Review Moyo Kirstenbosch - Newlands

Truly amazing views, worth going to just for the views but the food we had was also very good. I highly recommend the crocodile which was amazing. Service was quick and friendly. And truly can not beat the views.

Really good food and amazing service. I had a chicken sandwich with chips and it was served with such a delicious pumpkin bread. The chips was crispy yet so fluffy on the inside. I also enjoyed the live band which made such a good atmosphere in the restaurant. The staff is also very friendly so I will recommend this place and they don't take long to serve you.

Beautiful to sit outside with a bit of shade, inside is less nice. Food is good and prices are ok!

Went there on 27 November 2023. Beautiful views, friendly staff, delicious food. Great place to hang out with friends and family.

We had our year-end function at Moyo. The service was excellent and friendly. I am vegetarian and feel that the cauliflower steaks served could have been cooked a little longer. Everything else was perfect!

As tourist travelling to Cape Town, South Africa, it's not easy to find local African food, but mostly western food. We got to taste local South African food here, ordered beef dombolo and lamb bunny chow. They are delicious.

What an unexpected delight! An absolute gem right in the middle of the botanical garden is one of the best places in the city... Food, service, drinks, and the view... THE VIEW!!!!! It is worth the price. Of admissions to the park by itself. The Nyama Na Kumba is outstanding.

This place offered really good service and really good food at a reasonable price considering the location. Lots of flavor. They even kept the place open a bit extra to be able to accommodate us.

Amazing restaurant in the heart of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. If you happen to be in the park, make sure to stop by for a lunch or picnic. The kids can play outside on the little playground or run around on the wide open lawns. It is a bit more expensive - probably due to the tourist location. But it's absolutely worth it and you can take a short break before moving on exploring the Botanical Garden.

Wow, wow, wow. I'd hear so many rave reviews about Moyo, and it STILL exceeded my expectations. The food was incredible, the service was impeccable, and overall it was an amazing experience!

The view is amazing and the food is tasty. It would have been a five star review if it would have been easier to track down a server. Being the far corner table on the patio did not help with the ability to track people down. However, if I did find myself back in the beautiful gardens and did not have a picnic planned I would definitely eat here again.

We just stopped for drinks at Moyo, but the service was good, and the venue was clean, and prices were competitive.

The buffet food was tasteless and meat over cooked. Very disappointed. Chakala was like tomato sauce. Food was cold. Over priced for the food. The decor & ambiance was nice. ☹

Lovely atmosphere with very friendly and helpful staff. The food was, as was expected, authentically South African which delivered on the promise of the restaurant and cuisine description.

Service was speedy and super efficient. The location is at Kirstenbosch, so everything is beautiful!! I enjoyed the whole experience - the warm reception, the amazing interior of the restaurant, the friendly waiters and of course, the entire meal & presentation thereof.<br/><br/>The only downside for me was with the food - I haven't been to Moyo in 5 years (last @Stellenbosch) and I honestly feel they've lost A LOT of the "traditional South African" element that made them so inviting in the first place; and instead, exchanged it for a more "tourist-trappy" type of experience.<br/><br/>I was expecting HEARTY lamb stews, with sweet, savoury "traditional" dumplings/kluitjies, melt-off-the-bone chicken, etc. ... you know ... warm, deep, rich and friendly South African food we all know... as South Africans?  It just wasn't there anymore. <br/><br/>Nothing I had was any better than the food I could prepare in my own kitchen, for my friends... Which saddened me a bit... Especially considering what the meals cost.<br/><br/>Still, a visit is definitely in order. It is WELL worth the entire experience :)

The quality of food was not good enough compared to the value. Service was also very poor. For example staff walked off in the middle when we were ordering. When I pointed out the kids value meal was not added correctly, I was told it’s only a small difference! Overall they didn’t seem to care about our poor experience

Lovely setting in the heart of lush gardens but what a disappointing dining experience. Our waiter was disorganised and got my drink order wrong. Everything was excruciatingly slow which was upsetting because the restaurant wasn’t busy. My friend and I ordered lamb shanks with mash which came with a side salad - the lamb was hard and under seasoned and the mash underdone as well. My friend and her twin were celebrating their birthday and the experience was ruined by the slow service and average food. <br/><br/>Didn’t have a pleasant experience.

