Reservations @ Moyo - magic word...?
 

Any of the locals know the key to getting a reservation at this venue...?
I tried to have the girl at Spier make the reservation for Feb 14 and they are totally booked with 60 people on the waiting list!!! I thought I'd be fine this far in advance - I thought wrong! Any ideas on how to get in?
Don

Um - it's Valentines Day that's why you can't get in!
My experience is more with the Melrose Arch location where if you want a dinner table you need to book 4 weeks ahead for Mon through Wed, and 6 to 8 weeks for Thurs to Sat - and that's not on special occasion dates, like Valentines.
My advice: put yourself on the waiting list, don't hold your breath and find another venue. Sorry!

beachbums,

I fully agree with Traci's &quot;unfortunate&quot; :'( advice excepting that I would go one step further by saying give up on Moyo for the 14th because I highly doubt if you will get a reservation due to the fact that it is Valentines Day. I am saying this to you authoratively because <b>I do</b> have the magic word for Moyo in that I pass a lot of trade on to them and I purposefully phoned them this morning to try and sort out a booking for you, however they told me that Valentines Day was sold out and the waiting list now is 78.

My suggestion to you is to find another restaurant <b>soonest and book it immediately.</b> In this regard I must mention that because of high media coverage as well as the simple fact that after all it is Valentines Day, restaurants in Cape Town are generally heavily booked for this night. I would also like to suggest that if you want to visit Moyo then do so on one of your other evenings in Cape Town. With that said and even though I think that Moyo is not the restaurant that it used to be when it opened a year ago, having looked at your restaurant choices in earlier posts I somehow think that you will not be sorry if you visit Moyo! :)

Talking about restaurant choices I must tell you that Capetonians have a nickname for the restaurant area in Camps Bay namely the &quot;rip off strip&quot;, however even though this is the case it still remains heavily populated with locals who are part of the &quot;like to be seen brigade&quot; :) If one wants to be with the hip crowd then go to Camps Bay for dinner or drinks however if you want to obtain good value for money and excellent cuisine in Cape Town then you will find much better than what Camps Bay has to offer in other parts of town however it wont come packaged with the &quot;to be seen&quot; crowd. The choice is yours to make.

Hope the above helps.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

Traci - thanks for the honest advice!
And Selwyn - thanks so much for trying to work it out for me!! If you had been able I would have owed you big-time!!
Oh well - and I thought Valentine's reservations in Manhattan were difficult! Being in SA on V-day is good enough (I hope).
Tried to get into Moyo on the 15th but they have a private function - I give up. Can you recommend an alternative spot in Stellenbosch? We will have been to both French Connection and Bijoux on the 12th/13th when staying at Plumwood Inn, but need ideas for the 2 nights in the Stellenbosch area. I am sticking only to Stellenbosch those 2 nights as we then head to Camps Bay for 3 nights and can get our fill of their restaurants when staying there.
So.........thoughts on Stellenbosch dining outside of Moyo? Is Figaro's @ Spier ok?

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!

PS - summary itinerary to clarify:
3 nights Table Bay Hotel - CT
2 nights Plumwood Inn - Franschhoek
1 night Spier Village - Stellenbosch
1 night River Manor Cty Hous &amp; Spa - Stellenbosch
3 nights The Bay - Camps Bay
3 nights Lionsands/Ivory Lodge

Beachbums,

If you are staying at the Spier Hotel ask the hotel to book you into Moyo as they always have tables available for their guests. If you are staying at the hotel on the night of the closed party then they wont be able to accommodate you. What I would then tell management (Dont go any lower than management to attain your reservation once you have progressed through the lower ranks) is that I wanted to stay at Spier especially because I wanted to dine at Moyo so if you cant accommodated on the night then they must book you in on Valentines night. Needless to say if you are staying at the hotel on the 14th then thats the night that you want to go. BE FORCEFUL!

I cannot comment about Figaros as I have not eaten there however from the outside it looks classy enough.

Other restaurants in the Stellenbosch area that I would recommend would be:

Tokara
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http://www.tokararestaurant.co.za/


96 Winery Rd.
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http://www.eating-out.co.za/member_d...mberID-67.html


LAuberge Du Paysan
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http://www.africa-adventure.org/l/lauberge/

Hope this all helps and that you do dine at Moyo.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

I hope that Selwyn's suggested tactics to get a table work for you. I stayed at Spier for a few days in March last year on a conference - it is one of my favourite places - the village style hotel is something special IMHO.
Figaro's is very good, but not what I would terms a &quot;special occasion&quot; restaurant. One big plus to them is that they kept their kitchen open for our table of 6 when we turned up at 10pm.

