Review La Pentola - Pretoria

So, for my wife's 50th I decided to take her to an old gem of the Pretoria gastronomic landscape. And it didn't disappoint, the setting is rustic and unassuming, which I think is just to lull one into thinking the food will be decent but not great etc. Well, the food is superb, I had the seafood pasta but there were 4 or 5 dishes that I'll be going for over the next few months... (ostrich, warthog and springbok based dishes that sounded awesome). Service was great too, definitely worth a visit, a highlight for sure.

We chose La Pentola for our wedding anniversary. They did not disappoint us at all. The waters were magnificent. The atmosphere was awesome. The food was absolutely delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!!! Thanks for making our anniversary special!

I had a wonderful time, loved the relaxed atmosphere, great customer care. The waitress was friendly, patient and available

Fantastic experience here. The staff were fantastic and the food utterly delicious. So good we took my in laws there two days later.

I randomly visit la pentola with colleagues or privately. The restaurant never disappoints, daily specials are great. My favorite is hake with rice, potato croquet, sautéed veggies and generous mushroom/shrimp sauce. Complimentary bread is amazing.

Always a good dining experience. We have dine here for a food and whiskey pairing as well as a la carte. The food and drink pairings is so far the best. The meals are well prepared and always delicious. They are generous with the portions as well. It is advised to make a booking in advance, they do get busy some days.

This is a small, good quality restaurant tucked away just off Soutpansberg road. It was very quiet when we dined here, but the music was good and the artistic displays were quite interesting. I only ate specials this time, kicking off with the enjoyable crocodile tail with granadilla and kiwi fruit starter, followed by a generous sicilian hake, which deserved a bit more flavour but was still well prepared. We happily washed this down with a very decent Shiraz. One of the secret skills that the restaurant takes pride in is good wine pairings. It is definitely worth experiencing their culinary offerings!

Totally Amazing!! Thank you all for the most devine food ever and the best service too!! You guys rock!!!

The 5* stars how & what I experienced 3 times visited. Concentrate on aroma of every piece / type food prepared. Great Wines - Good taste does not come cheap, but really value for money.

Awesome food. Service was phenomenal. Highly recommend. Those who have something negative to say do not know what quality food is.

Stopped by for Sunday lunch and was pleasantly surprised with this place, the service was great and food was delicious... the complimentary bread was so good I would buy if they sold it :) will definitely be back next time I visit Pretoria.

Overpriced, over spiced, over done. Lengthy wait for food. Mediocre service. Only two of the party of six finished their meals, largely because they chose light meals. For the rest, the food was unpleasantly rich and overseasoned, the flavor of sole masked by dressing of mussels and cream, made worse as the fish was barely warm. A struggle to find chicken in the Thai green curry. I won’t continue, and although I have eaten here numerous times over the years, the last several occasions have been disappointing, and this, on the occasion of my daughter’s birthday will mark my last experience of Shane’s mish mash of ingredients.

Amazing beyond!!! We were there for the Bellingham wine pairing evening and it was so exquisite. Staff was professional and friendly and the food was delicious. We had a very special evening!

Interior nicely redecorated to be more elegant. Interesting menu choices include crocodile starter and mushrooms prepared with tequila... friendly attentive service and great tasting food

We dined here on our anniversary. Love the place. Very friendly and helpful staff. Amazing menu and very well priced considering really fresh ingredients are used. I however was disappointed 2 items in the main menu not being in stock. I first choose the duck which we were told later that it was out of stock. I then decided to try the sole and that was also out of stock. My starter of crocodile sounded amazing but unfortunately lacked taste - it wasn’t seasoned appropriately and was served with a granadilla sauce which was way too sweet. It was replaced with mussels which was nice. Husband ordered trout and unfortunately it was completely over cooked and just was a mush of little pieces. Chef did say it’s meant to be like this but we certainly didn’t like “mushed” fish. The dessert was complimentary to make up so that was nice. My fillet as well sounded and looked amazing but again lacked taste.

Where do I even start? La Pentola has been a favorite of mine since I moved to Pretoria, from the simply phenomenal service, to the delectable cuisine, this is an establishment I recommend whenever I can.<br/>I had the pleasure of attending a 5- course wine pairing event the restaurant had in conjunction with Durbanville Hills wine. (Events they host monthly with a different partner)<br/>Every single plate served was fresh and tasty, if I had to pick a fave it would be the grilled calamari served with pineapple and orange hummus. By the time dessert came out, I was stuffed (and pretty tipsy).

What a wonderful experience! Have not been to La Pentola in a while although it is a firm favourite. And was confirmed yet again why. <br/>The food was realy, realy good. Well presented, flavoursum and just absolutely yum. I had the Aztec mushrooms for starter and could have this dish for a main. The balance of salty, sweet with a hint of chilli was to perfection! Had the fillet with a blue cheese sauce for mains and my only critique is that the blue cheese could have been a bit more pronouced in. But was still a feast on the palate! <br/>My companion even had another starter for dessert as he could not get enough of these well rounded dishes on the menu. <br/>Highly recommended for the best food I had in Pretoria for quite some time, the excellent service and unasuming interior.

