dash - queen victoria hotel

booked lunch as part of restaurant week. the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous with the most comfortable chairs (which serve you well after stuffing your face with their delicious menu options). stunning views of table mountain from the balcony.

the restaurant week menu allows you to pick a starter,mainand dessert from the options presented.

for starters, i had the duck confit noodles. very lovely, but missing either soy sauce or fish sauce. had to add some salt for the missing sodium element.

white truffle you say! well of course i had to opt for the mushroom risotto for mains. very dense, very rich, all kinds of goodness! but the veggie crisps i felt were a bit misplaced.

for dessert i chose the green tea parfait. definitely an interesting mix of flavours. would've loved that apple sorbet in between the courses, it was so refreshing! the green tea parfait component was very creamy.

portion sizes of the courses are really big! i could not finish my dessert.

the food is good. not wow, but definitely above average.

the service is impeccable. monica, the waitress assigned to my table; was super attentive, gave good recommendations and so warm.

special mention to the hostess, sasha, who was an absolute darl!

the food was surprisingly good. i had the vegetable terrine and had been quite worried initially because my choice of amainwas one of exclusion. i enjoyed every mouthful and i thought the different textures and flavors worked really well together.

the service was very average. i attribute that to a lack of training. i was also very disappointed when i was brought dirty cutlery, which i pointed out to my server. he was very apologetic and replaced it and was definitely more attentive after that.

the ambiance was probably the highlight of this experience. the decor and lighting added a touch of glamour. it was also evident that they had paid attention to detail. we all appreciate beautiful spaces ☺️

overall, as this was at a hotel, there was ample parking at a reasonable rate. i'm not convinced that it was good value for money but i definitely think there is that potential!

mutton or lamb?

with very high reviews, we were expecting a great dinner. the elegant décor of the hotel entrance heightened the sense of stylish fulfillment, as did the vogue cover blonde sitting in the lobby. perhaps the fact that she was eating salad from a tupperware should have been a warning.

in the restaurant the ambience was sophisticated but subdued, the whole place like a stifled sneeze, with people speaking in muted tones rather than diners animated by their food.

the menu was simple. a few courses for starters,mainand desert. i don't mind that, even prefer fewer choices. but the choices were uninspiring. mains were the steak, chicken, venison, vegetarian, fish or lamb. alright, so they covered the bases. but the descriptions of the dishes left me unexcited, like they had been culled from my wife's dinner party go-to menu. nothing wrong with the choices your wife gives you. my wife for the record, is an excellent cook! but i expect dinner at a place with this type of price list and a gourmet chef (hopefully) in the kitchen, to be replete with a tingle of anticipation at something recognizable but also novel, like when the sweet new masseuse at the spa says "have you tried the cinnamon hot wax treatment?"

the amuse' bouche arrived. except it wasn't amusing and was best described as a blob of tuna mayonnaise with a finely diced teaspoon of side salad.

we decided to skip starters. everything was recognizable and instantly forgettable.

the mains came in due course. my wife's chicken with butternut confit and corn was tasty but dry. my fillet steak with spinach purée and veg was good but could have come off my own grill. the accompaniments were competent but unexceptional. the couple we were with were chewing thoughtfully on the fish and chicken but there were no exclamations of delight.

after that coffee rather than desert seemed a better ending.

just as well we enjoyed the wine and the company! and the décor. i left with a vague sense of letdown and decided based on the dinner that the blonde model with the long legs in the lobby was probably a dude.

this elegant restaurant in the queen victoria hotel is a pearl within the ocean of average restaurants.

we visited the restaurant at noon where only a limited selection of starters,maincourses and deserts are served.

but the quality and creativity is amazing. we had

- the line fish with sticky soy glazed fish cake, apple chutney and apple-beetroot salad

- a lamb burger, halloumi, hummus and tomato jam

- chicken supreme with broccoli and walnut crush and blue cheese glaze

all good and all extraordinary.

to highlight is also the amazing staff - very friendly and efficient. you can't be served better!

i had the privilege of dining at dash in celebration of my mom's birthday. i guess it's always difficult to give a restaurant five stars if your expectations are so high - with such a fantastic rating on zomato, they really did have to pull out all the stops to impress us. and they fell nothing short of their outstanding reputation!

