was the definitely the salted caramel cheesecake. The cheesecake was light and tasty and perfect (and I’m salivating just reminiscing about it). It really was phenomenal.

Very nice restaurant vibe. Okay location in Linden. <br/><br/>The service was not the best, the waitress got two of our orders wrong.<br/><br/>The food on the other hand was so tasteful and delicious, I would definitely go back for that type of perfection.<br/><br/>This is a restaurant where you are gonna pay for quality food and not necessarily quantity.<br/><br/>Overall it was a nice experience with friends.

A friend & I were very excited when we saw van der Linde last Sunday after months of not being in Linden.<br/><br/>The restaurant was full & we were put at the bar until a table was ready… a cappuccino & 30 minutes later we were still sitting there!<br/><br/>When we were eventually at a table, we ordered our breakfasts & then proceeded to wait for another 45 minutes until our food came out.  The orders were incorrect. Certain items were on the incorrect plate, & when we complained about this, the plates were taken away & brought back with other mix ups.<br/><br/>We were greeted with blank stares when we complained so after 90 minutes in total we left!<br/><br/>& guess where we ended up? At the Mugg & Bean – which we were both so over, but at least the service was friendly & efficient & we knew that whatever we ordered would be on our plates in 15 minutes at the most!!

It pains me to only give Van Der Linde 3* but after a few visits, I was toying with 3 or 4 but yesterday’s breakfast visit made me think very much 3.<br/><br/>The ambience, layout and decor is really lovely. The open plan onto the kitchen is great and al round has a good feeling to it. The service is very average, the waiters are all friendly, and thankfully, on the ball and communicate well, however I felt they must be very stretched as at times we waited (for any) waiter to be seen, let alone ours, just to order coffee to start. All drinks and food orders were then placed noting the restaurant was full and it took ages for waiters to arrive.<br/><br/>Food was good, but my eggs were very cold, and the fried bananas were incredibly underripe. Otherwise food was well enjoyed. I feel there are a few basic steps that this restaurant can do to get to a 4* at least. I hope they do it.

I was pleasantly surprised with this restaurant on my first visit but not so much on my second visit. <br/><br/>I had the chicken burger with the vegan aioli instead of hollandaise (as I’m allergic to eggs). This was easily swopped out & I must add that this vegan aioli is so delicious! <br/><br/>On my second visit I had the exact same meal - it didn’t look as appetizing, the chicken was burnt, the vegan aioli wasn’t as flavourful, the chicken was smaller, there was barely any cheese and the chips tasted refried. I was extremely disappointed on my second visit and didn’t expect to see the lack of consistency. <br/><br/>They have a huge brunch selection as well. Drink sizes are generous.<br/><br/>Service was great the first time and lacking on the second visit. They were different waitresses though. <br/><br/>I might visit again but a long time from now to erase the memory of the last visit. <br/>

Nice place to hang out with friends for lunch or dinner. I'm quite impressed that they have menu separately catered for vegans. However so, it is a bit pricy for the portons offered. Could have given some carbs (like Italian bread or sweet potatoes fries etc…) along with dishes. Also the veggies aren't well cooked, too raw to bite. Could improve on that would make this a great restaurant.

Really impressed by Van Der Linde restaurant with really good food and i just love the ambience with the open kitchen and great interior. The service and wine was excellent and just an overall great experience.

Mediocre on food - great on ambience.<br/><br/>Prompt service, nice restaurant layout and an amazing video wall.<br/><br/>But the food..... Thawed salmon then seared to produce a watery mess. In short, the fish was long time no sea. Terrible for R200.<br/><br/>Excellent lamb rack however.<br/><br/>Not likely to return.

Van Der Linde is a charming restaurant in Linden.<br/><br/>The place has a very family-friendly, relaxed atmosphere. It's a great place to unwind with friends after a long day.<br/><br/>The staff are very friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. Our helper made some excellent suggestions regarding the items we chose.<br/><br/>There are a few vegetarian options on the main menu. I had the Pani Puri starter and the paneer main. Both were beautifully presented and tasty<br/>I highly recommend trying the Pani Puri starter.<br/><br/>Very cool decor as well. Definitely conducive to a lovely, peaceful evening meal.<br/><br/>Will be visiting again soon :)

Great dining experience! The menu changes quit frequently , but is always creative and very tasty! The open kitchen plan allows you to see the magic happen in the kitchen and they have a great bakery and deli section too!

