Review La Madeleine - Pretoria

A special occasion demands a special experience. Attentive service (despite a tour bus of patrons), superb food (fresh available ingredients... just superb preparation and presentation) and everything done just right. Think linen serviettes, correct glasses, appropriate cutlery amazing wine/bubbles selection. It's one of my best dinners ever! Lastly, rhubarb desert... memories of my Mom. Happy birthday, angel. And thank you, Chef.

It's a French restaurant in Pretoria. All food are high quality and beautifully presented. Atmosphere is also cozy. Chef gives recommendations of order instead of not having a menu. I ordered calamari and rabbit, which were so good. Next time, I will come to here on Sunday lunch! If you go to there, you should make a booking in advance.

It took me over a decade to visit the only proper French fine dining restaurant in my hometown and what an amazing experience it turned out to be. Thank you Chef Daniel and our lovely waitress as well. Simply brilliant food.

We felt very welcome and everyone went out of their way to make our time at La Madeleine special. The food is absolutely beautifully prepared and presented. Huge thank you to Daniel and team!

Fine dinning at its best. The decor leave much to be desired however the food is of the highest quality. I will highly recommend this place. The wine is also fantastic. The chef options to choose from is also such a wide variety. Great place to dine.

After 37 years, Chef Daniel still wows patrons with his delightful bistronomy with such flair and energy. Ala carte menu during the week and a more relaxed weekend feel. His Sunday lunch is a must, especially if you want to enjoy a lazy lunch out in the garden setting of his home- based eatery. The 3 course meal is absolutely value for money!! I loved watching chef take you through each dish per course as he explains the components in detail, and then summarises the options before taking the order himself. Quite a novel way from the chef patron. Expect Starter dishes like: • Delish Bisque of fresh baby crab • Fab pan fried two mushrooms with wine sauce, truffle juice and a pastry top • Fresh mussels in coconut milk sauce with a touch of curry • Pan fried chopped calamari on a bed of pasta with a prawn sauce And Mains: • Deboned, filled Monk fish in a lemony sauce • North African style slow roasted Lamb neck on a bed of couscous • Pork cheek with vegetables • Oven cooked Beef short rib • Pork fillet with a creamy mushroom sauce Now for desserts: • Belgian Dark Choc Mousse • Amazingly smooth creme brûlée • Cream of marscapone, meringue and fresh fruit • Compote of Rhubarb, crushed meringue, vanilla cream and a crumble on top • Delightful Cheesecake with a Belgian spekuloos base. All the starters were winners with the mushroom dish being my fave. The lamb neck was delectable and if you enjoy firm fish, try out the Monk fish. All the desserts were yummy and glad I got to try them all. Deciding between the cheesecake and creme brûlée would be a challenge. Have both. 😉 If you’re having a special occasion, speak to chef about his bespoke cakes. Our friends Black Forest cake was sublime. Excellent service from Winnie and team. Based in Lynwood Ridge, the drive from Joburg to Pretoria was so worth it for a delightful dining experience. Highly recommended if you like simple fare done the original way. Bravo chef Daniel and team 👏👏

I have been so many times. This time dinner. I have tried many dishes and always good. No formal menu Daniel the chef du patron always introduces the dishes with great Belgian flourish and style. Not the cheapest Pretoria restaurant but always worth the experience.

Our go to restaurant in Pretoria. From the chef to the waitstaff, everybody is on top of their game. Super friendly service where the waiters make you feel like friends that dropped in for a quick visit. The food is beyond amazing, we never had a bad meal and each time we are blown away by new flavours. If you are looking for good hearty french food don’t look any further. The chef sells the menu each time and hearing him describe each course makes your mouth water. Highly recommended ! All our expat friends are very impressed when we take them there.

Top notch! The best fine dining experience you can imagine!

This restaurant was a delightful experience. Chef and staff were friendly,helpful and informative. The food was delicious.