before dinner, we decided to sample some cocktails in their bar area. we tasted their signature cocktail in both the pomegranate and eldeflower favors. both were amazing, but personally i preferred the eldeflower one - the pomegranate was a bit too bitter for me. bar snacks consisted of biltong, mixed nuts and some sort of dehydrated bowl of cherries. our drinks arrived promptly and we were able to relax and enjoy the setting sun and soft piano playing in the background before our dining experience begun.

moving from the lounge to the actual restaurant, we were seated at an elegant table in the middle and immediately offered water and given our menus. before our starters, we were given freshly baked bread and an amuse bouche of salmon tartare. the bread was melt-in-your-mouth soft, with a choice between rye or white (or both). the butters for the night were a type of sweet mustard mix and some sort of herbed butter. they really did add that extra bit of flavor to the bread without being overpowering. the salmon tartare was honestly one of the best flavor combinations i've ever tasted - that silky salmon with a slightly spicy sauce... amazing!

starters consisted of prawn tempura, gorgonzola cheese soufflé, asparagus salad and chicken liver. the only criticism i have is that the prawns could've been a bit more crispy, but this may just be a personal preference. my granddad on the other hand thought they were perfect. the stand outs were definitely the soufflé and the asparagus - interesting elements combined to form a taste sensation of note! the soufflé was like nothing i've ever tasted before. not too rich and cheesy, but rather light and airy. slightly crispy and complimented perfectly by biltong shavings, crushed hazelnuts and a raspberry sauce. i felt the biltong pieces on the side were a bit unnecessary as you can't really cut them with a knife, making them a bit awkward to eat at a fancy restaurant. the chicken liver was also delicious and for me the most beautifully presented of all the starters.

next up, themainevent, consisting of linefish (salmon on this particular night), beef fillet and venison (springbok). the salmon was made just the way i like it - soft, well cooked meat with a tasty, crispy skin. what i found very interesting was the granadilla sauce it was paired with, which worked surprisingly well with the dish! the addition of green beans added a nice crunch and balanced out the salty flavors of the fish, but i feel the two prawns place on top of the fish was a bit unnecessary. they didn't add too much to the dish. the fillet was devine, but the winner for the night had to be the springbok. let's just say if my mom was raving about it, then you can take her word that it was something spectacular. my only criticism is that the carrots were perhaps a bit undercooked. other than that, portion sizes were generous, each dish tasted lovely and you definitely got your money's worth of food!

how can you end a special birthday dinner without dessert? we had the pleasure of sampling both the chocolate fondant and the banana parfait. the fondant was honestly the best i've ever tasted, truly perfection on a plate. toasty on the outside and as soon as my spoon broke through the spongy layer, rich, warm chocolate started oozing out of the center. you simply can't ask for anything better! the banana parfait was delicious as well and i loved the addition of the crunchy almond brittle and caramel sauce, which really went well with the banana flavors and added the perfect mixture of textures to the dessert. i felt the caramel popcorn was a bit of a pointless element, perhaps a bit too much on an already quite full plate.

along with dessert, our waitress made the evening extra special by bringing the birthday girl her very own birthday cupcake, which i thought was a wonderful surprise and very thoughtful of her. speaking of service, i must give special mention to the way dash's staff treat their customers. personally i feel what really makes a good restaurant is staff that are willing to go the extra mile. and dash did indeed tick all the boxes. i really felt like we were being treated like royalty!

overall, an amazing experience and i highly recommend a visit to this gem of a restaurant! you simply can't go wrong with anything you order. furthermore, the ambiance is stunning with the piano playing softly in the background, the spacious yet cozy feel of the room and the beautiful interior of the hotel surrounding you. the staff really go out of their way to make your experience memorable and even though it's pricy, it's money well spent! undoubtedly deserving of a five star rating!

what a gorgeous setting..the service was impeccable..i had the prawn tempura starter this was art on a plate and delicious..had the linefishmainwhich was also good..the dessert was disappointing though had the coconut pannacota which was a real let down..

we had a business dinner here. the restaurant is real 5 star. i had the double baked gorgonzola souffle as a starter. it was delicious. asmaini had the line fish which was salmon. it was one of the best fish dishes i have had. the different flavours complimented each other. as dessert the chocolate fondant was the winner as usual. i do find the restaurant a bit pricey compared to other top restaurants in cape town.