This is a awesome place. The food is prepared with care and taste! The ambience is nice and the staff is friendly!!! A must taste place! Very unclaimed!

I have eaten at La Pentola a few times as it is basically around the corner from me. The exterior and well quite honestly interior do not do justice to the food. Service is great and all the dishes were yummy. I had mussels and the Forrest rump...really tender and full of flavour. It is not cheap but you pay for a great flavour experience. Highly recommended!

First time and definitely not the last time we will visit LA Pentola. From the outside it doesn't look like anything fancy but the food is out of this world. Starters, mains, dessert and 3 cocktails under R700 is something not seen often considering the 5 star food received. True hidden gem.

Incredible experience, food, service and wine list is top notch! A must in Pretoria. Will see me again, very soon. The only thing that wasn't perfect is the chairs. They need an upgrade.

My husband and I visited La Pentola in January. As with the previous 2 <br/>visits, it was a wonderful evening. The service was excellent and so was the food but the food portions were small. We ordered chicken livers and springbok carpachio for starters, KWV fillet for mains and dark chocolate desert. It has a warm ambience with peaceful background music. <br/>

What an evening, my wife being spoilt with fine dining on her birthday at La Pentola. Greeted at door by the most friendly person I’ve come across and well informed by her on what’s on special for the night. Cocktails were awesome, romantic ambiance in this ... mixed decor which I really liked. Starters were awesome .... especially the snails wrapped with bacon. Mains delightful ... had the grilled fillet with bone marrow ... yummy. Keep it up guys .... you will see me again, perhaps on one of your wine events with 4 course and all, can’t wait. Buona petite.

Lovely restaurant with friendly staff and amazing food! Best fillet steak. We love going there and will continue supporting this restaurant as well as the one in Hermanus.

Wonderful romantic setting. Restaurant very cosy. Had a fantastic 2008 Groenland Antoinette Marie - was excellent. Adventurous menu with excellent execution!

I was looking for a restaurant where we could celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary, and decided on La Pentola. They did not disappoint! Upon arrival we were greeted at the door and taken to our neatly laid out table. The waiter explained the specials for the night as if he himself was the chef. He gave a detailed description of each meal and showed great knowledge.<br/>My father and husband had the special chicken livers in a port, cream and tomato based sauce. I couldn't resist the temptation to dip a piece of the freshly baked bread in the sauce to taste and it was absolutely delicious! <br/>For mains I ordered the KWV fillet with a mustard and green peppercorn sauce. It was served with finely chopped veggies and crumbed mash balls. The meat was grilled perfectly and once again the sauce heroed the dish. <br/>The only negative I could think of was the plating of the food - with the finely chopped veggies on the side the plate did look a little bit old fashioned. There was nothing old fashioned about the taste though!<br/><br/>

Talk about a hidden gem in the capital city. Love the cosiness of the place. The waiters are friendly. And it's become my favourite restaurant in the city. The food is top notch.

The style of the restaurant and the food quality are worlds apart. When I walked into the restaurant for anniversary I thought 'No, not here', but since we booked a table we decided to give it a chance as we heard positive reviews about the cheff. You can expect great quality food and in full portions. The starters were so rich and succulent that we had to take our mains back home in a doggy bag. As for the restaurant itself, I did not like the atmosphere and layout. You can hear every convesation around you and are too squashed in.

Never make this mistake, we spent R650 for my wife, son and me<br/><br/>Food is fit for dog food<br/>Even if you complain waiters is ignorant, can see they are used to customers complaining.<br/>My advice, rather go to Macdonald'S there you know what you get .

What a lovely restaurant! The ambiance is spectacular and the menu is even better. I was feeling exotic, so I gave the warthog a try and might I say....absolute decadence! A lovely creme brule was the perfect way end to an amazing evening. If you are looking for a date night destination, I would definately recommend La Pontola!

What a delightful experience. Me and my partner celebrated our 3 year anniversary here and the friendly staff and management of La Pentola went out of their way to make us feel at home. Their vegan and vegetarian dishes are sublime. The restaurant has a very comfy and homey atmosphere.

La Pentola has been around for ages (21 years)and they do not fail to impress. <br/><br/>The service is way above average and the food was exeptional. True to the International Fusion Cuisine label. <br/><br/>Not even going to try to describe the dishes. You have to try it yourself. <br/><br/>They truly evolved with the times. <br/><br/>Really worth a visit..... or two.... or three...<br/><br/><br/>

Oh what a lovely little gem in the Moot!The food was top class the wine and dessert too. We had venison and it was super delicious and well prepared.The chef came to ask if the food was good.Service excellence

My husband and I litterally stumbled upon this restaurant one evening. We had a good experience and decided to go there again today for our wedding anniversary dinner. It was more than worth it. The food was prepared very well and the service excellent. They will see us again.