Had an amazing evening at La Madeleine. They keep things intimate, no menus just the host who comes around to everyone's table and explains the dishes. The food was very good and not overly pricey. Going for the full three course meal is a great experience but be prepared to make an evening of it. Not that the service is slow instead they are very much always present and helpful. The idea is rather to savor and enjoy your experience and they supplement it with small tasters and palate cleansers between dishes. La Madeleine is a great place for a date or proper family outing; when you want to catch up over a good meal with an atmosphere of people that truly enjoy what they are doing.

The food is simply excellent!

Amazing experience and wonderful food. It is very different from your normal dinning experience with very tasteful food. The service is wonderful.

Gorgeous food served in a pleasant atmosphere by attentive, but not overbearing staff. Highly recommend La Madelaine for a special night out

Best dining experience I have ever had! Everything was amazing from start to finish, although we came early, we couldn't be more accommodated for! The food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! There was NEVER a long wait and the service was just the BEST!!!! These photos unfortunately don't do it justice.

Still the best of the best! After spending a couple of months in Europe and then returning to South Africa, I just again realised the quality of some of our restaurants. La Madeleine is not just one of the best restaurants in South Africa, but I will rank them amongst one of the best in the world. The combination of their flavours and attention to detail is just "Magnifique".

Such a wonderful Bistro. The attention to detail in the dishes is remarkable. First class restaurant experience. Well worth several visits.

Took my wife there on Valentine's day as it was highly recommended. Once we got served our drinks (20 minutes into the sitting) we had starter and main, neither of which was anything to write home about - definitely not the "french" quisine everyone is raving about. We got our side plates and bread with desert!! To top it all off, the waitress over charged us for several items and hoped we would not notice it. Oh and the body odour of the staff was probably what attracted all the flies. Will I ever go back or recommend it - nope, unless I don't like you.

Special Belgian food, which has that wonderful Continental touch. Mussels, prawns, mushrooms, veal, you name it, the menu is always versatile. The portions are not overpowering allowing guests to sample a starter, mains and a dessert. Excellent cuisine and that personal touch supplied by the Leusch family

Service and food excellent. Staff friendly and knowlegeable and personal attention from chef was the cherry on the cake.

This place is out of this world. The food the atmosfeer. I can just say wow!!

Fantastic food by chef Daniel and his daughter. The place to spoil yourself in a nice setting.

What an amazing place! The food is out of this world. Such a special experience everytime.

Excellent endroit j’ai adoré le fait que ces le chef lui-même qui nous présente son menu merci

Always enjoy the food. Fantastic food. This is our special place to eat and be treated.

Great dining experience in nice environment. High quality ingredients, expertly prepared with a French twist. We loved it!

Our favourite place to celebrate special occations !

The food was good not great...zero atmosphere... poor service and dirty bathrooms. Overrated to say the least.

Super lovely venue to go for a romantic fine dining experience. Walking chef with amazing food. Great�🖒

The service was slow, the drinks way too expensive and not what was ordered. The steak that was ordered was terrible

Booked to have dinner for our anniversary. Disappointed at decor for French Cuisine. <br/>Waitress was very good but overworked - eg had to asl for bill - no coffee offered. Might be as a result of big tourist group. <br/>Food was really good . <br/>At these prices I would have expected far better service. <br/>Not sure I will go back - better options in Pretoria for a special night out.

My family and I went on Wednesday night for my dad's birthday. We had the most amazing experience! The food was delicious! I had not a single complaint! The service was impeccable! I highly recommend this restaurant! The absolute best value for money!<br/>

La Madeleine is a real gem. From being welcomed by warm and friendly smiles, served really refreshing welcome drinks to the coffee, I can not find one negative thing about this restaurant. The food is excellent, service and staff gets 10 out of 10 and chef Daniel know how to cook a fillet and his creme brûlée is divine! We will certainly be back!

The food was more creative than most restaurants. Vegetable complements were extremely well executed. However, the proteins were on the disappointing side, it was either too chewy or dry due to being over cooked. The inbetween appetizers were a nice touch.

We had a fantastic night. Food was stunning in taste and presentation, waiting staff was attentive and the setting was rather romantic. There is no fixed menu, so menu for the night (with six different options) is presented to you and adds to the surprise of the night. Great place to celebrate a special occasion or night!

