I was finally able to get a seat at this busy V&A Waterfront restaurant on my second attempt. The first time there was almost an hour wait and I was far too hungry to wait around, but the long wait gave me an idea that it was probably pretty good.

The second time, I was seated right away by a hostess who could’ve been a little friendlier. She seated us in an awkward spot by the entrance that was closed off from the rest of the restaurant. There was also absolutely no view (a prime reason people come here, as the restaurant has two waterside large glass windows). When I asked if it was possible to have a better table, she looked annoyed and sat us in the middle of the restaurant with a much better view. I’m still not quite sure what her deal was.

Once situated, I got to take in the upscale and cozy vibe of the restaurant. There are Belgian themed paintings around the walls, along with a smattering of ocean elements to compliment the decor. The staff is all dressed in white, button-down shirts with black aprons that help to give it a classy feel. Most of the menu is of course Belgian themed and there is also quite a large selection of Belgian beers available. There are large steaks, linefish, kingklip, and many other somewhat heavy items on the menu, it’s definitely not a place for light fare. I had the house special Belgian beer, but can’t say I was a big fan of it and it tasted a bit watered down with minimal hops and flavor.

For mains, I ordered the Belgian beef with potatoes while my fiancée ordered the ahi tuna. We skipped getting apps as it was taking forever for anybody to come to our table. The beef came with a heavy dark sauce which was a bit salty, and tasted similar to English and Irish concoctions with the same ingredients. The ahi was decent and cooked well, but not really anything to write home about. Considering how both plates were somewhat mediocre, especially for the price, we decided it was wiser to get dessert elsewhere.

During the course of the meal, our server, as mentioned, took forever to come to the table and seemed rather distanced when we were asking questions, like he had more important tables to worry about. An American woman sat down at the table next to me during the meal, and was about to leave before I told her that they were just super slow, she had been sitting at least 15 minutes before anybody came and lodged a complaint about it. I had considered walking out as well before finally ordering.

From what I had heard before going, and from the look of the restaurant, I must say I expected better. People for the most part seemed to be enjoying their meals, but the experience for us was mediocre at best.