The Waterside image

The Waterside

Restaurant

👍👍 Absolutely splendid! The service was great! They easily accommodated my pescatarian gluten-free needs for the tasting menu. Each dish was as fabulous as it looks. They even had homemade little chocolate truffles. Loved the hands free bathroom outer doors. People often mention experience, restaurant, service, menu,


Address

Pierhead Building (next to the NSRI, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

Website

thewaterside.restaurant

Contact

+27 21 879 6329

Rating on Google Maps

4.80 (190 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
  • Thursday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
  • Friday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
  • Saturday: (Day of Reconciliation), 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Hours might differ
  • Sunday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
  • Monday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
  • Tuesday: 12 to 2 pm, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: experience (14) restaurant (11) service (7) menu (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Michele Dastin-van R. 1 year ago on Google
    Absolutely splendid! The service was great! They easily accommodated my pescatarian gluten-free needs for the tasting menu. Each dish was as fabulous as it looks. They even had homemade little chocolate truffles. Loved the hands free bathroom outer doors.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ryan M. 5 months ago on Google
    Highly recommend, definitely an experience that is worth it! From the gorgeous interior to the bathroom to the view, everything blends to give you an exceptional fine dining experience. All staff work as a single unit, so you are constantly, in a good way, always topped up with water or your table cleaned. The dishes are unique in their flavours and texture. However, from a food perspective, it would have to be a fillet, which wasn't listed on the menu that stole the show. And dessert the hazelnut one. Without a doubt, I would return to enjoy this again. Perhaps lunch or early dinner to get the sunset hues from the wide open windows and subtle background music, which blends so well it forms part of the experience. Things to note: If you want a bag stand, please ask for one - this isn't offered on seating. Secondly, the gratuity is automatically added to the bill, and this amounts to 13.5%. Enjoy your experience here, Isabel is such a treat highly professional, knowledgeable, and very funny!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Dickie G. 8 months ago on Google
    When we arrived at the restaurant - having made a booking and paid a deposit for each of us – we had to wait a number of minutes while a walk-in customer babbled on to the front of house manager. What should’ve happened is that the walk-in customer should have been asked to wait a moment, and the front of the house manager should’ve checked with us whether we have a reservation, in which case we should have been welcomed and shown to our table without delay. I have eaten at these sorts of fine dining restaurants, many times over the years and in different parts of the world. I have been to la colombe many times. We both ordered the full chef’s menu. We both felt that the food was only pretty good; it lacked the WOW factor. Every over-complicated course consists of a tiny portion of food, with far too many drops of jus, and specks of foam, and smears of oil and and and… The food is simply too fiddly, with too many competing flavors all the time. One would be much better off simply going to a decent restaurant and ordering a three course meal: the portion sizes would be sufficient, and the food would be well prepared with quality ingredients that are allowed to speak for themselves, without all the clutter on the plate. The pricing would also be palatable. This meal was not good value for money at R1460 per person. We don’t even drink alcohol. This is far more than double what a three course meal at an excellent city restaurant would cost. I also usually tip generously, and take exception when a compulsory tip of 13% is added, especially when it is only a table of two people and the service has been what one would expect from any ordinary restaurant. While this is an interesting experience, it is not worth repeating and I would not recommend it to anyone, even if they haven’t tried something like this before.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Mohamed Badaoui N. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was amazing would be a real understatement.. the chef's tasting menu is a mixture of colors flavors textures and exploration that you absolutely have to try. We were amazed by the layering of flavors, well cooked proteins complimented by fragrant herbs and well seasoned vegetables highlighted with the right sweetness and sourness by fruits. The waterside is a solid location if you are looking for something outside the ordinary in Cape Town. well done to the chef and staff
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gabby O. 1 year ago on Google
    We came for our anniversary and it was my second visit. This is an outstanding restaurant. The service and attention to detail is impeccable. While it may be the "more casual" of the restaurants in this group - the quality definitely does not reflect that. A true first class experience.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gary FX L. 1 year ago on Google
    Newer restaurant from La Colombe restaurant group, Really spectacular dining experience. Staff is young and enthusiastic, restaurant manger was a champion, flavors were really significant. Great to see such a firm understanding of ethnic profiles whilst still exerting a style and identity of its own, bravo to the chef. Local wine pairings were almost universally perfect, high level of care and energy going into that. Highly recommend!

  • 5/5 K K. 1 year ago on Google
    Accommodated my mum and I for a last minute Mother’s Day lunch before she left to Joburg. We had an amazing time. The location is stunning and food was delicious. Staff are fantastic. The pea risotto was superb and my favourite dish. My mum loved the fish/sea bass main and the pistachio and chocolate dessert was divine.

  • 5/5 The Curated F. 1 year ago on Google
    Wow! An incredible experience in an incredible setting, overlooking the harbour. We went for the reduced menu which had an abundance of flavours. Particularly loved the salmon dish. The service was absolutely amazing, they did not miss a beat. Highly, highly recommended.

  • 5/5 A way with me B. 1 year ago on Google
    Food art at its finest! A sibling restaurant to La Colombe with a more South African influence. Each dish was plated and flavored so perfectly. The setting added to the experience as well! Our favourite dishes were the cape Malay crayfish salad and the salmon in Thai broth

  • 5/5 Pierre B. 1 year ago on Google
    This was truly an experience for the books. Everything was flawless, with a genuine and warm hospitality from the team as we went through the tasting menu. It was evident that every single ingredient in each of the plates had been carefully selected, contributing to the overall degustation.

  • 5/5 Jason D. 3 months ago on Google New
    The tasting menu was absolutely fantastic! Had such an amazing eating experience. Fantastic service and sublime flavour executed to perfection. Love all the ingredients and Asian inspired dishes. Such technical prowess had me waiting for each serving in anticipation. Would highly recommended the restaurant and its beautiful setting.

  • 5/5 Simone H. 4 months ago on Google
    Perfection on a plate with every dish!!! Impeccabble service to boot. We dined here during restaurant week and it was well worth the money spent. Looking forward to another visit and soon!

  • 5/5 Alricia Du T. 5 months ago on Google
    What an extraordinary experience. The food was impeccable. Would definitely recommend it. The atmosphere is lovely and the staff are so friendly and knowledgeable about the delicious food.

  • 5/5 Inkog N. 4 months ago on Google
    Everyone has to go and try this amazing, fantastic food experience! 🤗 👍 👏 It was absolutely delicious 😋 the stuff is absolutely great and friendly. Wouldn't miss it! 👌

  • 5/5 luisa e. 5 months ago on Google
    A fantastic dining experience, with exceptional service and flavours out of this world. Their honey rooibos dessert is to die for, only that I would have all night!

  • 5/5 Zakz M. 4 months ago on Google
    Service was attentive and knowledgeable. The courses were well balances and proportional. Very tasty. Beautiful view of the Harbour.


Call +27 21 879 6329 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Parking
    • ✓️ Paid parking lot
    • ✓️ Plenty of parking
  • Payments
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✗ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

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