What a wonderful restaurant! The chef comes to each table to explain the menu for the day, he is passionate about his food, and everything sounded amazing. We went for the Sunday lunch menu, very reasonably priced with plenty of options to choose from. The food was delicious, portions were generous and the service was professional and friendly. The venue is warm and cozy, it simply ticks all the boxes.

Absolutely loved my dining experience at La Madeleine. The ambiance and decor warm and romantic! Great, efficient and friendly. The food and wine exquisite! Fine dining at its best. I Shall definitely return. Superb👌🏻

I booked for 20 people for my 60th birthday. We had a set menu with 4 choices in each course. The service was really good. The food was superb. I had lightly curried mussels in a coconut sauce for a starter. Beautifully presented and amazing flavours. My main was pork cheeks. So soft and succulent with a wonderful potato bake and vegies. The creme brulee was to die for. The irish coffee was done superbly with beautiful flair. A wonderful evening enjoyed by all.

The food here is sensational! The portion sizes could be more generous and the chef could be more accommodating of special food preferences (i.e. Gluten free and vegetarian). We were made to feel as though we were difficult customers and as a result we felt slightly unwelcome. The ambience is romantic and the service cannot be faulted.

Excellent food and outstanding service. I love it that the interior is old fashioned and doesn't look the same as every other restaurant around town.

One of my favorite French restaurants. The service was excellent and the staff well trained. <br/>The chef explains the menu making your mouth water and it difficult to choose. <br/>The food was beautifully presented and the taste amazing.

Amazing food, and great atmosphere!!! Service was superb, I had the best choclate fondant on earth... Wow!!!! I will certainly return with all my friends and family.

Been coming here for 30 years since I was 6 weeks old. Just a family favourite where we come together for celebrations and other ordinary days. No better place to be on a Sunday.

A definite must-try.<br/>There is no normal menu as such, instead the owner/chef describes the evening's selections and gives you time to choose. He has a strong French accent, which lends to the wonderful experience, and he describes each dish in depth with such passion and enthusiasm, it leaves one drooling! The staff are very helpful and pleasant. The food was excellent, good portions and very tasty. We were also quite impressed with the deserts which were stunning.<br/>There is apparently an outdoor area by the pool where one can enjoy Sunday buffets, so we'll surely be back!

Dated and Disappointing!<br/><br/>We arrived expecting beautiful French cuisine... but we're slapped in the face by the 80's with the decor and the plating.<br/><br/>We have cooked more imaginative and appetizing food in the comfort of our home.<br/><br/>The service is good. But that just means they bring you the underwhelming food quickly.<br/><br/>Don't waste the trip! This restaurant is just trading on its name and past glories!

What a wonderful Sunday lunch experience......  We will definitely be back at La Madeleine as the food, ambiance and service were excellent.

Really nice place, great food, and excellent service...<br/><br/>Definitely a place to visit if you really want good food and great service. <br/><br/>We will be back.