hello all--

i am intrigued by moyo (esp after seeing some awesome pictures on selwyn's website)...can someone give me the lowdown on this restaurant? location, food, atomosphere, etc.

we have booked the clifton house for 5 nights and i am still waiting to hear from the cathbert inn. yay!

thanks,
victoria

Here is what I wrote about it in my trip report last year:

<i>Selwyn has reserved us a table up in a tree house and it's just magical. The place is lit by hundreds of candles, oil drum fires and tree lanterns. Tables are located under canvas, up in trees and arranged around the trunk of one huge old tree. Entertainment is varied with face painting, touring singers and a band on stage too. The meal is buffet style and reasonably good with nice variety. The buffet and drinks menu are excellent value. We have a great evening together. </i>

thanks for all the help/suggestions
Selwyn - we are (my wife) no strangers to your suggested tactics. IMO there is always a table open - just have to smooth your way into it. i'll let ya know what happens and thanks for the alternatives as well - this is an awesome site

We were with Selwyn and Kavey in that table in the tree at Moyo -- I do hope you can get a reservation. It was a blast. However, we had wonderful &quot;food&quot; experiences throughout Cape Town and the Winelands, so even if you can't get into Moyo, perhaps you'll find a good alternative.

Of the additional restaurants that Selwyn has recommended I've only eaten at 96 Winery Road. I don't consider the atmosphere to be romantic but the food was indeed very good.

Selwyn, are you familiar with the following restaurants?
1806 (De Ouwe Werf's restaurant)
Neethlingshof's restaurant
Fandangos (informal light meals only, of course)
Fishmonger

We've had some very good dining experiences at these establishments and I'm curious how you rate them compared to the other places you mention.

Province,

I dont know 1806 or Fandangos. I do however know the Fishmonger and Neethlingshof. I think that The Fishmonger offers some of the very best value available in Stellenbosch. I always take my visitors there because it is great value for money and most important is a local eating house and and not a tourist type venue. Needless to say it also offers the opportunity to visitors to enjoy local fish.

There is a new fish place that has opened over the road from The Fishmonger which I have not tried as yet so no comment however if the Fishmonger is full (As it normally is) I find that Ocean Basket also represents good value and a wonderful local fish eating experience however I think the Fishmonger is a better venue.

Neethlingshof is a little bit stiff when it comes to atmosphere but the food is good. Slightly pricey and I dont make this establishment part of where I normally go with visitors for dinner. What is incredible though is to go to Neethlingshpof at night simply to drive up their illuminated archway of trees. Of course one does not have to visit the restaurant to do this. Another point to mention is that sitting on the patio of Neethlingshof at lunchtime in Summer having a light meal and some great wine is a wonderful experience.

Province I also have to agree with you that 96 Winery Road lacks atmosphere but as you have said the food is good.

Btw des your Fodors illustrate that you are a local fan? :)

Just my twopence worth.

Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

Province,

Sorry the second last line in my above mail should have read:

Btw does your Fodors name illustrate that you are a local rugby fan?

??


Very proudly part of the wonderful ((r)) nation of South Africa

Selwyn,

Yes, I am indeed a Province and Stormers supporter.

Fandangos, situated in the corner of the little square next to the Dros, is a hip, young, informal kind of place. We have never been dissapointed there. Try the blackened chicken breasts or one of their stir fries.

We've only had tea at De Ouwe Werf's restaurant but it looks nice and their menu looks very appetising.

You might want to consider going to see the above mentioned venues on a reconaisance trip!

PS: the new place across the road from the Fishmonger, the Cape Town Fish Market, looks great - I believe the floor beams are yellow wood etc. However, their sushi on the revolving sushi bar was not fresh when we visited and we received somewhat sloppy service. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, however, as this might perhaps have been a once off occurence.

A little delayed i am, but nonetheless - thanks to everyone for the suggestions/info. we're all set and we leave tuesday and couldn't be more psyched

Have a wonderful time Don, Feb really is the best time to be in Ctn.

For Province and Selwyn, here comes trouble: I support fish &amp; flowers ... Sharks, Dolphins &amp; Proteas.

If you are going to be in Franschoek, make sure to eat at La Petite Ferme. An excellent family owned restaurant with a great tradition, lovely site on a hill overlooking town and terrific food. Make sure to have the Malva Pudding for dessert.

By the way, in my opinion, you aren't really missing too much if you can't get into Moyo. We stayed at Spier and ate there and could take it or leave it. The buffet was unremarkable and the show was bizarre. People running around in whilte jumpsuits with white rubber boots, followed by very exaggeraged &quot;native&quot; costumes involved in a dance. It wasn't terribly imaginative or authentic. I won't say it was a bad experience, but it surely wasn't the highlight of our trip.

