Café Del Sol Botanico - Sandton

I have frequented the Classico branch for many years, so am able to make a major comparison, and not a good one at that. Botanico and Classico, from my experience, are like night and day. They have similar, almost identical menus, but the overall experience at Botanico was disappointing. See my recent review of Classico. We went twice since. The staff at Classico are incredibly friendly, and the overall experience is fantastic. Botanico leaves much to be desired. I booked several weeks ago for my partner's birthday at Botanico. When we arrived, the introduction was hardly warm and welcoming, and we were shown to the terrace and a choice of two tables. Having booked several weeks ago, and prepared to spend a lot of money for a special birthday, I was horrified at the tables offered. Rickety, small and empty, while adjoining tables had the finest glassware, cutlery, etc. It felt like we were placed at a table for persons awaiting take aways. After asking to be moved, we were given a bigger table, but the surly attitude and the first impressions of this branch almost made me pack up and leave in embarrassment. To the drinks order. My partner's whiskey sour was three quarters ice and I am not exaggerating. I won't even comment further. He asked for another one afterwards with less ice and was more satisfied. It seriously felt like shrinkflation, and I loathe feeling ripped off. By this point, my blood was starting to boil. Thankfully the starters arrived and were pleasant. Although my partner did mention that there was so much sauce rather than chicken livers, and two tiny Crostinis to eat them with. My Gnocchi Gorgonzola was fairly impressive, but I found the sauce a little watered down compared to the thick, creamy consistency I am used to. The service, in general, scores 1 star, but that of our waiter was generally good, hence the R200 tip we gave him at the end. The 1 star is for the overall service experience or lack thereof. For mains, my partner chose the sea bass and I chose the pork belly, with triple cooked fries for the table. My pork belly was enjoyable, but the crackling was almost inedible. It spoiled the entire dish. My partner found the sea bass bland and messy. It was hardly a beautifully plated dish, and had far too much mash. I found the pork belly portion was a little too small for the size of the mashed roasted onion and sweet potato that enrobed it. As for the chips at R85, one can be forgiven for expecting nothing less than perfection. I have made Heston Blumenthal triple fried chips, and I have had them elsewhere, including at Classico, so I know exactly how they should taste, and these were embarrassing. We ate two chips each, which bordered on roadhouse slap chips, and I explained to the waitron that we were less than impressed AND that they were not triple fried chips. Sadly, these were not removed from the Bill. Nobody apologise or asked our thoughts. I wasn't arguing further because, by that stage, I had had enough. Dessert was average. A much smaller portion of pavlova than expected, and some of the fruits used were underripe and sour. The cappuccinos were at least good. Total bill was R1,733 which included a R200 tip, and which I was probably too generous to give. On the whole, a disappointing birthday experience which left me apologizing profusely to my partner. I will not be back. Certainly not at this branch. I have booked another dining experience for my partner elsewhere, as a belated birthday dinner after wiping all memory of this disastrous experience. Meal type: Dinner Price per person: R 500+ Food: 2 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 1

We went there for some cake and coffee. The service wasn't great, some of the staff don't seem very well trained. We also couldn't have coffee because they ran out of water??? The pavlova tasted like it was made with some kind of spray cream but the cheesecake wasn't bad. Overall quite overpriced for the standard of food and service. If you're paying 100+ for a dessert it should be higher quality. Service: Take out Price per person: R 100–150 Food: 2 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 2

Food prices on the upper range but not tasty we had the pasta. Service was satisfactory. Not sure I'd return. Service: Dine in Meal type: Lunch Price per person: R 300–350 Food: 2 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 3

Best restaurant in Johannesburg. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

There's not much I can say about café Dr Sol except that it was absolutely exceptional on every level. The food, ambiance, attention to detail and care from our waiter was truly exceptional. A wonderful experience and well worth visiting! A special mention for the peanut butter cheese cake that was a work of art! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: R 400–450 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Beef Wellington, Berry Pavlova