forti grill & bar

verygoodservice and the food was good. i've ordered the pork belly - well cooked and very soft, under seasoned. i will visit this place again. carol dippenaar mark surgeon

heardgoodthings about this restaurant but it certainly did not live up to the reviews. service was pathetic. or more exactly non existent. meals messed up, wrong steaks delivered, had to call the manager a number of times. if we weren't honest people we could have even walked out without paying for the starters because the waiter was so incompetent. sorry, but never got our value for money.

this will be one of my top ten restaurants in pretoria!! elegant & classy with stunning decor & artwork. there is a warmth to the place & you feel right at home. the service is excellent with forti & quinton taking special care of the all the patrons.

we were quite a large group & i got to sample a few of the items on the menu. the pork belly is great & tasty, however the crackling was not "crispy" as described on the menu & was chewy instead. it was also missing the pickled ginger. the "fettuccini con salsiccia" & the "fettuccini al amatriciana" aregoodpasta options, but both were lacking a bit of chilli & maybe a bit of flavour too (the tomato flavour was a bit over-powering). pasta was perfectly cooked al dente though. the lamb chop special was divine but the fillet was slightly dry & lacking something. for dessert we had the profiteroles with a delicious custard cream inside & sorbet on the side - i would recommend this dish!!

a great experience overall & i can't wait to go back & try something else!!

saturday lunch time and restaurants in time square casino pretty much dead. we opted to sit outside for a table of 4, the narrow tables overlooking the balcony are justgoodfor drinks, had to move in order to get space for plates.

we opted straight to mains, an order of kingklip, tbone steak, ribeye and prawns. meals were plated like a pub but priced as fine dining. my ribeye was bashed flattened and pretty much tasteless with the exception of the sauce, an extra side and the duck fat roast pototoes lacked flavour. prawns served with an interesting parmesan rice but at r370 for 6 prawns in a tomoto sauce, it was pretty average. the kingklip was good. basic veggie side comes standard with most dishes, these were done well.

they do keep an excellent wine list and cocktails but on the food side pretty much average and pricey for what is served.

we decided to eat at forti the night before my birthday and it was honestly one of the best dining decisions we have made. this two year old restaurant was created by a man of many talents, fortunato, who is no stranger to the restaurant business. not only is he a brilliant chef & business man, but he's also a friendly guy who made us feel at home. the restaurant is a beautiful space overooking the newly developed pretoria. the space is clean and open with the most beautiful pieces on the walls. the lighting is grand, the seating is pure quality and the whole vibe is modern yet homey and warm.

we had the signature cocktail to start the night off & it hit all the right notes. for starters we shared the oysters, the freshest we've had. cyprian had the lamb kidney. a real unusual treat. and i had the garlic snails.
while we had our starters, we were treated to a live performance by two opera singers. during the last song, the owner, fortunato joined them in singing. (i did tell you he's a man of many talents)

for mains we shared (brilliant idea). we had the prawns and risotto. omg. the prawns were delicious, but the risotto was equally asgood(if not even better). the wagyu steak done medium. it tasted succulent and tender. this was served with potato pieces. we closed mains off with the heartiest oxtail stew. it felt like real soul food. perfect for these winter evenings. a trio of three of the most popular dishes at forti.

for dessert we had another trio of sweet treats. the sweetest was the cream filled pastry treat. i had to order two extra just for the ride home.

overall, i had such a pleasent evening. the staff were friendly and the host, really with the most reminded me how important it is that you do something you love over something you have to do. watching fortunato navigate his way around the restaurant chatting to the hungry patrons and entertaining each table with his warm presence was lovely to watch. by far, one of my favorite dining experiences.

i looked forward to an evening of great food and attentive service at this much touted restaurant. the service was lackluster - we waited at least 35 minutes before we could order food and the food arrived more than an hour after sitting down. the steaks were not cooked to order - medium turned out on the well done side. the roast potato in duck fat was a grey heap instead of golden crunchy soft inside potatoes. why use duck fat otherwise? the prawns were so scrawny almost no meat there. there was some ad hoc operatic entertainment which was entertaining but first and foremost we wantedgoodfood andgoodservice which was lacking. the food is pricey - no really value for money at all.

