Situated in Lake Pleasant Living on the banks of the Groenvlei (Green Wetland) is a well hidden gem of a restaurant. Bistro on the Lake offers a menu covering traditional South African dishes and is open from 7am till late. This was our second visit to the restaurant and I am sure it will not be our last.
The wine list is decent with a good, well priced selection of wines. There is only 1 single malt whisky on the menu and a fair priced cocktail menu. We had the Guardian Peak Shiraz 2013 (R155). The wine is light with a berry nose and a hint of spice.
The menu offers light meals, burgers, pizza and pastas as well as large main course portions which average out at R105 per head. Mark and I shared a garlic and feta cheese focaccia to start (R25) and it was covered with a generous amount of feta and a sprinkling of dried herbs. The base could have been crispier for my liking.
I also had the soup of the day (R35) which was a fantastic home made tomato soup that had a lovely rich flavour. Both visits I have had some of my Mother-In-Law’s chicken livers and they are creamy and rich and the portion is generous to say the least. On our previous visit I had the creamy garden peas, spinach and feta penne (R65) as my main meal, and sent half of it home with my MIL for her dinner.
On this visit I chose the roast chicken breast and mushroom tagliatelle (R95) which was a mushroom pasta served with an entire chicken breast that was slightly dry. The sauce was creamy and tossed into well cooked pasta (as in not al dente). The biggest let down on this dish was the ‘plastic’ cheese that was served as a garnish. I cut my chicken up, tossed it into the pasta and managed to eat half of the bowl. The rest was sent home again with my MIL.
Everyone enjoyed their meals and the boys ordered desserts. The brownies looked perfect and got the thumbs up from Mark. James’s crème brûlée did not get the same result as it was slightly thin, warm and the sugar top was too thick. I suspect that it was grilled rather than blow torched and when left to cool, the custard thickened a bit.
The service is good and the staff are extremely thoughtful, helping us rearrange the table for a chair we had brought with us to make Marguerite, who is 94, more comfortable. I would recommend that you sit outside and take in the wonderful view and enjoy the peace and quiet of being next to the lake.
Contact them on +2744 349 2400
What I blogged:
- one year ago – Gumdrops
- two years ago – Friday’s Food Quiz
- four years ago – Malva Pudding
Yeah, Tandy, I agree to sit outside to enjoy the calm waters and fresh air when visiting. The chicken livers look tasty smothered with creamy sauce that way! Yum!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
They were really delicious Julie 🙂
Sounds like a lovely place with a superb quiet feel.
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy xo
You should stop there on your next road trip Mandy xox
The view is just stunning and the food looks just as good. Take Care, BAM
Thank you BAM, you too!
What a beautiful view! The Garlic and Feta Cheese Focaccia sounds like something I would love. 🙂
I think you would love the quietude as well Krista 🙂
What a view! I can’t wait to get away for a few days and visit the Garden Route again. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful there. I wish more people would write helpful reviews like this, because there’s always room for improvement.
Thanks Mel, Sedgefield is our favourite local place to visit, and not only because my MIL lives there 🙂
Yum! This looks like a great place to eat, Tandy. 🙂
You would love it AD 🙂
Oh mighty, I just got really, really hungry!
ela h.
That’s a good sign Ela 🙂
Wow, that view is so pretty. All the dishes look great. I particularly like that pizza. Feta sounds delicious on a pizza 😀
I love feta when it is soft and crumbly and creamy all at the same time 🙂
Hi Tandy, Great that they accommodated everyone, sounds like a reasonable nice place, if we ever visit your part of the world, I will be searching your blog for good eats.
I hope that you manage to find your way here one day – it is truly a special place 🙂
I need to feel relaxed while eating, so the ambience sounds perfect 😀
And the food looks divine, so rich!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I also need to be relaxed to enjoy a meal 🙂
The outdoor area looks lovely! I want to sit out there with a glass of wine and some of that focaccia.
It is lovely indeed, and so peaceful 🙂
I adore fresh tomato soup!
It is also one of my favourites 🙂