The Plettenberg

This by far has been the most amazing restaurant experience in Plett I’ve ever had.
Well done to the chefs & the staff , they were absolutely terrific , the service was so friendly and the food was life changing... like WOW! For starters I had the well cooked Tempura Prawns that came with a delicate eggplant with a magnificent sauce on top- I could eat that ever day.
For mains I had the chicken breast which is by far the best I’ve ever tasted and they were surrounded by tasty vegetables that are suitable with the great portions , the sauce for the chicken breast and mushrooms were so tasty! It was unbelievably amazing, the placing of the food was always so artistic .I highly recommend it . - Thank you.

Seafood at the Plettenberg has been a spot we visit every year, and we make it our mission to book months in advance to get place, and enjoy the spectacular view and setting it has to offer. This year however I was a bit disappointed. I will start by saying their food and people in charge of front of house and managing the booking are worth a FULL 5 because it was stunningly plated, the trouble they went to accommodate us was just as good. But unfortunately where they shine in the food department the restaurant lacks in service, we had to pay for a set menu because we were a bigger party which I don't understand as we were the only ones in the restaurant at the time, thus didn't occupy any table that might be used for guests of the hotel, the set menu was set out with 3 courses, which were individually priced much cheaper on the Al la carte menu, we were over charged by almost 90 rand per person, times this by 15 it is quite an amount. Thank you so much for fixing the problem though after we made notice of this to one of the managers we are truly grateful. But the service from the waiter was shocking he got all our steak orders wrong, medium rare was given to people that ordered well done and vise versa. He struggled to take our orders and constantly got confused on what we were trying to order and who ordered what. Some dishes stood out more than others : the baked cheese soufflé and the lamb was exquisite, where dishes like the tempura prawns and chocolate ganache lacked flavour, and generosity. Less isn't always more when you pay 90 rand almost for 3 small triangles of chocolate ganache. The overall experience wasn't great unfortunately ad we have been coming here for 5 years now, and service-wise something has to be done. I don't think we will be returning otherwise next year again.

After stopping in one evening for some cocktails at Sandbar, I was so impressed with both my service and cocktails that I decided to book both a spa treatment and dinner through The Plettenberg Hotel for yesterday.. 

This spot really has it all in terms of location, interiors and views..  Since my spa treatment finished up early, I wandered down to Sandbar and ordered a cocktail and chatted to Head Barman, Honest who is such an asset to The Plettenberg Hotel. I was most impressed to hear from him during our chat, that their Head Chef is also a Zimbabwean and it only made me more excited for the dinner ahead.

I also love the fact that they showcase one of my favorite Zimbabwean jewelry gurus (and one of the pieces that I happened to be wearing last night) by Patrick Mavros.

Once my date for the evening had arrived, we ordered a bottle of wine and moved across to the outside area to enjoy it with the stunning views of the Indian Ocean while we waited. 

However, even though our booking was for 7pm, from quarter to 7, Annemie (General Manager on the staff) starting coming to say we should go through and when we asked for five minutes to finish our cocktails, said she was bringing the menu's for us to order our starters and mains in the bar, which she then promptly arrived back for twice. So I am going to start this review with the fact that I don't like being rushed in any way, shape or form - particularly when it is BEFORE our booking time and particularly so when the restaurant is less than halfway full, so that was a disappointing start to 'date night'. It just leaves an unsatisfactory taste in your mouth and sets the tone for the rest of the evening. 

Once seated, Moira (who was helpful and attentive) served us. Since we had already ordered our starters and mains, it wasn't long before our food arrived and we were out of the restaurant before 9pm. Quite a rushed dinner. 

The food was delicious though! 
To start, I ordered their signature The Plettenberg's Seafood Soup because I love soup and this was up there with one of the best seafood soups (using a tomato base) that I have eaten. I also loved the use of chives and Gruyere cheese to add texture to the dish, as well as the fact that this soup was full of mussels, prawns, fish.. 
My partner had the grilled rib eye steak, with triple cooked sumo chips (huge)! 
I chose the winning main of the evening though with their Slow Roasted Crispy Duck with wok fried vegetables in a soy and honey sauce, and we finished up with the trio of homemade ice cream. Of the trio, the cookies & cream homemade ice cream was my favourite! Compliments to the chef! 

All in all - the cocktails and food was excellent and if the service had been better, this rating would have been much higher. 
For more, find me on Twitter: LaurasW0rld

What a fantastic hotel, stunning view. Delicious food, we were told by a local old German man ( he retired in plett), that here was the best food. But even more the stuff is wonderful, de barkeeper is my all-time favorite, he is very friendly and mixes the very best Apérol spritz I ever had. Thank you so much @ the plettenberg hotel and restaurant

Great experience! From booking our table all the way through to dessert! They really went the extra mile to make our anniversary dinner extra special! The seafood platter for two is a must. The view is gorgeous and the service is top class! Thank you so much for a great time!

One of the greatest restuarants we have been to on our trip. We had the best seat in the house and the seafood platter was to die for. The waitress was amazing and so engaging the whole time. The flavours came through perfectly with every taste. So happy we chose this as part of our honeymoon trip.

What a beautiful place for lunch when you look over the marvelous sea and enjoy delicious dishes.

It’s a stunning place! A must-visit for anyone who is in Plettenberg Bay for the first time. Excellent service, delicious food, friendly and welcoming staff. The views from the restaurant are breathtaking!