What an amazing experience.. Bit pricey but totally worth every cent.. Strange mix of decor but it works.. Try their 'Cape-Connection' it will be fascinating and very tasty!!!! Will definitely go again!

Looking at the mixed reviews on this page, it seems that La Pentola has become a bit of a Russian roulette establishment. We were unfortunate to get the chamber with the bullet this past Friday. We've been visiting La Pentola since it first opened, although admittedly we last dined there some years ago. The service was very good on this occasion, but that's where the happiness ended. My wife's dessert starter (I know, but that's the way she rolls) was Danish ice cream that had clearly defrosted at some point and was recently resuscitated in the freezer, and was completely crystallised as a result. My snails wrapped in bacon were rubberoid and tasteless, and came with a cold-ish sort of packet gravy. Her Thai vegetable curry was bland, and the soggy pasta accompanying it was not edible. My rump steak appeared to have been cooked in a microwave oven - no grilling as advertised - and was topped with what may have been mushrooms but tasted more like slippery guitar picks. Needless to say the car guard got quite a full doggy bag. Bill came to R500 with tip. My wife shared our 'issues' with the waitress, who said she would inform the kitchen (one without a chef, I'm sure). Never again.

This use to be an upmarket restaurant. All that has been remained is high prices. ZERO SERVICE. IT IS OBVIOUS the owner is no longer in attendance.

After a long search for a good vegetarian restaurant in Pretoria, we ended up at La Pentola. The restaurant has been around for awhile and is rather charming in its own way. We were so impressed with the number of vegetarian options on the menu. I had the holloumi cheese and strawberry starter, a rather unusual yet refreshing combination. For mains, I tucked into a delectable mushroom and cheese phyllo pie. My dining partner had the house specialty, escargot wrapped in bacon and a pasta dish for mains. Triple chocolate terrine for dessert, I could have easily passed on that. The service was good with a rather attentive waiter. Overall, a highly satisfying dining experience and a must try for vegetarians with many options and unusual combinations to choose from.

Meg Edwards La Pentola is definitely known as one of Pretoria's golden oldies and rightfully so. But I am not sure if its former glory will be able to sustain its reputation for much longer. We went here on a Wednesday evening and we were greeted at the door by a confused man, a man who was shocked that we didn't have a reservation in a restaurant that wasn't more then 50% capacity for the evening b.t.w. The food was admirable, we had lamb kidneys for a starter and rump steak and a chicken dish for mains. The rump was tender and the chicken was juicy but was lacking something special. The sides brought back memories of my days in boarding school with over cooked carrots and beans and a oily tasting croquette that puts a bitter taste in your mouth for the premium they charge here. La Pentola reminds me of a classic car that hasn't been serviced in years: it's rusty, it doesn't always show its value for money, but every now and then it reminds you about its former glory! Lets hope that this classic finds its way back soon.

What a magical place. La Pentola has been a favorite of our for years. Dinner is always so romantic and the food is exciting and different. The menu has a wide variety to choose from and the service is excellent. Today we had lunch at la pentola for the first time in years and it still doesn't disappoint.

Golden oldie and an absolute favourite. A must for anyone wanting to try the ultimate fusion cuisine. My favourite the Aztec chocolate chilli mushrooms for starters.

La Pentola has become synonymous with fine dining but I think they are taking it to the next level if at all possible. <br/><br/>Fantastic menu and every meal is wonderfully presented. A good wine rounds off what can only be called the perfect meal. A definite "must do" in Pretoria.

Had a wonderful time at the whiskey tasting and previous wine pairing, can't wait to go again. The food is really good and the vibe amazing.

Perfect if you want to experience something different. Chef Shane is truly the master of fusion in this country. The dishes might sound a bit weird,but trust him,he knows what he's doing. We had the honey and mustard Warthog and the Flambe Ostrich. It's perfect to take international friends or tourists.

Warm welcome and a good table got us off to a pleasant experience. Good selection of wine and good service. Excellent variety on the menu both for starters and mains. Food was very tasty with ample helpings. Pleasant ambience rounded off a great evening

Walked in looking for a place to sit and read emails, stayed for a magnificent lunch. Worth a flight up from the Cape. Can't wait to try their Hermanus branch.

I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner here, the restaurant has a warm and intimate atmosphere as well as good food and service, I would say it is worth a try.

A flavour explosion and ambience to match! The chef delivers plates that needs no explanation and speaks for themselves. Well done Shane and team. Par excellance!

Never been disappointed here. Have gone to their most recent wine tasting cuisine night. When we go out I prefer to go to a place that makes food that I wont or cant make at home. Everything was sooooo tasty and the wine paored perfectly