Reuben's Restaurant and Bar

Someone from this business manages this listing.

834 reviews

#15 of 76 Restaurants in FranschhoekRR - RRR, French, Contemporary, Vegetarian friendly

+27 21 876 3772+ Add website

Hours

Sun

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Mon

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Tue

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Wed

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Thu

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Fri

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

Sat

12:00 - 15:0018:30 - 21:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

834 reviews

#15 of 76 Restaurants in Franschhoek

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

French, Contemporary

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

features

Location and contact

2 Daniel Hugo Street, Franschhoek 7690 South Africa

+27 21 876 3772

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Does this restaurant serve Romagna food?

Yes

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About

Twelve years of history, moments and memories, in one brand new location. Welcome to the restaurant home of South African chef Reuben Riffel!

CUISINES

French, Contemporary

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Free off-street parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

834 reviews

Excellent

561

Very good

158

Average

Poor

Terrible

Maria1980Windsor

205 contributions

Boyfriend and I arrived in

Dec 2020 • none

Boyfriend and I arrived in Franshhoek after very little sleep and 30 hours of travelling so we were undecided about going out for dinner in fear we wouldn’t enjoy it through pure exhaustion but we are glad we did. The restaurant came highly recommended to us so we thought we’d give it a try and what awaited our little tastebuds was tantalising enough to keep our tired eyes open! The dining room is spacious and open so you’re not close to other diners in these rediculous times of COVID but that there is still ambience. Our waiter was polite and welcoming, if a little shy. We started with a bread basket (complimentary) which included some rolls but also a fruit based granary bread which was delicious - crunchy and soft! We then shared some oysters and calamari, before our mains, my boyfriend opting for the beef filet and myself, the seabass from the specials menu. Both of our plates looked like we’d licked them clean at the end! We finished this with a good cab sav, all £45 per head which is exceptional value for money! Would recommend giving this place a visit! Would recommend this Reuben’s and Fork if you’re in Franshhoek for a small period of time!

Written 19 December 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Debra C

45 contributions

Thanks once again!

Feb 2020 • none

Thanks once again Reuben’s for a very enjoyable evening! Always a pleasure, the food, ambiance and service were all outstanding. Having booked for a birthday meal, it was so nice that several of the staff offered birthday wishes. Our waiter was excellent, helpful and informative. The menu choices-chili salted squid, creamy chicken curry (with prawn tails), lamb neck and loin to requested doneness, chocolate delice and malabe pudding-all as good as ever. Portions are well sized, each dish attractively plated and very tasty. There’s always a buzz, even at an early dinner sitting, this is a very popular restaurant. Good music, not overpowering and attractive surroundings. Highly recommend Reuben’s restaurant.

Written 10 February 2020

Eddy D

Amsterdam128 contributions

an oasis of refinement

Feb 2020 • none

looking for a good address for lunch we arrived without a reservation. But we got a table without a problem. The restaurant is large, exceptionally well designed with the look of a modern classic. Good airco as well, important since it was 40 degrees outside at the time of our visit. The dishes of our lunch were presented and prepared in an exemplary way, particularly tasty. Pork croquettes, beef tartare, all well portioned and very tasty. Great wines as well as one can expect from an eatery in Franschhoek Professional friendly service, a pleasant environment and a sophisticated mixed audience. It was our first introduction to this restaurant and we will definitely come back here for more .... recommended!

Written 7 February 2020

Jack H

Mirfield400 contributions

Mixed feelings about an old favourite

Jan 2020 • none

Having dined at Reuben's many times at its previous venue we were looking forward very much to this visit so let's start with the good points. We had 4 courses between us 2 of which were very good ( tempura prawns and scallops ).seafood risotto was decent but the rice was a bit stodgy ( too much parmesan ) and cauliflower samosas were poor. The house wine was good quality. Service is well intentioned but amateurish and you are left with the strong impression that training is not up to scratch. The worst part for us was the room itself - like dining in a large, soulless school room with lines of tables. Very sadly a disappointing experience, we would not return.

Written 28 January 2020

Thornsonholiday

Shropshire26 contributions

Sadly the meal didn't live up to expectations

Feb 2020 • friends

We were really looking forward to our visit to Reuben’s Restuarant as our friends, who had booked the table months beforehand, had told us this restaurant was one of the places to eat in goody heaven Franschhoek. Very sadly the meal didn't quite live up to our expectations although I felt the service was excellent with the waiting staff trying to cover up for what ever might have been going on in the kitchen. Starters were good; cauliflower samosas and the chilli and salt squid were really tasty and cooked really well. However we then had to wait for a further 35 minutes for our main course to arrive and when they did arrive the plates looked "messy" and the food was dry. The chicken curry was good but the lamb, the pork belly and the beef were all suffering from probably being held under lamps to be kept warm. The pork belly was tasty but dry and the accompanying vegetables a little tasteless and chilli based sauce congealed. The lamb dish didn't work for my husband, maybe because the different cuts were a little dry and our friend's beef was also over cooked - not the medium rare he had asked for. We decided not to have dessert so can't comment on those, although what we saw going out to other tables looked good. The restaurant manager and the serving staff were apologetic and kindly made an allowance on our final bill but our lovely friends felt sad that a meal they had been looking forward to sharing with us, during a rare return visit to SA, was average at best. The wine list is excellent and the room itself is good although a little noisy. If we return to SA soon I would certainly come back to see if our poor experience was just one of those things on a busy evening on a busy weekend.