We made a booking to celebrate a friends birthday at La Madeleine on recommendation from a work colleuge. We where met with a warm welcome. The ambiance at La Madeleine is quite intimate and cosy, with the sounds of soft music and a crackling fire. To kick start our evening we where treated to fresh bread and salt infused butter. An added treat was the chef coming to each table to explain the menu for the evening. His passion and love for his business is evident. Down side for me is that there is no menu to refer back to and you have to make a choice based on his first run down of the menu. Starters where served very quickly, and where delicious. Due to my quick decision on my meal choices I missed out on the goats cheese aubergine dish. The baked veal was a bit bland, but still delicious. The muscle soup was out of this world and the oxtail soup was unique and very well prepared. My mushroom pastry pocket was disappointing and increased my feeling of being cheated due to no menu. The pineapple and basil sorbet was unique and refreshing but the texture was a bit grainy. Mains were great, the kingklip with champagne sauce was excellent, La Madeleine's signature dish the baked pork cheeks was truly amazing. The prawn special was nothing special. Very disappointing. The French style steak was average at most. The beetroot salad was awful and only tasted of vinegar. Desert was disappointing. Two out of the four dishes were average. The sorbet on the other hand with each dessert out shinned everything. The lemon tartlet was hard, and though. Not what we expected. The chocolate cake was dry and bitter. But the cheesecake was great and refreshing, and the almond cake was lite a fluffy. Overall a great venue, pretty decent dishes. The staff and the chef enhance the experience to the next level. The decor needs to updated, a We made a booking to celebrate a friends birthday at La Madeleine on recommendation from a work colleuge. We where met with a warm welcome. The ambience at La Madeleine is quite intimate and cosy, with the sounds of soft music and a crackling fire. To kick start our evening we where treated to fresh bread and slat in fushed butter. An added treat was the chef coming to each table to explain the menu for the evening. His passion and love for his business is evisent. Down side for me is that there is no menu to refer back to and you have to make a choice based on his first run down of the menu. Starters where served very quickly, a where delicious. Due to my quick decision on my meal choices I missed out on the goats cheese aubergine dish. The baked veal was a bit bland, but still delicious. The muscle soup was out of this world ans the oxtail soup was unique and very well prepared. My muschroom pastry pocket was dissapointing and increased my feeling of being cheated due to no menu. The pineapple and basil sorbet was unique and refreshing but the texture was a bit grainy. Mains were great, the kingklip with champagne sauce was excellent, La Madeleine's signature dish the baked pork cheeks was truely amazing. The prawn special was nothing special. Very dissapointing. The french style steak was average at most. The beetroot salad was awful and only tasted of vinegar. Desert was dissapointing. Two out of the four dishes were average. The sorbet on the other hand with each dessert out shinned everything. The lemon tartlet was hard, and though. Not what we expected. The chocolate cake was dry and bitter. But the cheesecake was great and refreshing, and the almond cake was lite a fluffy. Overall a great venue, pretty decent dishes. The staff and the chef enhanced the experience to the next level. The decor needs to updated, a bit tatty.

French cuisine. My friend had her 30th birthday at this restaurant and we had a 3 course meal. I really enjoyed the mussel starter, first time I tried it, was really impressive.

This still feels like the first time I was here - having searched the place out of raving reviews. Nothing much has changed - the coziness and all...<br/><br/>Ambience = 4. Nice, quaint place with a fireplace for those warm winter evenings whilst having dinner in a dim light...<br/><br/>Food= 4. This is where the...

French cuisine - An amazing 3 course Sunday lunch for a bargain price of R175 per person. The menu is always a surprise and is based on the Chef's specials for the day. The restaurant is cosy, charming and a little out of the way. Definitely worth the trip though. The Chef is very hands on and hospitable. We had the seafood bisque, creamed mussels, beef short rib, chocolate mousse and creme brûlée. The flavor combination of each dish was intense and immensely satisfying. The creme brûlée was memorable and I can't wait to go back for more.

Dining at La Madeleine have allways been a pleasure and a privilege. I have been dining there for thirty years and can remember every one of the numerous wonderful evenings enjoying food prepared with care and love, the way it should be done. The little bistro in Sunnyside with the wooden door and the emblem of the prestigeous Chaine des Rôtisseurs was cosy and warm inside and served food such as fit for royalty.<br/>Since moving to the subarbs, the character has changed. But some of the soul still lingers in the hospitality and quality of the food. All the waiters speak French along with English.<br/>Tartare of Tuna with Juzu vinegar, mayo and asparagus was delicious, subtly flavoured and a generous portion.<br/>Followed by a palate cleaner - a sorbet made of Belgium Beer and Cherries.<br/>For mains, slow cooked Pork Cheeks, fresh vegetables and deep fried potato puree balls. A dish that would be difficult to find elsewhere in our region.<br/>The sauce was mouthwatering - slightly sticky, very subtle sweet/sour cherry jus with whole cherries. Rich and soft and yum. I had to add salt for my taste.<br/>The high point, though, had been the cheese board. Imported and absolutely divine french cheeses. Imagine camembert made of soft silky creamy runny goats cheese. Yum yum yum.<br/>He served pre-desert: a tiny portion of diced sweet Mozambique pineapple in a clear coriander syrup, topped with sweet vanilla cream. All the deserts were lovely, followed by wonderful coffee and a tea stand with Madeleines and little choux pastry swans filled with cream.<br/>La Madeleine received low rating reviews in Zomato because of the dated interior. For me the food and generous hospitality will still make me return again and again. Merci-beaucoup!