At first we were extremely impressed with the total look, decor crockery and also the expectations of our hostess whom had greatly sung the praises of passed meals.<br/>Once seated we were served by a young reserved waitress ,who made no eye contact at all, she also offered no menu suggestions and as the menu was a series of loose pages it took a while to make our selection. Our drinks were exactly right and deliciously cooling.<br/>By this time the outside area was filling and some patrons were in high spirit, some more than others and I noticed that there was already a ripple of discomfort, and then the really big guns rolled in. A group of young people that were out to enjoy themselves with regard to no one else. Our table was some distance away, we could not have any coversation as the volume kept on rising. Our host eventually requested the manager Vuyo to address the matter, he simply rolled his eyes, turned around and walked off. <br/>After ordering deserts, we decided to move tables. I spoke to Voyu on this occasion , his reaction was that he could not do anything (would not)more as he had already spoken to them. He had not. I also mentioned that quiet a few other tables emptied very hastily , he did not seem perturbed at all. We decided to pay and leave directly after our deserts.<br/>I cannot comment on the meal as we had no enjoyment in eating. It might as well have been hay.<br/>I can honestly say that I will never recommend your beautiful establishment,purely due to the attitude of your staffmember. I will be a pity to see your dreams crumble. As you know the tongue is mightier than the sword. I am also extremely angry at the embarresment this caused our host and hostess

Waiters were chilling by the back. Flies everywhere, overall experience was not great. Great interior and set up, just a pity management and waiters didn’t show interest in the customers

Joburg‘s most gorgeous dining gem 😍 everyone who knows me knows my favourite dine-out meal is a fantastic piece of steak, and this fillet was the BEST I HAVE EVER TASTED. Silky and soft, my knife literally slipped through it. The decor here is ultra chic with light wood and cool tones paired up perfectly next to the ornate cutlery and crockery. The service was exceptional. I cannot wait to be back!!!

I have been there way too many times... but I’ve loved every visit. My favorite is make your own breakfast, then the lamb gnocchi. I love the beautiful set up and decor. Well done!!

Been to Van Der LINDE Friday evening<br/>Ambiance & service great<br/>Had hamburgers with friends, very disappointing, patties dry, over done and not taste full, ordered additional blue cheese for R 25, not noticeable<br/>Salad equally in un- inspiring, greens only<br/>Chips great, best part of the dish<br/><br/>Second thoughts, should have sent the dish back<br/>Sorry guys. Better burgers elsewhere

I was a bit apprehensive about going to Van Der Linde after reading the last few negative reviews. Such a pity that other people did not have our experience which was nothing short of excellent. <br/><br/>For startes we enjoyed the Snails as well as the Marrow Bones. For mains we shared the Lamb Steaks. The food really was excellent and not the usual restaurant fair. I really liked the idea of a "shared" main course and makes for a more social dining experience.<br/><br/>The service was good and we did not have to wait to be served. Food arrived well within acceptable waiting times. At the end of the meal the Barrista (Themba) made an effort to come past our table and introduce himself hy offering to make us some coffee. <br/><br/>In all, a really pleasant experience with good food. We will be back!

Ordered a medium burger, which was completely overcooked and dry. The bread roll was stale and rock hard. Ordered avocado as a side which was never served but still included on the bill.<br/><br/>My review on Google was met with an unbelievably arrogant and rude answer from the owner. I will advise all friends and family to avoid this establishment at all cost.

Sorry but lunch at this restaurant wasn’t great. My burger (including cheese and bacon) was over cooked despite requesting medium. My friend had the asparagus and artichoke which was good. However the artichoke heart had been removed!

Van der Linde’s is a newish addition to the Linden eatery scene and I have been there a couple of times. On all the occasions I’ve been both the food and the service did not live up to the beautiful setting and decor and definitely fails to live up to the expectations set by the image it tries to project. I would much rather visit many of other, less pretty, establishments in Linden.

Went there today for my dad’s birthday. We had the fried kabeljou with chips and the roasted cauliflower salad to share amongst us. Absolutely amazing fried fish! So crispy and fresh and the salad was delicious! The salted caramel cheesecake was the best I’ve ever had👌🏼 very impressed and the service was great too! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Wonderful meal with great ambience and service. Fine selection of wines that are served perfectly. Will be back to try more treats off the menu.