dash has a wonderful ambience. the dark wooden floors and dim lighting set a soft, relaxed mood quite nicely.
the amouse bouche of lamb and pecan nuts with a honey soya glaze was fantastic and really set the tone for the rest of the meal. i had the starter anchovy caesar salad was tasty but could have done with a little more of the fish. i did like how it worked with the cheese and the dressing though.
my salmonmainwas sublime. i have not had any meal that good in south africa yet. the fish was perfectly cooked and the presentation of the dish with the vibrant vegetables was masterful. the combination of the granadilla, fish and vegetables went together perfectly. though i did disagree somewhat with the addition of the prawns to the dish. i don't think it needed them.
the service throughout the meal was of great class. never invasive. rather disappointing was that the original choice of fish for themainhad run out but the staff were most accommodating about this and a plan was made to substitute with norwegian salmon instead.
overall a heavily enjoyed meal in a beaitiful setting with classy service. only a little more live piano would be nice next time. this was a great addition to the atmosphere. well done, dash!

dash is good, but not deserving of its current rating in our opinion. i'm always a bit skeptical when there has been a foodies invitation night, it often throws the rating off.

the price and location listed are both incorrect. dash is right at the top of the price range, and not actually in the v&a more overlooking it. using the listed location we got very lost trying to find it and almost gave up.

the decor is interesting, plush chairs with rustic steel tables makes for a good contrast, but it also means your plate is not very stable on the surface. there is a large imposing painting of a black baby in themaindining area, not too my taste at all, but maybe that's just personal opinion. the live grand piano certainly adds some wonderful ambiance.

the beetroot cured salmon was great, the slightly mustardy apple slaw contrasts beautifully with the creamy cured salmon.

there were great textures in both starters.

i always like getting a sorbet to cleanse the pallet, but found the lemon slightly over powering, and the beautiful presentation was let down by the spoons not reaching the bottom of the glasses.

over all the portions were nice and big for a fine dining restaurant.

the springbok loin was delicious, served with a sweet jus and carrot pure. sunday roast flavors with a fine dining angle.

the crayfish was disappointing. tiny tails, over cooked and just not special, not what you expect at that price point.

the coconut panne cotta was completely over powered by the lime sorbet. the coconut lacked any kind of punch alone, so with the very strong sorbet you're left with only lime.

the desert tasting plate compliments of the chef was a lot better.

over all it was a good meal, but when you are spending almost r2000 for 2 people, i expect perfection.

a beautiful, classy restaurant. arrive early and have cocktails to start outside on the balcony with a view of table mountain.

there isn't a huge variety of menu options, however you can tell that the kitchen focuses all its attention to the choices that are there.

snacks of nuts and olives were served with our cocktails and we received a complementary started of beef and pistachio crumble.you can select the bread from some freshly baked options and its served with salt and pepper butter, and creamy pesto which was a very nice touch. we had venison loin and beef fillet. both were so tender and cooked to perfection. i was impressed at the veg that came with the meal - unusual, plentiful and cooked with flavours to complement the meat. there's a good selection of wines to accompany your meal. we were full after that so didn't select a dessert but we received a complementary dessert from the chef anyway.

whilst you eat, there is soft live piano music in the background. our waitress was friendly and all staff worked together as a team. i would only mark down the service at the beginning where he hostess seemed to forget about coming around for our drinks order. and the balcony can be a bit noisy as its above a v&amainroad. but other than that a superb restaurant and experience

so last night i fell in love with a restaurant. we decided to celebrate our 4-year wedding anniversary here, and we could not have made a better choice! as we entered the restaurant we were serenaded with the most beautiful music coming from the grand piano. there was a roaring fire, completely eliminating the chill of the last winter evenings... the decor was warm and inviting, and the staff incredible friendly and helpful.
the food... oh my.
it all started with something as simple as the butter that came with the bread for tge table. have you ever had capers butter?? i need it in my life, every day...
we were served a beetroot amuche bouche which i loved, but my husband found too oily.
for starters i we had the beetroot cured salmon ( the salmon is cured for three days! ) , horseradish and apple slaw and salted bread crisps - it was delicious, beautifully presented and so fresh. i loved the combination of the salmon and apple gel garnish. we also had the seared foie grass with apples and shallot marmalade - dash restaurant gets their foie grass from a local farmer that does not force feed his ducks, but rather lets them eat as much as they want (overfeeds). the flavours were exquisite and the portion just right.

