In writing about Restaurant Week and a client’s participation in it, I saw the offer of Gigi Rooftop at the Gorgeous George Hotel on St George’s Mall in town, and encouraged my friend Gary Peterson to join me.

Despite its name, Restaurant Week is a month-long eating extravaganza available at more than 100 hotels at very generous packages, from R245 for a 2-course Lunch and R295 for a 3-course Dinner.

During Restaurant Week in October Gorgeous George is offering 2 courses for weekday Lunch at R245, and R325 for a 3-course Dinner.

We tried to book a Saturday Lunch, but these appeared sold out or blocked, so we chose Sunday evening to experience the 3-course dinner.  Even though one books on the Restaurant Week Website www.restaurantweek.co.za, I had to pay a R100 deposit each via Dineplan, which seemed odd.

During the week I was called to check dietary requirements, Chef Guy Bennett (and now also GM of the hotel) having asked one of his staff to check what mine were, an impressive service. As I live on Victoria Road in Camps Bay, on the Cape Town Cycle Tour route, we were only allowed to exit our properties by car from 17h30, which meant that I had to delay our booking by an hour, which I could easily do via What’s App to Guy.

I have been to the Gorgeous George on numerous occasions since it opened, especially when I was a Tourist Guide prior to Lockdown, to show off this spunky Hotel in the City centre. I have always received excellent service. The downstairs reception person Trevor (he was so arrogant that he spelt his name as if I was too stupid to do so !) ignored me completely when I arrived and took two photographs, just asking if I was going to the restaurant.  I said yes, and then walked to the lift to get to the 6th floor.  He came running after me wanting me to do the Covid protocol, which he had not done while I was at his desk, blocking the lift and threatening to call their bouncer to kick me out, not the ‘Hello Gorgeous’ welcome the staff greeted one with in the past!  I was incensed at his rudeness, and looked for a manager to speak to when I got to the 6th floor. But no manager ever arrived!

I was shown to our table, a nice four-seater, and not on top of any other tables as the two-seaters on the other side of the terrace were.  But the music volume was unbearably loud, the table being directly below a  loudspeaker, and at the opposite end to the DJ who was playing near the pool, having no connection to the diners and cocktail drinkers. Throughout our three hour dinner we requested the music volume to be turned down at numerous times. We saw a mother and daughter seated behind us being annoyed about it too.

Jesus came to greet me, and Gary too, arriving shortly thereafter. His role was uncertain, but he looked after us for most of our dinner. He would speak to the DJ each time we complained about the music volume, we even considering leaving. He was charming, so we forgave him the errors that were made.  The restaurant’s Restaurant Week Menu was on the table, with a Beverage List. All the dishes were from the main menu of the restaurant, we checked afterwards, which showed us what  unbelievable good value this Restaurant Week offer is. We were served water, and then asked about the complimentary Bienvenida welcome cocktail, which is part of the Restaurant Week package, made with Tullamore D.E.W whiskey, pineapple and tepache, cinnamon juniper syrup, with a dash of soda. Gary had the non-alcoholic version of it.

Gary and I chose two different salads as our starter: he ordered the Franschhoek smoked trout salad, with avocado, pickled root vegetables, cos lettuce, and baby potato, finished off with sour cream and olive oil, a large bowl full. Gary was very happy with it.

I ordered a Caprese Salad, called a Burrata and Tomato Salad on the menu, asking for the Brinjal and chili to be excluded, and avo to be added. It contains Ciao Ciao Burrata, marinated baby tomatoes, and basil. It was meant to have pine nuts according to the menu, but did not. It was delicious, and a pretty plating.

Gary and I both ordered Braaied Oak Valley beef steak, served with organic green beans with sliced almonds, chimichurri and feta, red wine jus, as well as handcut chips with truffle and chives.  Despite my dietary requirements specifying no chili, the chimichurri on the beans had a strong dose of chili, so I asked Jesus to replace it. It took ages to get the freshly cooked beans back, now without feta or the almonds which Jesus could not explain, by which time the rest of my food was ice cold!  The chips were not as crispy as one would have liked them to be. I had to request tomato sauce.

Dessert options were limited to two but the Chocolate Fondant stood no chance against the Churros with caramel sauce, a generous portion of six or seven, far too much after the other dishes we had already eaten, so I took most of them home with me. I would have preferred a chocolate dipping sauce.

We requested the bill and saw two names at the top of it which I did not recognise, which I assumed were the Cocktails, it appearing at first as if we were charged extra for them, but on checking the bill the total added up and it reflected my R200 deposit already paid.

Gigi Rooftop’s Restaurant Week offer is good value for money, comparing the prices of the dishes we ordered against the standard menu, and then adding the cost of the cocktails. The Burrata Salad, for example,   costs R130, the Trout Salad R140,  the Churros R80, and the Beef R270/R280.

An evening of good food and the fabulous company of Gary was spoilt by the dominance of the music and a DJ not controlling the volume level of it, not adding to the ambiance at all, and luckily not offered every evening at GiGi’s, so best avoided on Sunday evenings. Jesus was not 100% in control of what was happening, his charming smile and nature allowing us to forgive most of the numerous errors that we experienced during our evening.

The Gorgeous George Hotel sadly did not deliver on its gorgeousness promise, and my past experience of it. A survey was sent by Restaurant Week early the following morning, replied to with a summary of our dissatisfaction, but there has been no response or reaction by Gigi’s.

POSTSCRIPT: Yesterday Restaurant Week announced that it is extending Restaurant Week to 14 November, but it is up to each participating restaurant to decide whether it will extend.

 

Gigi Rooftop,  Gorgeous George Hotel,  118 St George’s Mall, Cape Town. Tel 0878986000 www.gorgeousgeorge.co.za Instagram: @gorgeousgeorgecpt

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide