Sunday, May 31, 2009

Pretoria Restaurant restores faith

We moved to the Pretoria area eighteen months ago and since then have been on a vain search for a restaurant that not only serves good food but also provides a good service where the staff are up to date on what is on the menu, what ingredients the different dishes contain and the service is good and prompt.
Coming from Johannesburg we are used to good service where the dishes are served in the correct order and the food is hot. Here in Pretoria we have had the main course served before the starter, the food served cold after a long wait - probably because the waiter forget to collect it when it was ready, and a total show of indifference when we have complained about the service. At some restaurants we have been served the wrong food and when queried, the waiters have been unable to remember what we did order.
Even in the quick service fast food chain restaurants where one knows roughly what will be on their plate we have been given the incorrect burger i.e. beef instead of chicken. We were beginning to think that perhaps the one hour drive to Johannesburg was worth time and petrol simply for a well presented meal that delivered all that was promised on the menu and was served by staff that know what is going on and expected by patrons of their restaurant.
Yesterday we decided to go to the Menlyn Shopping Centre in a last vain attempt to find somewhere we could eat out and actually enjoy a meal.
The centre was astir with the anticipation of the Super 14 final match and all the eating places were busy and so we wondered around looking at menus and for what looked like somewhere nice to sit quietly and enjoy lunch. As we approached "Cappuccinos Cafe and Pizzeria", a polite well spoken young lady asked if we would like a table. Good first impressions always count and so we followed the waiter she had called to a table and were seated comfortably, handed the menus and asked what we would like to drink.
Drinks ordered we settled down to have a good look at the menu and were delighted to see that it gave descriptions of what the dishes contained and that there was a good variety to choose from.
Our order arrived in good time, was well presented, the plates and the food were hot and on tasting all on our plates we were both able to pronounce to the waiter that we were very happy with what we had ordered and lunch was in fact very good. As we were busy eating a young male staff member approached us to ensure that we happy with meal and service, we could only give him a positive reply about everything.
We will definitely go to Cappuccinos again and look forward to feeling happy to take friends and family there on special occasions.
As a final afterthought - the prices were reasonable and the servings large - but when one is happy with the service and the taste then these perhaps are irrelevant.

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