I gave a generous 3, because the experience was in fact disappointing, but there is a variety of food on offer. Third time I visited Muisbosskerm- was one of the very first patrons back in its brilliant heyday, and also a couple of years ago....No atmosphere, no welcome, a struggle to pay your bill, no direction, no indication of when service starts, no labelling of fish or any other food on offer. Too many smoked fish and not enough fresh. The smoked snoek was dry as a bone. In fact, the fish was overcooked in general. The bread was not remotely of the quality I remember. Fortunately, maybe, as one tended to overeat on that! A “paella” so overcooked it was hard to believe. A pot full of mussels which did not open when cooked and therefore should not have been served. Saw some people being served crayfish, but no idea how they managed to order some. No working lights in the toilets, thank heavens for cellphones. Very uncomfortable benches, skew. But the clincher for me was when I asked the owner what happened to the vast volume of leftover fish. Answer: you refresh it with some butter, stick it in the oven and serve it again! The thought of all the patrons milling about, touching, sneezing and coughing over the open buffet, the food which we ate, made our stomaches turn and I could not help but wonder about the fate of all the “potjies”. Back in the freezer? A definite nope from me.More

We were so excited to secure a booking for this well publicised and oft discussed venue. While the food was plentiful and varied, (possibly too plentiful and too varied?) the quality of some dishes did not “hit the spot”. My highlights were the corn on...the cob and the 2 potato dishes! Even the crayfish, ordered as an extra, did not meet expectations. However, overall we were glad we made the journey!More

We had lunch at this particular place last Sunday. It's pet friendly which already gives a huge impact.(dogs on leash though) It's such an amazing experience. Food is at buffet, as cutlery : a mussel or your hand. There's a lot of South African traditional...meals , so it's a real good culinary experience. View is very nice overlooking the Ocean Very good food Fish is cooked on the grill (if you want you can order also crayfish in season) Staff is extremely nice and friendly, very attentive to clientele . A must try 👌More

We had a terrible experience here. There’s no real welcome, all round confusion until the food eventually arrives and a long queue for drinks. It feels like a dusty and dirty version of my old school canteen. The floor is uneven and gritty, even our...kids remarked how dirty it felt. The use of mussels for cutlery is impractical and plain dumb. They seem to aim for a beach/farm “feel” but end up creating only a “we don’t care about you the customer” atmosphere. The shocking bathrooms are actually quite expected by the time you go. On the day that we were there, the kalamari seemed to be in short supply and a few big Afrikaans men ended up lording it over the delivery, grabbing whatever they could when it arrived. On the upside, there were some good dishes. There’s lots of other beach restaurants/“skerms” in SA that do a wonderful job at giving you the beach restaurant feeling, support them rather than this dirty, arrogant place. This one will never see us again.More

This open air restaurant is just one of the best places to eat on the west coast route. We had dinner here and was treated with fresh fish,calamari,mussels,fresh bread,steak,sweet patato and lots lots more. The food is prepared fresh while you sit and enjoy a...nice drink. It's also on the beach so the children had a blast playing on the beach while the food was busy being made. All the staff are super friendly and enjoy a chat around the fire. The atmosphere is brilliant with all the fires burning and food being made infront of you. Pace youreslf don't start out qiuck and eat all you see cause it's a long night.More

Read through the reviews to make sure you understand the context of this establishment. It’s informal, slightly disorganized and very basic when it comes to an eating experience (yes, you eat with a mussel shell, there are no cutlery sets). And yes, the dishes come...out in intervals - but know this, it keeps on coming, and there is always more than enough to go around. So with all this context, why would you still go? The fresh open fire grilled fish (at least three different types), the fried fish, the calamari is of the best you’ll eat. Relax, manage your expectations, and go and enjoy it.More

If you’re looking for fine dining, pretentious settings and over the top friendliness, the this is not your place. If you’re looking for a variety of tasty fresh fish, different ways of cooking fish, a rustic setting with the ocean as your music, amazing sunsets...and organized chaos when serving your food, then this is your place. Food was delicious, ambiance very different and the open air environment was awesome. If you’re not going in Summer, dress very warm as it gets cold when the wind blows. Don’t dress in your best clothes either, as you will go home with your clothes smelling like smoke. The food is expensive, but considering everything, it’s fair value for the experience and setting. Worth a visit, at least once.More

