The Reviews

*** The Slug and Lettuce, Rivonia Boulevard and 9th Avenue, Rivonia, 1 October 2011

A real pub atmosphere abounds here in the evenings and a young crowd is attracted by the no nonsense food.  We had bockwurst and chips and hake and chips.  Both excellent although the bockwurst was a portion larger than I could manage.  White wine by the glass was good and cold.

I would recommend this for a good Friday night out for the under 40s!  Service was good and friendly

Contact Details for The Slug and Lettuce.  Previous review.

*** The Codfather, corner 1st Ave and Rivonia Road, Rivonia, 28 August 2011

This restaurant is divided into little hideaway places which makes it quite intimate.  I went there for lunch and indulged in the Cajun calamari starter and the Clams which were done Portuguese style.  Both dishes were very good and the seasoning was spot on.  However, the portion of clams would have been plenty so I'll remember for next time!

Their service was good and the Brampton Sauvignon by the glass excellent.  I would recommend it again!

Contact Details for The Codfather. Previous Review.

**** JHB Grill, corner Witkoppen and Achter Roads, Paulshof, 26 August 2011

This restaurant is large and airy.  It was very well patronised on that night as well.  Not surprising as the food was good.  We shared a calamari starter which was excellent and then had beef burgers which were enormous!  Rick had mushroom and I had Madagascar pepper sauce.  The latter could have been hotter but both burgers were good and accompanied by potato wedges and vegetables.

Their service was good and the white wine by the glass more than acceptable.  Their filter coffee was excellent.  I would recommend it, even though it is pricey as it would suit a special occasion!

Contact Details for JHB Grill: Tel 011 234-0337, 087 150-1414, e-mail jhbgrill@gmail.com;info@jhbgrill.co.za, web site.

(no stars) Santi's Ristaurante, The Square Shopping Centre, Naivasha Road, Sunninghill, 26 August 2011

This restaurant is situated on the mezzanine floor of the centre with a balcony looking out over the lower levels.  We had booked a non-smoking table and arrived on time.  This first noticeable thing was the smell of cigarette smoke which infused the whole place.  We asked for a table which was not affected and none was forthcoming.  On speaking to the manager, he informed us that "I only work here".  We turned around and left.

Contact Details for Santi's Ristaurante.

*** Taste of Punjab, Sunhill Shopping Centre corner Corner Tana and Naivasha Roads, Sunninghill, 29 July 2011

This restaurant is quite small and intimate.  On a very cold night, we tried it out as Bosco was fully booked.  They provided excellent samoosas in the new style - pastry triangles filled with vegetables not the thin pastry style but more solid.  However these were good.  We then shared a half Tandoori Chicken which was enlivened by my request for lemon otherwise it would have been very dry.  In London, the north Indian Restaurants did the most beautiful Tandoori Chicken served on an abundant salad with lots of lemon in the 1970s.  Here lemons are cheap and so is salad - why don't we have a similar sublime food?

Their service was good and the white wine by the glass more than acceptable.  I would recommend it, just ask for lemon!

Contact Details for Taste of Punjab.

**** The Slug and Lettuce, corner Rivonia Boulevard and 9th Avenue Rivonia, 31 July 2011

This unusually-named restaurant has taken the space formally used by News Cafe, which has moved into Rivonia Village on the opposite corner.  I went there on a quiet Sunday and found the place very inviting.  The smoking section is firmly closed off and smoke is excluded from the rest of the restaurant by a very noisy air conditioner.  As I was sat beside it, this detracted from the ambience.

Brilliant came to serve me and I opted for the Calamari Tapas and a glass of white wine.  He brought the wine with a huge box of popcorn, which was standard issue to all tables, so this will really work for your children!  The Calamari Tapas was saltier than I would have liked but the Tartare sauce was home-made and great!  This created further interest and I followed up with the Garlic Snails, which were very good.  A good cup of coffee rounded off the experience!

I did feel that the wine was overpriced at R28 a glass as it did not seem to be of a quality equals to this.  Otherwise the service was friendly and I wish them every success.

Contact Details for The Slug and Lettuce, Rivonia.

**** Casa da Galinha, 1st Avenue, Rivonia, 3 June 2011

On a cold Friday afternoon, we meet one of our best suppliers for lunch at the Codfather cluster of restaurants and chose Casa da Galinha.  The place was empty except for an outside table and very cold.  However the staff were great and organised a heater.  They also turned down the music after a number of requests, which meant we could actually have a conversation!

We ordered a bottle of Beyerskloof Pinotage, which arrived at the right temperature and was, as usual, excellent.  The truly cold of us ordered Caldo Verde, the beautiful green Portuguese soup, and were not disappointed.  It was hot and tasty and the bread was good too.  This was followed by calamari with lemon butter sauce (a bit lacking) and spare ribs, which were tasty but a bit dry.  The calamari were good and a good portion size.

We finished off with Tiramisu and Cream Caramel, plus coffee.  All excellent.

Contact Details for Casa da Galinha.

* Primi Piatti, Chilli Lane Shopping Centre, off Rivonia Road, Sunninghill

Sadly, the worst meal ever.  So let's start with what worked - good hot chocolate on a cold night, good gas fired heater on the west wall, friendly waiters and, lest I forget, a good Sauvignon Blanc.

We chose a table close to the heater as did most of the patrons, because it was a chilly night in Autumn and the place was definitely lacking customers –is this because Chilli Lane is getting a reputation as a crime hotspot?  As a CPF member, I think this may be the case as I attend the meetings every Monday and this centre comes up regularly.

Then we go down to the food.  Lumpy bread with Danish butter; we produce excellent butter here.  Then the chicken livers which were supposed to be flavoured with garlic and chilli.  The only flavour was salt.  This is the hypertension restaurant of the year for its starter!