Close to perfect setting in Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. Warm and welcoming African ambiance with friendly waiters. Went with a party of 7 for a late afternoon lunch and service was quick and efficient.<br/><br/>Food was excellent. I had the Chicken Date Tagine with Moroccan rice. This was well presented and delicious with a fusion of tastes and spices. Chicken was on the bone but well cooked and flaked away easily.<br/><br/>My wife had the Kraal Grill 300g Sirloin with potato wedges that she found tasty and cooked exactly as requested.<br/><br/>Everyone else was completely satisfied and enjoyed their meals.<br/><br/>All in all a thoroughly enjoyable experience and certainly a restaurant that I can recommend.<br/>

Although they cater for the pensioners, when it comes to the regular menu, they most definitely cater for the foreigners. The food is extremely overpriced! <br/><br/>However, that being said, their decor is stunning and very consistent throughout, in keeping with the African theme. Furthermore their portion sizes (especially their potato chips) is humungous. Their “light meals” are most definitely not light. <br/><br/>I had their beef burger which was well prepared and had a distinct homemade taste to it but I struggled to finish it as it was just too much! <br/><br/>Their service is incredible - extremely fast and efficient but I’m not sure if my budget will allow me to be back anytime soon.

Had lunch at Moyo Kirstenbosch today. Went with a group of colleagues. I had the oxtail pot with steamed bread / dumplings, which was delicious! We ordered the mopane worms as a dare. I didnt really like it. Ugh. 2 colleagues had the buffet, which looked like good value for money, but i was quite happy with my fall off the bone oxtail. It was a very hot day, and the place got quite hot, but the setting was so beautiful. Pretty nice experience.

Such a treat visiting Moyo for lunch today! The pathway leading to the restaurant is littered with numerous flowers and geese swimming in the pond while the sunny backdrop with the mountains was the cherry on top! I liked the free face painting too; thought it was a nice touch and made the experience more memorable! My friend and I both ordered sandwiches. She opted for the simply vegetarian sandwich on seed bread and I opted for the prego steak sandwich on pumpkin bread. My sandwich was average. The meat had a lot of fat still on it and the bread was slightly hard. I did enjoy the sauce they put on there though and thought that the chili gave it a nice kick. But in all honesty the sandwiches are overpriced and very plain. I will admit that the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant made for a lovely lunch with a view. Service was also pleasant mostly due the fact that the waitress who served us was very friendly.

Beautiful setting with wonderful friendly service- just a pity about the food. I ordered the Moyo burger , probably the worst burger I've ever eaten- dodgy tasting meat that was completely raw when it first came out. the rest of our party ordered brisket sandwiches and the kids had sliders and crumbed chicken. I cant honestly say that anyone really enjoyed the meal. it was just pretty average which one wouldn't expect at those prices!

We came here for our 2017 res formal, and I was pleasantly surprised with how great the whole experience was. <br/><br/>The food was great and the portions were generous. <br/><br/>For starters there was a lovely salad and for mains I had a spinach and ricotta pasta, while my date opted for the prawns. <br/><br/>The desert was by far my favourite part though: custard, mouse and petite four. <br/><br/>I would like to come back here for a normal meal just because of how spectacular the view is, but also the service was excellent considering how big our group was.

Set in a magnificent location. The service was friendly and prompt service. The food was good, but I was hoping for fresh soft pumpkin bread. Heaters would have been welcome today.

An upmarket modern African restaurant in the beautiful settings of Kirstenbosch botanical gardens. The decor was great and the ambience, with a large fireplace in the main dining area, makes it feel very homey. Service was average and so was the food.

Went for the buffet on fathers day. The location in the gardens is beautiful, it's a good way to walk off the food after the amazing by meal. The soup starter was really amazing. The draw card for the adventurous eater is definitely be the crocodile. Each course was amazing, the roast veg lacked a bit of flavour. The cocktails were a perfect addition to the meal. The decor is great and the staff is very friendly.

Whilst exploring the botanical gardens, we got hungry and decided to rather eat at this establishment instead of driving out. We got there every close to closing time but the waitress still took us and got our order the ostrich medallions and they were really well made! Ordered with chips. Definitely recommend as a meal to have there. We were in and out in record time seeing as they were closing but we didn't feel like we were being rushed which I really appreciated.