Written 16 February 2020

Louise

288 contributions

We will never come again. What a disaster.

Dec 2019 • none

As a starter I had the beef carpaccio. The beef looked greenish and not fresh. The waiter agreed and asked if I wanted another entree. I did indeed take a different starter. As a main course I ordered seared tuna. Another disaster. It did not smell fresh and also had a green glow. That means it wasn't good either. How can you serve two dishes to your customers this way? We have not taken anything anymore. There was only a small excuse from the "manager". The dishes were obviously taken of the bill, but from a "class" restaurant you can still expect that the food is good and fresh. The chef didn't had time to come to our table to apologize. The manager told us to wait for the chef untill the last hot meal in de restaurant was served!! That says enough about the way business is done in this restaurant. The restaurant still feels like a food shed.This restaurant is also a tourist trap because the restaurant still lives on the fame of Reuben from years ago. There are much better and customer friendly restaurants in Franschhoek

Written 14 January 2020

Nomad43578782502

Good day Netherl. Thank you for for joining us for dinner and for taking time to write the review. I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely apologize that you did not enjoy your dining experience. I can assure you that this was an isolated incident. We take all forms of criticism to heart and deal with it in a serious manner. All relevant problems have been addressed and rectified. Regards George Malherbe

Written 17 January 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Iampearlm

Waterfall7 contributions

Turned away at first...

Jan 2020 • family

After a very long flight we got to Franschoek and this is the first place we were set on having lunch at! We made a booking over the telephone before proceeding to go to the Restaurant .. the gentlemen on the phone advised that he could assist us although we hadn’t made a booking prior! When we got to the door , a certain manager greeted us only to turn us away! The restaurant was set to close at 15:00pm to prepare for the set menu dinner for New Years Eve and we had gotten there at 14:08pm! All we wanted was a good lunch but no... we were shown south! I actually had no words as I wondered beyond the reasons we were given! We tried again on the 1st after having made a booking for lunch! We were shown over to our table and got to have a good feel of the restaurant where we sat outside! I had oysters for starters and my partner had chilli squids.. the oysters were exactly what I hoped they would taste like but they are not large in size! Just medium.. we then ordered a duck with orange which came out looking sumptuous and tasted nothing short of delectable! All the combo’s on the plate were communicating. We then ordered the creme brulee for desert! Also came out looking wonderfully but the sugar was frosted a little too hard for our spoons to cut into the creme! The editors are generally friendly and not too bad with their demeanor but lack some attention to detail when it comes to putting the plate down to the right angle for the first glance of our food. We had a straw wrapper that fell on the floor that they walked right passed a few times without clearing it up so I doubt they would hear a sound of a fork touching the ground if you were to even put it down yourself! The restaurant is generally quite clean but the way to the lavatory is quite confusing. You are not quite sure if its a set of toilets for the ladies or if the door opens to one so everyone ends up knocking to one door. The have Charlotte Rhys as a hand wash soap by the basins including a room/pillow spray which is quite nice!

Written 1 January 2020

Budjuggler

London136 contributions

Located in the village centre

Mar 2020 • none

This is situated just off the Main Street in a new, loft style building. We had an early 6.30 pm sitting so the restaurant was quiet but warmed up as the evening progressed. The menu has a choice of starters/small plates as well as mains. The meal was well cooked and tasty and the service was very good. We really enjoyed our choices and found it very convenient and easy to walk to

Written 5 March 2020

Jan

Banbury140 contributions

Ok meal

Jan 2020 • none

Four of us went here for dinner recently The room was very airless which made the whole experince quite uncomfortable. Our waiter was ok but forgot to give us a platter of bread to start the evening. The menu was small, which is usually a sign that everything will be good but I found it very difficult to choose a starter and main course. Fortunately we had a 20-minute walk back to our accomodation as we needed to digest the food we had eaten. Not the greatest experience and there are many other gorgeous restaurants in Franschoek to try

Written 28 January 2020

EMandJM

Sydney325 contributions

One of the Best in Franschhoek

Jan 2020 • none

This has reasonable character/ambience and is easy to find in the town. The menu is not the largest but has enough interesting things for most palates. Whatever you choose will be good. We shared Cauliflower samoosas and an heirloom salad, followed by a fillet, a rib eye, and two of the lamb neck/loin dishes. All were exceptional. Beware the lamb dish has a spice that some might not appreciate so consider before you order but if its what you like then its fabulous. Service was excellent. We took our own wine (Eisen and Viljoen - this is seriously good red wine which you can get at the bottle shop next to the Protea hotel), plus a La Motte and paid R70 corkage per bottle.