Little bit pricy but worth it. The chef comes and tells you the menu himself. I do wish it was written down somewhere because there are so many great option when he is done explaining I forgot the list.

Not a massive fan of French food. Too nye nye nye, too many ingredients and almost always way overpriced. Here, i was pleasantly surprised. The bread with home made butter at the beginning of the meal was delicious. We had one with anchovies that evening. The starters were a little too small but tasty and the mains were also quite small. My salmon fillet tasted great but i think it was less than 180grams- too small for a main! All in all the quality was good, the owner was present which is always a great thing to see, and the prices were decent. I will definitely return!

A "touristy" day out from Jhb to Pretoria proved to be nice but not worth an encore 🙈 The Sunday Lunch Set Menu was interesting and well priced and was beautifully communicated to us with a charming french accent by the owner. The food, however, was slightly disappointing in its follow through and presentation. Everything felt slightly disheveled, stuck in the past and not quite innovative enough for today's style.

Had an absolutely exquisite dinner here a few weeks ago. The chef came and told us the daily menu options... Very passionate and friendly man! Love the way he says 'prawns'!!<br/><br/>I had a lamb kidney starter in a creamy mustard sauce; an unusual choice for me but I thought it was superb. Then had a game main which was also cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. This was followed by a creme brûlée which I shared with my beau to top off the evening. All food was very fresh and really well made. I did also try some of my boyfriends langoustines starter and Moroccan lamb main and can also say that they were divine. <br/><br/>I see people have commented on the decor bring outdated but I don't think that this is 'THAT' kind of restaurant. To me it seems very authentic French... The kind you would find at a neighborhood in France which I loved. If you want a generic modern restaurant you can pretty much go anywhere. I though the decor have a little je-ne-çais-quoi to the whole evening.<br/><br/>Was definitely worth the drive from joburg.

Great service. The friendly staff are very attentive and have good knowledge on their products. The wine selection is amazing and all the wine sold there is superb. Food was delicious. The rabbit (I had as a main) was perfectly cooked and great with a glass of red on a cold winters night. The atmosphere is very European. Really enjoyed the evening and will come back again soon.

Visitng my sister in Pretoria came with an additonal perk of La Madeleine and chef Daniel whom we affectionately called "for tonight". His wife is the artist behind the puds and finding that inch of belly that isn't full to busting is an essential.<br/><br/>This review is based on many visits, many years ago as we have unfortunately not been able to travel for a while, sorry sis, but think it is high time for another taster.

I would give them them more than 5.0 for the food but they should upgrade the deco.<br/>The chef Daniel is really nice and if he is not there the maitre d'o is as good.

We've been on a La Madeleine binge the last month, in groups, romantic evenings, parties and with family and ever time we had excellent service, unique food and they had been accommodating to our more difficult guests. Excellent excellent excellent. I Love the character, don't care about the decor being dated, it honestly doesn't matter. Marnel Greyling

Went to La Madeleine last night for Christmas eve dinner with the family. It was the first time I had eaten there and I must say the food was brilliant, service was fantastic. I have no complaints at all. I definitely recommend it

Took my girlfriend there for our 3yr anniversary. The restaurants appearance was a little dated, the food was quite good (authentic French), although I think it was a little over priced. All in all, not bad

La Madeleine used to be somewhere to go for a special occasion. This is simply not the case anymore. The decor is unchanged from years gone by and quite drab in it's appearance. The service seems disinterested and not attentive to the guests needs. The food, although touted as being French is bland and lacks in various areas and one leaves feeling unhappy and unchanged by the experience. The chef's theatrics around the menu which heighten your anticipation for what you are about to eat over shoot the mark considerably. I will not return any time soon.

Superb cuisine!!!! There is always something exquisite, new to try.