OK, I'll bite...

For me (a part-time resident of Stellenbosch), Moyo (and Spier in general) is pure Disney.

It's big, it's fun, it's touristy, it's not authentic, it's impersonal (you are just one in a crowd).

Just like Disney, it's a place you take visiting friends just for the entertainment aspect. Is it a place where I would hang out on a regular basis - no way.

The tour guides &amp; travel agents love Spier for obvious reasons, but if you want to go somewhere special (such as for Valentines day), go somewhere else.

The locals in this part of the Cape go to restaurants rarely talked about by travel agents and tour guides - thank goodness!
Eben

I ate at Restaurant 1802 (D'ouwe Werf) in August 2004, and to be honest I was rather disappointed. The hotel is marvellous -- full of character -- but the restaurant is in the rear in a modern (and rather soulless) addition. The food was fine but nothing to write home about. I defintely wouldn't choose this as a special occasion restaurant.

I also ate at La Petit Ferme on the same trip. The food was great -- lots of local ingredients. The farm itself is also a lovely place to stroll around whilst digesting your meal -- it has great views over the valley. It reminded me a bit of a country version of Aureole in Manhattan, if you've ever had occasion to eat there.

One place you may want to consider is the Cellar at Haute Cabriere. It has a romantic location (in the former wine cellar) with a fireplace, and the innovative menu has half and full portions rather than starters and mains, so you can mix and match and try many different dishes. It was one of the best meals I had.

The best meal I had in the Winelands was at Klein Oliphants Hoek. The open ktichen and personal attention really made the meal special. Even so, I'm not sure I would pay the newly increased tariff (I went before the tariff went up).

My goodness, I don't think anyone would claim that Moyo is authentic anything! It's very much a Disney-esque experience and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Disney is called the magical kingdom for a good reason - because the fantasy environment they have created is charming, delightful, fun - indeed magical!

Moyo is very much designed as an entertaining evening out, I can't imagine the management would ever claim it's attempting to offer an authentic African experience, whatever that might be.

I meant to add, our best meal in Winelands was at Le Bon Vivante... absolutely superb experience. We also enjoyed La Petite Ferme but liked Bon Vivante even more.

Kavey, isn't that what I said?

I did not claim that anyone is falsely selling it as authentic! It is overprice tongue-in-cheek and as long as the overseas visitor knows that he/she will have a great time.

For many, that experience is exactly want they want. Hopefully, some visitors will search for less touristy experiences - starting with pub lunches or sundowners on the stoep at Lanzerac surrounded by the mountains of Jonkershoek...

Climbhigh, absolutely. I was perhaps replying to Mossway's post which seemed to imply that Moyo was trying to offer some authentic, traditional experience and failing.

I think they are fully aware and intending to offer a modern entertainment experience that draws a few things from local traditions and art but is not trying to replicate anything traditional

As with Disney, if one goes in with the right expectations, one will likely have a lot more fun!

That said, Disney isn't for everyone and Moyo certainly isn't either!

:D

ok - well we're back and getting into Moyo was a snap. I guess when you have a hotel w/ restaurants and then a separate hotel on your property unafilliated with the hotel - you obviously dont push it. now i called everyone under the African Sun to get in there and got denied until I walked up to the bar at about 4pm. they said - sure come on by and grab a drink on one of our couches - you can enjoy the buffet and eat right there. so we did and we did enjoy the experience. sitting on the couches wrapped around this enormous tree under the lanters and hearing the band/entertainment was really cool for us. their drink specials were pretty good too - muddles fruit/rum and a big honey stick - awesome. buffet was soso but its not often we get croc or springbok stew in the US. All in all it was fun for us - but odd that no one I spoke to over there said we could simply eat at the couches w/ tables - much better than being couped up in a small table for 2!! As for Spier in general - pass. We had terrible service and a room with no shower head! My wife screams at them saying after spending all day in the hot sun on your estate browsing around, eating, etc...what is the rate for a room with no shower on Valentine's Day go for??!! Needless to say they paid for our dinner, and took 30% off the room as well as 2 complimentary bottles of their wines and a letter from the GM

in fransschhoek we dined at Bijoux which was downright outstanding - absolutely recommend this spot - it does not look like much from the outside and is not in the heart of the strip there but the garden out back was quite romantic. lunch at quartier francais and a divine lunch at The Gallery @ Le Fromogerie was something we will always remember.
whew............i could go on and on
96 winery rd was awesome as well.
we loved both franschhoek and stellenbosch!

Sooo glad you had a good time!