Very unimpressed, waited almost half an hour just for tea and coffee and the place was only half full. Girlfriend and I ordered a Spicey Maputo Prego each, what we got was an over done steak slapped onto a stale bun with no garnish, at least it was buttered and had sauce :(. Service was very slow....

This branch is inside kirstenbosch botanical gardens and it is the best branch from my point of view. It offers a unique African experience with decor, music and of course the food. What I loved about this place was the lunch open buffet. It is 26 meters long and has 45 different dishes as the chef has informed us. The buffet gave me the freedom to try many African dishes which I enjoyed immensely.

Service was friendly but terrible. Food was pretty kak all round. Bunny chow was full of sharp bones so I had to take all the meat out, get what little meat I could off the bones and then put it back to eat only to still nearly choke on a bone shard. Two burgers were sent back for being raw and came back pretty much the same.

We had a coffee here after walking around the gardens. A very friendly waiter painted beautiful patterns on our faces which was nice & different. The coffee was average though.. would like to try the food.

It is the best place to actually run a restaurant with so much beauty around the place. I liked the lemonade served with ice. The best thing was the way they presented the shrimp in a small bucket poured over in a plate with Mayonnaise all over it. The spring buck was not as great as expected as I don't avocados with this particular dish. The service was very nice giving us guys to spend some quality time together.

Visited Moyo at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens yesterday (14/12/2016) for our staff year end lunch. I was markedly disappointed. Without the great botanical gardens as a backdrop it would be just another restaurant. The service was average; the beef was tender but lacked anything to make it stand out. The chicken was not cooked through (not all the pieces though) and the calamari tended towards rubbery. As for the vegetables, they looked like they were cooked a day or two before. Admittedly their soup, and salads saved the day because of its flavours & textures. The entertainment was lovely but eventually became so loud that it totally drowned out conversation.  Decor is unimpressive. I would not go back there again, not in a long time anyway.

Moyo in Kirstenbosch is really beautiful, and a good choice if you want something a bit fancier than the Tea Room. Service is good, and the face painting makes for a memorable dining experience. <br/>As for the food, it's okay, but not phenomenal -and really not worth the high prices, in my opinion.

This moyo is situated perfectly. Love that you can still enjoy the gardens from the restaurant. Sashen had a peri peri whole chicken which I nibbled on as well which was also accompanied by some fries. The chicken was really good. Well spiced and cooked well. Want to definitely go back as I see they've added a couple of new things to the menu.

We went to Moyo for lunch and it was terrible. The service was bad, the hostess tried to seat us in the back of the restaurant when there were plenty of tables open over looking the gardens. The food was very average. The beef samosas were very dry, the koftas were also very dry. The food just wasn't good and it was very overpriced. It's a pity it's so bad because it really is in a beautiful location.

Visited Moyo today for the buffet lunch.  The service was good and the food delicious - our compliments to the cook!  However, the  African drum items in the foyer were at a deafening volume and continued for ever.  Everyone in the buffet lounge looked uncomfortable and was lip reading their partners' conversations. It was at such an uncomfortable volume, it almost made you go into a fight or flight mode like a war cry - not conducive to a relaxed meal at all.  Although we appreciate the African theme and atmosphere Moyo tries to create, the indoors acoustics of the place are not suitable for this kind of music at all.

It's not bad but not impressive either. The burger patty was dry and crumbly but in terms of taste, it was decently seasoned. The meal was very filling even though the caramel popcorn milkshake was on the small side.

We had a family lunch a couple of Sundays ago at Moyo, situated in Kirstenbosch Gardens. The location is really beautiful especially on a sunny day. For starters we ordered the Roots platter, which had beef kofta, crocodile pies, pea samoosas and calamari. Initially I thought I wouldn't be keen on crocodile pie, but I must admit, it was extremely tasty. For mains, we ordered Oxtail Amos, Cape Malay bootie, lamb shank and a flamed fillet. All the food, bar the bobotie, was really tasty and the portions are massive. What I particularly liked was the added extras Moyo had to offer, such as the kids play area (for us it was great, as we had two children with us), the restaurant showed the formula 1, which satisfied the grumpy men with us that thought they would be missing out, as well as the local face painting. I have eaten at both the Spier Moyo( when it still existed) as well as the Blouberg branch, and they fail to compare. We left really happy and satisfied as a family and would definitely return.