What a pretentious place in Linden. Just walking in dressed in my summer's best- baggies and slops the pretentious Sandton-like vibe hit me.<br/>Catch a wake up boys this in Linden not Sandton.<br/>The prices are exorbitant and over priced.<br/>Dont think this place will be around for too long.

Absolutely beautiful restaurant with amazing decor and ambiance however I must say that the food which I have heard great things about, was a little underwhelming and bland. I ordered the mushroom ravioli and was really looking forward to it because the menu made it sound absolutely scrumptious. It arrived beautifully on the plate but sadly the pasta dough was so thick that it was not cooked all the way through and was therefore very chewy. The filling was also a tad bland and I was hoping for a bit of cream based sauce or cheese to offset the flavor of the mushroom but sadly the whole dish was drenched in truffle oil in stead rendering the dish quite bland, soggy and unbalanced. My boyfriends steak was also beautifully presented but he also said he was disappointed as he expected more flavor and also found it quite bland. Similar experiences were had all round the dinner table as we were told that the burgers ordered by our friends and family also lacked seasoning and flavor. Unfortunately a bit of a let down. We will however give this place another go and hope for an improvement as the waiters are amazing and so is the atmosphere.

I've only experienced the lunch menu (twice), but both times I've felt the quality of the food vs price and quantity offered have been spot on. Delicious chicken with a perfect crumb, and a nice variety of desserts make the experience wholly satisfying. Fantastic coffee rounds it all off. And check out their bakery!

This is a real hidden gem and an excellent addition to the linden restaurants. The decor is elegant and modern with different areas to the restaurant make it not seem too big. Service is efficient and friendly. We shared the steak for 2, flavorful, large portion, really enjoyed it and worth the money. I will definitely be going back!

New little hidden gem in Linden. Delicious breakfast out at VDL and strong fresh coffee! Ambiance is great and chic, staff are friendly and efficient. Definitely worth a visit!

Well this is a great culinary experience. The service was excellent, the staff super friendly and the funky open kitchen cool. Love the beautiful landscapes project on giant screens. So peaceful. I’ve tried the pork chops and the oxtail and it was awesome. Well done guys. I’ve got a new regular spot to go to. Great job Cecil and team!

Lovely lunch. Gorgeous decor and attention to detail.<br/>Good efficient service.<br/>Very tasty burgers and chips<br/>Moroccan lamb salad a little "over vinaigretted" for my liking. "And we love it" said my kids

Had an OK experience at Van der Linde. We were planning on breakfast but arrived too late so went for the lunch options. The chicken Parma was kinda bland. My friends went for the VDL burgers, classic and chicken. Also okayish. Service was pretty slow too. We really enjoyed the freshly pressed juices though, but probably won't be heading back soon.

We went with a group of friends. The venue is beautiful and slightly elevated with a view. However the food varied and was overall average. For starters we had shared a mix of pani puree (I am of Indian decent and I would take my mums any day) pepper and feta starter which I rate as one of the top dishes.<br/><br/>Mains was a mix of burgers, Indian curry and Italian. I would overall rate the burgers the best but then again was expecting more than burgers at this place.<br/><br/>I think there is too much variation on the menu and for the price we paid would not go back in a rush.

Nice looking place in a good position.<br/>Even like what they’ve done outside.<br/>Dishes were reasonably tasty and interesting. Definitely worth a visit.<br/>Only problem is when we dropped by one Sunday, without a booking the woman at the door was arrogant and rude about it.<br/>Better management wouldn’t hurt.

Once you walk in, you feel as if you have made the right choice. Came for a drink before evening service though I didn’t eat I enjoyed a good bottle of wine sat outside. The service was great! Can’t wait to explore the food menu...

Small menu, but has variety and the food is excellent! The chicken burger I had was amazing, with quality and fresh ingredients. The service was really good, and the restaurant is really beautiful inside with lots of space and a stunning open kitchen. Coffee is a plus as well.

What a find! A real restaurant in an area dominated by pasta, pizza and burger joints. The menu may be limited, but that's because everything on it is freshly prepared and special. I had juicy salmon fishcakes with sweet potato wedges and the freshest crisp, green, varied herb salad you could hope to meet. Delicious! The service was friendly and prompt. The restaurant has a glassed-in porch area, which was light and warm at lunchtime. The prices are reasonable. For interesting food, a congenial ambiance and unrushed dining, Van der Linde is excellent value for money.