I asked that my calamari did not have salt added.  Well it did.  Here I was expecting garlic and chilli and all I got was salt, salt, salt!  Even in the replacement dish.

My partner's feedback on his dish (Panacetta with linguine) is a classic: "a combination of the flavours of tomato, bacon, basil and bay leaf so carefully balanced that they exactly failed to please".  I tried his dish and totally agree with him.

Salt is a condiment, NOT a spice.  Equally garlic and chillies are not spices.  This restaurant seriously does not understand food.

Contact Details for Primi Piatti.

**** The Ocean Basket, Chilli Lane Shopping Centre, off Rivonia Road, Sunninghill

Oh Sunday nostalgia with live music from a musician into sixties and seventies songs! This made for a relaxing lunch in a centre that bubbles with life and kids charging around the place.  Service is great and attentive, with perfect timing to ask how your meal is - not when you have your mouth full but when you are pausing between munches!

Indulged in a fish and calamari combo, which had succulent fish and slightly overdone calamari.  The chips were a disaster but was too busy listening to the music to complain.  Chardonnay by the glass is excellent.  Would recommend that they don't put so much salt in their sauces - perhaps liaise with Fourways and Pietermaritzburg on this matter?

Overall, a wonderfully relaxing chill out Sunday lunch - will go again.

Contact Details for Ocean Basket.

*** Taste of India, Early Dawn Centre, cor Rivonia Boulevard and 9th Ave, Rivonia

This restaurant has replaced Global Wrapps and serves a selection of North and South Indian foods plus Bunny Chows!  They have tables outside and do not charge corkage for wine.  They are unlicensed and Halaal.  We decided to try them on the day after Boxing day and arrived early.  We chose an outside table and were greeted by the friendly manager.  We shared their vegetable samoosas - which were not the normal triangles but rather pyramids and somewhat doughy.  For main course, I had the vegetarian Biriyani and Rick the chicken Korma.  The latter came with rice.  Both dishes were excellent.  The service was good and we wish this new venture all the best.

Contact Details for Taste of India.

*****Casa Galinha at the CodFather 1st Avenue, 14th August 2010

This restaurant has been revamped since my last visit some years back.  The service is welcoming and excellent - always a pleasure when I am on my own!  A starter portion of calamari in lemon butter was accompanied by a glass of chardonnay.  The quality of the dish was such that my appetite was perked up!  So I followed it with a Portuguese salad.  This consisted of lettuce, avocado, cucumber and tomatoes.  It was fresh and extremely good with a little black pepper added.

A place to go for a quiet lunch or to take a special friend.  Thoroughly enjoyed my experience and will go again.

On leaving the restaurant, I looked in on the CodFather Foodhall and meet Chris who runs All Bottled Up as part of it.  Here they sell almond trees, herbs and beautiful oils.  A haven of enchantment and full of great ideas for gifts.  All Bottled Up's unique green take is to encourage customers to take their own bottles in for filling with the oils of their choices (all South African, only the Balsamic Vinegar is imported).  The shop's mascot is Carma Chameleon, who insists they pack everything for donations to CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) instead of charging.

Contact Details for Casa da Galinha.

* Larry's in the Euro Centre, 363 Rivonia Boulevard (30 April 2010)

Sadly a restaurant that misses out on business, because the owner does not enable his waiter to offer customers anything!  As the bill was also whipped away, exact descriptions of what we ate are not possible.  My companion ordered the Duck and Cherry pie and requested crispy chips.  I wish he would stop ordering crispy chips or indeed chips at all, as they never are.  The pie was largely air - a pastry crust well above the contents hiding at the bottom of the dish.  It tasted OK but did not justify its price.

I had the fish and chips, which were also OK but not exciting.  The white wine was pleasant.  I would have liked to order coffee, however the opportunity did not arrive and we asked for the bill and left.

Great place to go if you are a close friend of the owner, otherwise disappointing.

(No Contact Details for Larrys: It has since closed.)

** The Codfather Restaurant, 1st Avenue, Rivonia (9 April 2010)

A return to an old favourite following a desire for fish, turned out not to be the evening out intended.  The waiters do not wear name tags, nor did ours bother to give us his name. Their extensive wine list is notable for the items out of stock, so finding a wine was challenging.  We shared the vegetarian spring rolls with plum sauce and then went to select our fish.  I choose the squid complete with tentacles and Rick chose Yellowtail.  We were offered a choice of chips, rice or vegetables.  I went for the vegetables and Rick for well-done, crispy chips.

Our dishes duly arrived.  Rick's chips were far from well-done and he took the dish back.  My squid were very salty, but, as I had failed to request no salt, I did not complain.  Rick's dish returned, but the fish was now cooked beyond edible and the chips no better.  The manager, Charles, eventually arrived and replaced the entire dish with one to order, but then did not check that it was acceptable (the fish was now excellent and the chips almost acceptable).

The Rhebokskloof Chenin Blanc proved to be an excellent choice.  When we asked for the bill, the manager came to our table again to discuss the meal.  I brought up the problem of the very salty squid.  He said that they did not use salt, but it might been the Fish Spice causing the problem.  He went on to ask if we had been asked how we wanted our fish prepared?  We said that we had only been offered chips, rice or vegetables and nothing was said about preparation.  This brought more apologies and a promise to instruct his staff to be aware of what they are supposed to do.  The waiter, Paul, had forgotten to add the starter to our bill, but Charles did so with alacrity when it was pointed out.

The restaurant has been revamped and was very attractive with the candles lit.  The atmosphere was warm and friendly on a cold wet night.  Certainly the manager's attention somewhat saved the evening for us and we now know what to ask for in future!

Contact Details for The Codfather.