for mains we opted for the grilled fillet of beef, served on mash potato and spinach puree with a melange of vegetables and jus. the beef was out of this world - three huge pieces of beef fillet, cooked to perfection and just melting away in your mouth. we also had the grilled crayfish tail with saffron orzo and rehydrated pineapple. the crayfish was a little overcooked, but still delicious. i did not care much for the saffron orzo, but loved the vegetables the chef served the meal with. bothmaindishes were huge - they were so filling that we could hardly finish the meal and there was no space for dessert so i cannot give you feedback on that!
what i love: great value for money, huge portions, delicious (mindblowingly so) food, incredible presentation, the chef present the dish to you in a way that you almost have a trail to follow as to what she wants you to pair, clean and fresh tastes, amazing combination of flavours... i am addicted. my best restaurant experience ever.

not so much: .... that i did not have space for desert 😭

this is one of the best meals i've ever had. dash takes the concept of fine dining to the next level, and yet i still left so full (no teeny tiny gourmet portions here). everything from the cheesy souffle starter to the venisonmainwas impeccable, and i loved the little "surprise" courses in between - a fantastic amuse bouche and a turkish delight sorbet later on. the restaurant's atmosphere is incredibly elegant, yet still warm and comfortable (amaaaaazing chairs). the piano player is also a lovely addition and something you don't really find in restaurants anymore. i had the chocolate fondant for dessert and it was unbelievable - it literally exploded into a river of gooey chocolatey-ness and the bitter orange touches brought out all the flavour. i cannot wait to go back to dash!

we started off with drinks in the bar area with a fabulous roaring fire! after the first round of cocktails everyone was warming up whether it was to do with the fire or the alcohol i cannot confirm. my cocktail was bright pink and delicious! the name eludes me but themainflavour was pomegranate – yum!

we started with beautiful fresh bread with cajun butter, and truffle butter. the truffle butter was amazing and i spread it liberally across the soft white bread. the truffle butter tasted like blitz exotic mushrooms with truffle oil and was wonderfully creamy and smooth! really delicious!

my starter was a double baked gorgonzola souffle, biltong shavings and hazelnuts. the souffle was unbelievably light and was like pulling a cloud apart! i loved the addition of the tart raspberry flavours to cut the richness of the gorgonzola.

between starters andmaincourse we had these delightful palate cleansers! my favourite was the turkish delight sorbet topped with a giant chunk of turkish delight!

ourmaincourse was a seriously fabulous affair! this is the pan fried loin of venison, parsley mash and carrot puree. the description per the menu really doesn’t do the dish justice!

dessert was a brand new creation by their chef sam wasserman – the sweet explosion! this was a dulce sorbet, gummies mousse, amarula gel, old fashioned macaroons and caramel tort. this dessert was delicious and was a whole lot of little taste experiences to finish off a wonderful meal.

all the details up on the blog:

visited thursday evening. venison was amazing, the presentations of the meals, both my starter andmainwas stunning. loved the selection of cocktails as well.. would recommend it any day.

we found this restaurant on the zomato app, and are glad we did. 
we were looking for a place to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversay, and dash did the job brilliantly. 
the service was outstanding. our waitress phindiwe was knowledgeable, friendly, attentive and discreet. they are obviously going for a five-star experience here, and it works. 
the food was amazing too - we had salmon and asparagus starters, and beef fillet and springbokmaincourses. all with little touches - a jus made from cos lettuce, for instance, which was amazing. there was home-made bread with flavoured butters, there was an amuse bouche in the form of a zingy fish cake - and there were out-of-this world blue macaroons (yes, blue) at the end of the meal. the price was considerably higher than the r500 for two that zomato estimates, but it was worth every cent (the wine prices are high too). 
the only reason i gave this 4.5 rather than 5 stars was the fact that the restaurant was empty except for one other table - just not quite enough "buzz" for us. this has been mentioned in another review here and we agree - why is the place not packed to the rafters?
(pics show the restaurant and my asparagus starter)