food was awful. table of 4, we all had steaks. when food arrived it looked like the meat had been microwaved, grey & unevenly cooked. the mash & roast potatoes still raw. staff friendly &gooddecor

the service was amazing!! i am just gonna start by sending a shout out to guy, amazing service.. even taught us few swahili words: asante, jambo.

i had an awesome friday afternoon with my friend, everything the team recommended was tops; from the wine to the food!! we even got a tour of the whole place, wow!! pictures aren't doing this place any justice... it's beautiful and classy and pop and contemporary!! i was impressed!! keep up thegoodwork guys!!

best place for a date because the staff is very attentive and their steaks are amazing. price is verygoodconsidering the high standards of the place. i love it so much!

there is only one word that can aptly sum up my first visit to forti grill & bar.. flawless. from start to finish, flawless.

i first met chef fortunato mazzone at ritrovo ristorante in waterkloof heights, (with his father, giovanni) quite some time ago, and have long been a fan of pretoria's top restaurateur and chef, so when i heard last year that he would be opening a restaurant at sun international's new casino, times square, i followed the progress with intense interest. 

needless to say, i finally made it there this past week and what an experience it was! 

ambiance: 
i will start this review with the fact that i am not a huge fan of restaurants in both casinos and malls due to the fact that i think it is much harder to create an ambiance and it usually puts the restauranteur at a disadvantage. however, the same cannot be applied to forti grill & bar. fortunato has worked hand in hand with the developers from conception in order to create a bespoke ambiance with the additions of colour from high end works of art, plush luxurious seating areas and simply world class interiors. i sat in this restaurant thinking that i could be anywhere in europe as opposed to a casino in menlyn and as such, with his exceptional eye for detail, the interiors and ambiance get a 5/5 from me. 

food: 5/5. 
i arrived wanting a traditional lengthy italian lunch filled with lots of courses, intense flavours and creative plating and that is exactly what i got! 

to start, the fresh oysters served on a bed of crushed ice.
then, onto the wine. i got to try out a very special award-winning nick & fortis 2013 shiraz. after one glass, it was hard not to ask for the bottle. 
homemade tagliolini al granchio: crab segments, tomato, garlic and white wine. 
mouthwatering beef ravioli with forti’s four meat ragu sauce. 
confit of duck leg and thigh served on a bed of creamy risotto, stir fried vegetables with a sticky black and sour cherry sauce.
and, as i had absolutely no space left, dessert had to be the sorbet. a wonderful way to clear the palate after so many indulgences. 

it's safe to say that this man's sheer passion for food has really shone through in my experience of all these dishes and i found it hard to pick just one that i liked most so i will let my extensive pictures attached do the talking. 

service: 5/5.
the knowledgable and chatty staff who work for fortunato, work seamlessly and professionally as a team, which is wonderful to see in action. everyone seems to be on their toes and buzzing around, yet able to stop by if you've made eye contact at any point, just to check. another thing that i like is that many of his staff that i chatted to briefly throughout my lunch have worked for fortunato for many years, and as such, seem more like family than staff, which to me is always agoodsign. 

in summary, i've reached over 880 reviews on zomato and afforded very few 5/5 all star ratings, so i will let the numbers and photos speak for themselves. 

*recommendation: if you haven't made it to this gem, what are you waiting for?

for more, find me on instagram, facebook & twitter: laurasworldza

good fast service, very chilled vibe and great view.onlygoodtill altitude, which is right next door, starts getting loud. so the earlier you leave the better. lol, unless you join the party

very nice atmosphere and also verygoodservice!
we had the ritrovo fillet (chateaubriand) which was very good. for desert the pistachio brûlée and a double espresso. can't go wrong!

pleasant week night out.
we shared the buffalo mozzarella starter, relatively enjoyable except for an excess water on the plate.
for mains we had seafood pasta and rump steak, pasta was delicious, although the actual seafood a minimum. the steak was perfect.
as dessert the ginger and lemon tart was a hit.
the new forti lack the warm ambiance of an authentic italian establishment but still offers great service and a verygoodwine selection.
we've always been quite fond of the old ritrovo...so i guess we'll be back in the future.