Hubby and myself spent our monthly date day at Moyo Kirstenbosch. Regardless of the cold and wet weather on that day we had such a warm and cozy experience with some fire, heaters and blankets. We used our Entertainer app which scored us a free main meal. Will definitely go there again.

On a beautiful Sunday we visited Moyo after walking around the gardens. We had an entertainer voucher which we wanted to use. We managed to get a table outside with a beautiful view of the mountain. The service was less than mediocre which was a pity. The wine prices are really exorbitant. The ostrich salad was pretty tasty however was missing two ingredients - no effort to help compensate or add the ingredients when brought up with management. The oxtail linguine was wonderful however. We did not order a "Moyo main" and thus the entertainer was invalid which was a pity. We will think twice before returning :-(

Good food and setting... Terrible service and noise. <br/><br/>We waited ages to be seated, had to go and find our own umbrella after being given the assurance that one will be 'sorted out' for our table which was in full sun. <br/><br/>Children are allowed to make an enormous racket on the djembe drums on display. With so many modern parents not giving a damn about the impact their brats have on other diners, the restaurant should at least ensure that they don't provide them the opportunity to destroy Kirstenbosch's tranquillity completely.

Indeed, a memorable highlight at Kirstenbosch Garden Moyo Restaurant, packed with hundreds of people, queuing for the all-you-can-eat traditional South African cuisine was quite a thing. Nonetheless, the setting and atmosphere was a stunner, the food was not too bad and more cannot be expected from the service. Also, the spacious inside eating area and the outside shaded by trees area where we dined, the tribal style face painting by the staff, the African music and native dancing captured the essence at Moyo as a memorable and unique dining and travel venture.

Well priced buffet breakfast; everything you could want from pastries, scones, eggs & cereals to real meat....huge steaks available!! Beautiful and tranquil environment. Only down side for some may be the Kirstenbosch entry fee. Fortunately we have an annual family membership. We'll definitely go again. Looking forward to trying the lunch buffet.

I suppose I shouldn't be shocked that a restaurant with international clientele does not have any plant-based options in 2016. At least the location is good, one can't become too irate in the midst of such beautiful gardens.

Visited Moyo in November, my friend treated me for my birthday. Good service, food was good although the fillet was a bit undercooked for my liking, still a very pleasant dining experience.

Great outing for the whole family. Food is good, nice play area which can be viewed from your table. Singing, drums, face painting & great ambience. The service is a tad bit slow but the restaurant is quite big and busy so it's expected.

The decor is beautiful and the staff are very friendly. For a restaurant that wasn't packed (just after the lunch rush and housing less than a third of capacity), the service was a very slow. Our server finished his shift (or went on lunch) during our meal and finding someone to give us a bill was very difficult. They all kept just walking past and looking away when I tried to call them over.<br/>The food was delicious. I tried crocodile for the first time and really enjoyed it. Beef koftas were delicious and the butternut rice cakes were yummy.

After a long walk through the gardens in the heat of the day, my friend and I decided that we NEEDED daiquiris. <br/>The setting and decor at this Moyo are lovely and our waitress was very sweet and helpful. Some of the other staff were quite surly and unwilling to help.<br/>I had the mango daquiri and my friend had the strawberry one. Both were delicious. Standard cocktail prices of R55 a daquiri, maybe a bit expensive but they were large as well. <br/>The food coming out around us looked great so would definitely give it a try next time.

Ohhhh where do I start? A great venue, I took my wife there for our 2 year anniversary and we both loved it.. It started a bit shaky with them stuffing up our booking, but was rectified quickly by Byron, the manager.. The food was excellent and the whole African vibe was really felt.. I recommend the kebab skewer(chicken,beef and ostrich in one skewer), very tasty and full of flavour..<br/>They paint our faces and sang for us by our table. Overall great, the prices is a bit steep, but it's worth it, portions are generous.. Shylet was a great waitress, really looked after us..