Written 27 January 2020

Joanna Roemhild

Cape Town35 contributions

Lunch at Reuben’s

Feb 2020 • family

What a magical experience! It was quite a hot day and it was delightful to sit in the outdoor patio with the covering. It was an oasis on an otherwise very hot day. Our waiter Pardon Was just great. We had some lovely white wine, Fresh oysters which were served on a bed of white stones. Lovely! And the specials of the day. Duck confit, the prawns, and a ribeye steak. Everything was superbly seasoned. Very ample portions. Beautifully presented. It was a luncheon experience that I will not forget. I would come back over and over to this place. Definitely a 10 out of 10!

Written 26 February 2020

rowtietowers

646 contributions

Overrated & underwhelming

Feb 2022 • couples

We’d booked here well in advance as our previous attempt at getting a table pre-pandemic was unsuccessful so we were expecting great things. The restaurant itself is lovely with a nice atmosphere. We started with bread served in advance of our meals; starters my wife went for the tempura king prawns whilst I had mussels. For mains we both went for the sirloin steak which arrived with the meat being sliced accompanied with tiny vegetable portions and served in a jus. All very nice but portions on both courses were minute We ordered a bottle of wine which was then taken away so we were unable to pour the wine ourselves and we were at the mercy of the waiter spotting that our glasses need refilling. To finish my wife ordered a Musgrave Rose gin & tonic whilst I had an Irish coffee - these took forever to arrive and when they did, it seemed a shame to dirty the glass as they were tiny. Service was poor by comparison to other restaurants we’d visited whilst in Franschhoek and it was the most expensive meal of our entire holiday. Very overrated and not good value for money.

Written 20 March 2022

Ilkleygirl

Ilkley2235 contributions

Excellent

Jan 2020 • couples

Excellent We ate here twice whilst in Franschhoek , each time was superb. The chicken curry was delicious , nicely presented and very tasty . Very popular as we noticed lots of people bring served it. I think we had it last year too. On the 2nd visit - Mussels , well these were also superb. Great size portion and excellent value for money. See you next year.....

Written 7 February 2020

John W

Cape Town Central42 contributions

husband Birthday Celebration

May 2021 • family

On our arrival at the restaurant. All covid protocols were dealt with and we were then taken to our table which was situated in the middle of the venue right next to where the alchol is served and where the accounting gets done as well as the credit card machines gets operated. It is also the place where the waiters stand snd chat whilst they wait for the food orders to come off the pass. And finally it is also like a major railway station as it is the main thoroughfare from the kitchen to the tables. We were shown the menus which are written on a black board and while we were reading the Menu - we could barely chat about the options as the music was quite loud. We had looked at the menu on the website but none of the options we had “chosen” were on the menu. We then chose what we were going to have snd it took the waiter 26 minutes to return to the table to take the order. My husband and I both chose the parmesan potato soufflé and agreed that it was quite bland. I chose the pork belly and he had the lamb neck. He said it was “okay” but he would not rave about it. I had the pork belly and was extremely disappointed that there was no crackling on the top but it had about 2.5 cm of plain soft fat. The veg was well prepared but also not fancy food. Both the food snd the service was not a pleasant experience and most definitely not the wow factor that I wanted and expected! The drive through to the restaurant and back plus the bad service and not good food - spoilt the evening which was meant to be a truly special birthday for an awesome man.

Written 30 May 2021

Ferocious1

Sandton154 contributions

New Years Eve dinner a complete disappointment

Dec 2021 • couples

New Years Eve dinner. Overrated and poor service. For R3300 what a disappointment 😌 would not visit again, unfortunately it fails to deliver as top end cuisine. Service was poor and with the exception of the main course which was good, the rest failed to wow us. We asked to see the pastry chef 3 times & were promised she would come, 1.5 hours later nothing! Too much gelatin or Agar agar made the dessert tough & unpalatable. Also if you going to charge R3300 for 2 people Excl drinks have the decency to show up for your guest! It’s the least you can do and shows an interest in your customers. We sadly will not be coming back nor recommending this restaurant to our friends

Written 31 December 2021

Nomad43578782502

Good day. Thank you for taking the time to write a review regarding your dining experience at our establishment. I am saddened to see that you felt the offering and service was not up to standard. Regarding the dessert and the request to see the pastry Chef: We prepared more than one batch of the Almond Parfait to ensure that we have enough portions for service. After your comment about the dessert, we investigated the matter and found that the batch was not up to standard. For this we profusely apologize. Unfortunately the pastry Chef was still sending out desserts to other guests long after you have ended your stay with us. This situation was explained by our Manager. We also compensated by giving you a discount of R1500.00. We hope you will visit our establishment again. This was an isolated incident. Regards. Team Reubens

Written 6 January 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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