Had a wonderful Sunday breakfast and I must rate this 10 out of 10 -something I would never normally do for breakfast in a restaurant - breakfast being the most difficult meal to get right and not many can manage it! Excellent coffee, hot plates, and delicious food! Really good and attentive service and a lovely ambience made this a perfect experience - cant wait to go back!

A most pleasant Sunday lunch today.<br/>I'm a competent cook - 5 course dinners for 20/30 are easy - and very selective with dining out.<br/>There are many places that serve what they call food, yet are a dreadful experience.<br/>VDLinde prepares the food well and service is friendly and excellent.<br/>I'll return for further meals and wish them well for the future.<br/>Terry Logie

New restaurant in Linden, really impressed, Exquisite food, well selected options, and a combination to express the most of each ingredient. presentation was great, Very cozy yet refined ambience that makes you wish to stay there as long as possible. Superb service , will definitely be returning.

We had a nice evening here however some things were lacking. Firstly the waiter was so busy she hardly came to check on us. Secondly it was quite cold, there were two heaters that were off near us we asked them to put one on. The put it on and moved it to other people. We were left quite cold. Then it took about an hour for our food to arrive as well. The food was good and desert amazing but i feel there is some needed attention to details.

Modern, stylish decor. Slow service. Untrained but charming waitress. Beef and chickpea burgers were good. Fries were delicious. Slightly arrogant attitude from manager.

Great food (pani puri, lamb gnocchi and mushroom and truffle ravioli) except for dessert which we didn't enjoy (backed chocolate pudding). Service could be better, but they haven't been opened for long yet.

Part 1: Definitely the prettiest restaurant in the neighborhood...modern, luxurious feel and nice decor. Food was really good, not too expensive either. Service was great, we practically had two waiters looking after us. Good vibe this evening... will be going back during the day to see what it’s like.<br/><br/>Part 2:<br/>We booked and went to Van Der Linde for a Sunday lunch. The experience was very different. Service was practically non existent and the food was average. Vibe was very much family orientated with a fair about of kids. This restaurant has got incredible potential, just needs some tweaks to get it there.

We had a lovely early Sunday breakfast here. The waitress recommended the chilli con carne scrambled eggs and it didn’t disappoint. Great coffee too, definitely going back for a long lazy morning at the harvest breakfast table when we have more time.

Exceptional food. Lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended! Definitely will come here again! Great music too! We had a looooong afternoon and walked away feeling satisfied

Amazing new spot in Linden 🎉 we recently tried the lunch menu:<br/>Fried Kablejou & Chips, West Coast Mussels and of course Caramel Cheese Cake for dessert.<br/>The lunch was accompanied by a bottle of delious Chardonnay 🍷<br/>Looking forward to trying their Breakfast and Dinner menus soon.

This is another excellent addition to the Linden restaurants. The interior is beautiful and almost remind you of being on a chick island. They have a big screen behind the bar that plays a slide of animal photos, quirky, but I liked it. This is an excellent venue to host a birthday party in my opinion. The service was quick and friendly and although the menu is very small, it caters for a wide variety of tastes.

Linden is growing and its restaurant scene is definitely keeping up. <br/>We had a lovely Sunday lunch at Van Der Linde and were pleasantly surprised. From the moment you walk in and see all this beautiful kitchen and dining space to enjoying their delicious food. <br/>I liked the lunch menu and the fact that there weren’t too many choices. Both the Chicken Parma and Salmon Fish cakes were cooked perfectly and there was a lot of flavour. <br/><br/>Not sure what will happen during winter and load shedding as we experienced a power outage (after our meal) and the restaurant seemed to go on shut down. The waiter did advise that there was a generator but couldn’t explain why it wasn’t working. This was 30 minutes after the power had been off.

A modern clean look with super friendly staff. <br/><br/>Had the beetroot and goats cheese salad starter and it was fantastic! BUT do yourself a favour and eat the Harrisa Paneer & Roasted Pumpkin Breyani (I am not vegetarian) - this was without a doubt the best plate of food that I have had in years -  the flavours, the look, the texture of the rice, the fried curry leaves - it was perfect!<br/><br/>I will be back, soon!

This beautiful and well appointed new spot in Linden hits the spot. I have had great breakfast, lunch and dinner there.<br/>The service is spot on and the staff helpful and friendly . Keep up the good work.

This is a lovely restaurant. The food an service was of the highest quality. The menu is small but every item on the menu is perfect. I recommend this restaurant to any person that loves good food and beautiful interiors. A lovely night out