Gorgeous restaurant. Assisted greatly by the backdrop of Kirstenbosch Gardens. I had the Moroccan lamb shank sandwich. The lamb didn't disappoint however, the bread was disappointing. Homemade loaf but wasn't toasted, that lamb deserved a better vessel. Chose to eat the meat with the side of fries alone. Mum had the vetkoek with ostrich mince, but vetkoek was more of a roll, slightly stodgy and dense. Rest of the menu looks great though and would definitely return!

After spending a couple of hours walking around, we were exhausted. My boyfriend and I had never been to Moyo before so we were in for a treat. I had the vegetable tangine and my boyfriend had fish and chips. Both meals were lovely. The environment is a peaceful and intimate one.

Beautiful venue and amazing staff. The manager was very attentive. My family and I had a buffet breakfast and found the food to be fairly good.

Met a few friends for brunch. I doubt I'll be going back. The views are, of course awesome, in that respect Kirstenbosch gardens always deliver. To have to pay R50 to get into the restaurant was a bit of a shock but we went for a walk around the gardens afterward so no foul I suppose. <br/><br/>Anyway, to the dining experience. The staff could not be faulted, friendly, courteous and available. The food, however, was disappointing. I had the breakfast tagine. It was tasteless and looked a mess. The beef sausage was dry and overcooked. It tasted as bad as it looks in the picture. There was a total lack of seasoning. Such a shame as the restaurant showed such promise to start. <br/><br/>The coffee was good and well done by the barista otherwise the score would be even lower!

Went here for breakfast about 3 weeks ago and I must say I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the location in the gardens is amazing and the service couldn't be better but the food was not very appertising. The bread was dry and crumbly, I couldn't even put butter on it without it falling apart. Only had watery scrambles as an egg choice and smoked trout instead of salmon (food snob 🙈). The steak and sausage was great and I don't eat this for breakfast but was happy to eat theirs. They also had good coffee. The whole breakfast are was very cold despite tye fire blazing in the fireplace. All in all - average. Maybe lunch or supper is better... will give it a try.

Friendly staff and really good service. The foreigners absolutely love it. But it isn't a correct portrayal of 'African Cuisine'. The food could be better. Sweet potato and Biltong soup way too thick and sweet. Chicken kebab was good.

Lovely place with a nice view on Kirstenbosch garden!<br/>A good place to go after a walk in the garden!<br/>The service was very nice and the food as well!<br/>

We went there for their breakfast buffet this morning and definitely weren't disappointed! They have just about anything you would want for breakfast! Including salmon, avo and cream cheese! We were seated right next to the fire which was great on a chilly winter's morning!

Oh wow this place is the best! The food is so wholesome! With a cosy fireplace, exceptionally sweet and friendly staff, every South African has to visit Moyo. Brilliant place to bring foreigners for an African experience. We even had entertainers sing to us at our table and play the drums in the background. Our table enjoyed the delicious steak with samp and beans on the side, lamb tangine curry as well as a burger with a sweet potato and butternut roll. Yum!!

The location within Kirstenbosch is unbelievably beautiful!!! Where else can you pair such a great venue and menu with a garden like this, you can go for a walk before a meal or after to walk off the newly acquired kilograms! My favorite part of the restaurant is the outside wooden deck area located next to the river. The service is good and it's lovely for couples off all ages with or without children & if you entertaining tourists this should definitely be on your list! 😊

While visiting Kirstenbosch, we decided to have lunch at Moyo.<br/>The staff are efficient, friendly and appear to enjoy attending to diners.<br/>We had the kudu bobotie, and wow - a great dish. Well presented in individual containers to keep the contents hot. Tasty, aromatic, well spiced, and the chutney lifted it to a higher level. A generous portion as well, and very good value.<br/>Happily, even the wines are well priced.<br/><br/>We were happy to find that Moyo is open after 6pm to evening diners at Gate 1, so it is not necessary to pay admission charges.<br/>There are a number of evening specialities, we went on Wednesday for the "all you can eat" tagine meals. Best value ever, succulent meats, perfectly spiced, and literally "eat till you drop".<br/><br/>The manager is always visible, supervising and attending to customers. <br/><br/>Overall, an excellent dining experience and great value for money.

Went here on fathers day and managed to get a table for 2 without waiting amazingly! Service was good and it was a beautful day out in Kirstenbosch!☺ I had the oxtail linguine which was really good, just a lot of food (which isnt a bad thing!☺) and hubby had a beef burger (he loved their take on the bread roll!☺) will definitley go back!!