I will agree that having a meal with waves of the Atlantic ocean crushing on the beach, is certainly always a good and memorable experience. To add a beautiful sunset to this experience is certainly worth remembering. But. The way the food is served and...presented leaves much to be desired. Long ques to dish up, is cause for frustration. The ala carte style at R350 pp, is, in my book, too expensive. Fact of the matter is that few diners can eat or enjoy the volume of food presented. The taste of the seafood is like anywhere else. For the brave at heart, to have only koeksisters and coffee as a desert, is somewhat limited. Although the rustic furniture is in line with the idea of a beachfront diner, the benches are very uncomfortable. I am glad I was able to experience this much talked about place for once. Highly unlikely that I will go back for a second experienceMore

What a disappointment!!!!! No one greeted us when we walked in,no communication as to what we were gonna eat Unfriendly staff Only fish and mielies,paella,no other seafood.The afvalmpotjie,or I think it was that,with 2 other potjies,we had no idea what it was, was only put...out at 15h30 As I say,no communication! My expectations was very high,but I will not recommend anyone to drive all the way out there,it is not worth itMore

Arriving at the venue, I was full of anticipation due to referrals from friends. However, this turned into a shocking experience.. 1) There were dead, decomposing seals on the beach right in front of the restaurant. With the wind blowing in from the sea, sometimes...you got that stench of carrion. I feel that the restaurant could have taken it away. Furhter to this, there are multitudes of children playing on the beach, and the decomposing seals are a health risk 2) Fires inside burnt everybody's eyes. I left smelling like a "stroois". We had to move tables 3 times to get to a place where the smoke was not burning our throats. 3) There are no organization whatsoever. One just see people queue, and then you have to guess that food is placed out. Staff are very rude. They put the prawns out where we were dishing, and when we took some of it, they scolded at us as it was needed for paella. Even when one has finished eating, you have to take your plate to the kitchen, as there are nobody that just collects plates to be washed. 4) One is expecting seafood. We only got corn, then a couple of different fish, and the most seafood that one saw was in the paella, which had very little prawns and mussels. Nothing else. I was expecting much more for the price that we paid, and was extremely disappointed that I only got basically fish. 5) No communication about the crayfish, how to order etc. At our table, there were 3 people that would have ordered crayfish, but the owner was not interested to do them additionally (and we would have paid for it). 6) When we arrived, we just walked in. No "maitre 'D" that acknowledges who you are maybe take you to a table. Chaos, as everybody is just extremely uncertain what to expect and do. I feel that although the location is great, there are many changes that can be made to make this a memorable experience. Will I go there again? No, it is money wasting exercise, I can get so much better restaurants very close to where I were staying, that serves ALL the seafood and not just fish. I am still disappointed.More

The food is great, so for that I will definitely give 5-stars, but unfortunately for me, taking into consideration the price (especially children), I will never again go out of my way to visit Muisbosskerm like we did this year. I wanted my older kids...to experience different sea food, and it came down to fish & calamari. (My youngest grapes for R120) Things that were really very poor: 1) Smoke in Boma burned everyones eyes. We were a table of 13 people and moved around 3 times, as we couldn’t look at each other. 2) Queueing for everything was extremely bad 3) From the moment we arrived until we left, there was no communication, not if the food is ready, or what food is being prepared for the day, how to order additional options (not included in the R350/head price) 4) There is no service, except for the cooking of the food. 5) Staff did not assist on keeping guests informed ito dishes etc. Some were very unfriendly 6) No cutlery - only shells to eat with, again with no communication or signs. Overall, Not a good experience I am afraid….More

Things that were really very poor: 1) Smoke in Boma burned everyones eyes. Make fires outside 2) Queueing for everything was so bad that we ended up not being able to enjoy our friends company. 3) Start serving food earlier. We waited 3 hours for...1st dish. 4) Label food please. 5) Staff did not assist on keeping guests informed ito dishes etc. Some were very unfriendly Not a good experience I am afraid….More