the restaurant definitely has a very upmarket feel to it, with staff who play the part well. the restaurant looks amazing with a balcony area available as well, that looks spectacular at night. i was dining with a party of ±13 people inside and we were allocated our own area closed off from the rest of the restaurant, in regards to the noise. there was no need to compete with the noise of the whole restaurant. the restaurant provided entertainment that particular night with opera singers who gave a short performance for a couple minutes; truly something unique. the feel and aesthetic of the restaurant is definitely a 5/5. the only shortfall in my opinion was the food and service here and there. a few orders had to be requested a few times before they arrived, i assume they were forgotten. the food arrived relatively quickly, it wasgoodbut nothing for me to brag about, perhaps is was my choice of meal. i ate the lasagna. the presentation of the food was however incredible. i believe the highlight and best aspect of the restaurant is their vast selections of wine. i am not a wine drinker myself but my company could not have enough of it. 

would i go again?
perhaps. considering the pricing and the whole experience, it's something i could do for a special occasion i am invited to. but out of my own volition, i may opt to try a different restaurant. the food wasgoodbut not the best i've ever had. 

what i feel the restaurant is best for?
it's a nice place to go if you're looking for decent food and an amazing atmosphere.

20.06.2017 how does one describe the evening we had at the newly launched "forti", besides using the haagen-dazs tag line "make life extraordinary" because that is the night we had. extraordinary.

firstly i must say that the experience we had was a one night only event, so sadly, everyone will not be able to experience the cuisine and cocktails that was made on the evening. it was a unique collaboration with haagen dazs and fortunato mazzone, who was affectionately known at his previous restaurant ritrovo.

prior to the food, we were fortunate enough to be taken on a tour of the premises to see the extreme thought, effort and care that went into each and every detail that has been placed in this modern setup. from the chandelier, to the crockery and cutlery, including the bottled water being consumed, not forgetting the colourful and exquisite paintings that adorn all the walls and last but not least the “bathrooms”

fortunato also prides himself on the humidor that is placed as you enter (for those cigar connoisseurs), as well as the impressive butchers block that weighs practically a ton, all adding character to the contemporary space. while in the kitchen we were served an aperol slush by chef eddie (double shot aperol, sparkling wine, and raspberry sorbet) wow did that kick start our evening, followed by a “mango twist” on a margerita (mango sorbet, grand marnier and jose cuervo tequila) as we made our way back to our seats

shortly after being seated, the next haagen dasz cocktail arrived, a twist on a raspberry daquiri (raspberry sorbet, skyy vodka, lime and fresh strawberries) incredibly decadent.

bringing back childhood memories from thegood‘ol days, along with our starter we then got presented the “naughty coke float” (coke with a shot of brandy, topped with haagen dasz macadamia) it was something fun.

the starter:

deconstructed prawn cocktail in a parody of 1970’s sa restaurant menus – prawn tails poached in asian cooking liquid with coconut cream and lemongrass, avocado mashed with hd vanilla ice cream to make a beautiful creamy avocado and thousand island ice cream, combined with mayo and heinz ketchup served in quenelles alongside the prawns.

before tucking into the prawn cocktail, we were treated to a performance by the very talented opera ladies - loveline and bongi, and ending off with the man himself showing us his other skills and love - singing opera. you couldn’t get more festive than that. the starter was delicious, and although our ice cream has melted slightly, it didn’t take away from the uniqueness and taste from every bite.

the next cocktail to grace our lips was a salted caramel and grand marnier smoothie. our fellow foodies were convinced that salted caramel, should be a food group on its own, so the jury is still out on that one.

the mains:

crispy pork belly served with curried cabbage, sweet potato mash, whole roasted baby onions in sweet and sour sauce, pickled ginger and a scoop of cookies and cream served with a don pedro deluxe – (glenfiddich single malt, vanilla ice cream). personally i wished the pork belly crackling was more “crackled” for lack of a better word. i wanted it more crunchy on the palette. the curried cabbage was definitely something else, it had a strange but delicious taste.

the dessert

lemon and ginger tart served with raspberry sorbet served with a death by chocolate cocktail – (belgium chocolate ice cream, galliano with vodka topped with nougat pieces) deathly it was.

ending off the evening, our final cocktail was a macadamia martini, (bulldog gin, macadamia nut brittle ice cream and kahlua) by this time, we were all sugared up and ready to head home and hit the pillows.

a major thank you goes out to forti, andronicki, chef eddie, monica and the rest of the team for a truly unforgettable evening with great food, awesome drinks and fantastic company.

#makelifeextraordinary #hdxforti