I was at Moyo on Sunday the 26th of April. I paid the bill at approximately at 4:14pm with the fake slip being process at 4:12pm. I was seated at table 38 I think. The table was out on the deck by the river beside me.<br/><br/>Your waiter was probably working with another waiter with dreadlocks. I am saying this because I remember my waiter asking him for a card machine. He then produced a black card machine and processed to swipe away vigorously even though I have a chip card. He eventually put my card in the machine and I proceeded to enter my pin. At this time I received the fake slip which said communication error. This is how your waiter cloned my card and got my pin. He then went inside the restaurant and brought out a green card machine, which is the second slip. This went thru without any issues. <br/><br/>On Wednesday while I was home with my family I was notified that R1000.00 was withdrawn from my account. I immediately cancelled my card and traced my transactions.<br/><br/>The following day I called Moyo Kirstenbosch no fewer than 50 times with no successes. I got thru once to an African man claiming to be the manager, when I explained what happened he immediately put the phone down and I could not get thru after that. I tried calling the head office as well and once again I was unsuccessful. <br/><br/>Yesterday I called and asked for the manager and I heard him in the background saying "Who the HELL is Randall"<br/><br/>Now I am really not happy about this. First your establishment clones my card, then puts the phone down on me and the I hear a manager say the above about me. Is this really the impression you want to give out and how you treat customers? <br/>

Firstly, be aware that you have to pay the entrance fee to Kirstenbosch to access Moyo. During the peak holiday season, we managed to get a table for two without booking. While the one section looked really nicely decorated, I thought the part where we were seated looked rather plain (although the beautiful view makes up for it!). The menu has lots of variety and it was tough to make a decision! The waiter informed me that their meat and chicken are halaal friendly so we were really spoiled for choice. I opted for the Oudtshoorn Ostrich Nachos (R89) and my partner got the Spicy Maputo Prego Roll (R89). The portions were large and neither of us could get through our meals. I highly recommend the prego roll - it was spicy and tasty. I would have rated Moyo higher but I was given a sour chocolate milkshake and wasn't happy about the way it was handled. I know that these things sometimes happen so I politely informed the waiter and was given another one. I know it wasn't the waiters fault but it would have been nice if he or someone at Moyo apologised. Overall, it was a good experience and well worth it if you're in Kirstenbosch.<br/><br/>Update - They contacted us on Twitter to apologise about the milkshake. Thank you!

It is not listed on the menu above, but when I dined at this restaurant they had a three course meal option. It may still be available---if so highly recommend. Unfortunately I cant remember the name of the items that I ordered. =( I know that the main course was some type of "curry" (AMAZING). For dessert I went traditional and got a Dom Pedro. (If you are new to Africa and have not tried a DP yet....do yourself a favor and order one) <br/>This place is a great setting inside the Kirstenbosch Gardens. Sitting outside and enjoying the view is always a good idea. Very traditional African cuisine. Definitely worth your time.

Not bad but not great either. The highlight was the singers going around singing to tables of diners. I loved getting the signature Moyo face painting done though!

Arrived at Moyo for an early morning breakfast. The restaurant was quiet (get here early) but the service was a little slow. Coffee and latte were to not up to scratch. Had the breakfast tagine which was a tasty african experience. Sit outside as the views are amazing!

The stunning setting makes up for the experience of Moyo. We went for a company buffet breakfast and the hot food selection was very poor. It included chicken curry! The eggs arrived 10 mins after they opened the buffet as did the wors. The fresh fruit and yoghurt selection was good though. As we left people were ordering off the main menu and that looked good from what we saw. Very disappointed.

Food okay, but only got our drinks after lunch was done. Bathrooms are just gross btw... And then after paying, we get asked to come and identify the barman that swiped the credit card, as no-one wants to admit to settling our bill. Got marched up and down the restaurant trying to find proof that we payed... Despite having our own customer slip in hand. Not cool!

Beautiful setting and very friendly, enthusiastic staff. <br/><br/>However, it is quite obviously aimed at a tourist clientele and as such is on the more expensive side. For the prices, I would have expected above average food. Unfortunately that is not the case.