ons huisie

no no no, avoid avoid. at least don't go there for dinner. perhaps this is a better little lunch spot instead. the setting is incredible and the view is amazing, and although the service is pretty decent, the dining experience is sabotaging this beautiful restaurant.

i went with my mother and a friend and here's a summary of what we had:

starters:
mussel starter - burnt (definitely not "smoked" as the menu suggests).
fish cakes - really not tasty, dry, made with questionable ingredients and served with shop-bought sauces.
calamari starter - decent.

mains
fish & chips - light, crispy batter but zero flavour. fish needed a lot of seasoning. factory chips, not hand cut. no lemon wedges on the plate. overall just average.

prawns - terrible presentation. everything slapped down on a plate. the prawns were okay - edible but not wow. served next to dry, stale rice and served with really horrible chunky vegetables. compared to almost every other seafood restaurant this meal is well below average.

chicken pie - the actual pie was fair but the salad was wilted and warm. woolworths pies are nicer.

overall everything just tasted bland and incredibly average. perhaps i have high standards, but to me it's a pity when such a lovely spot gets it so wrong. absolutely nothing here is made with care and attention. not good value for money either.

i get the sense that they use shortcuts. expect a lot of processed, shop-bought ingredients for sauces, dressings and sides (like a restaurant chain would do), instead of serving beautifully crafted hand made things. its a travesty.

management did apologise profusely after i complained, and then offered us stale carrot cake for free. it's hilarious.

avoid.

such a nice quaint little place with so much character and style. we had a lovely lunch which was unexpectingly such a huge portion. the food is good, the staff are nice and whether sitting inside or outside the people are friendly and the restaurant is always busy. a place most definitely needed to try.

ons huisie always brings back childhood memories of playing on the beach, drinking milkshakes and having a good time. since i live walking distance from this cute little beachside restaurant, it's always been a popular choice for a quick lunch with friends or sundowners on a windless evening.

i've never had a disappointing experience. in fact, i'm quite surprised by the quality of their cocktails, as they don't strike me as being the go-to place for those sort of drinks. however, i like their cocktails much more than blue peter's. and the vibe on the patio is just so relaxing - totally laid back and carefree. but the service is still on par - i've never had to wait too long for my order. recently, me and my better half went for sundowners on a beautiful spring evening, watching the sun set over the beautiful atlantic while sipping on a long island ice tea and a strawberry daiquiri. we weren't that hungry, so we ordered the woppertal snack basket, which consisted of fries, samosas, vegetable spring rolls, potato bites and beef rissoles. served with sweet chili and chili mayo dipping sauces, this made for the perfect basket of snacks to munch on while enjoying our drinks.

on another occasion, i was coming home late and got myself takeaways from ons huisie, since it was so close by. i ordered the line fish, which was dorado on this particular day. i don't usually like dorado because of its meaty taste and thick fillet, but this time round i was very impressed. i absolutely loved the herb crust and crispy skin, perfectly complimented by some of the best herbed mash i've ever had (and i'm not a big fan of mash). moreover, the vegetables were delicious - cooked to perfection, sweet and tasty.

the only thing left for me to experience is their legendary breakfast! and i will definitely be returning to experience this!

this restaurant is truly a hidden gem. if you're ever looking for a consistently good quality place to go enjoy the blouberg beachfront, ons huisie is the place to go!

top tips: arrive early for dinner to enjoy sundowners and avoid crowds. make a booking if you plan to have breakfast there on a sunday as they're usually packed! you can still come an enjoy sundowners on cold winter nights - they've recently built another "stoep" inside with a fireplace, a bar and live sport screening.

it's been 15years since my last visit and i'm happy to announce i was pleasantly surprised. still kept to what it's known for. affordable, cosy seafood with beautiful location right next to the ocean. warm hospitality and a laid back atmosphere.

this is a small quaint little place with a huge heart. here you have to have seafood as it is freshly prepared and tastes great! service was good and the warm ambient setting makes it a good stop. when the weather is fine, get a table outside and enjoy the view.

love this place. fresh calamari and fish with a view to die for! if you love seafood this is the place to be. oh and the wine selection is not bad either!

i wasn't very impressed. i had heard many good things over the past few years but y he service was extremely slow. after waiting 15 minutes for a waiter we got up and left.

id heard of this restaurant and decided to try it as most good restaurants seemed closed on sunday evenings.

i get the traditional farm huisie feel but it was quite stark, bright and cold in the rooms, on a cold winter night one needs a warm cosy environment to eat. the bar area had a fire but that did t gave a restaurant feel at all.

the food was ok but also very bland so overall i was quite disappointed as i was expecting more i guess.

this restaurant has a great setting and they make a fabulous west coast seafood potjie! i'm looking forward to coming back to try some more dishes!

although we haven't been here that much, they do have an amazing view of the sea - if the weather allows you to sit outside and enjoy it, like in summer. we enjoyed their pizza, but from what i heard their seafood is good as well. when in the area we won't mind going here for drinks though, and some snacks.

i have been to this resturant before in late 2014 but i'm afraid it's not quite the same. they for some reason no longer have a drinks menu but offer to make you any cocktail you desire. i ordered fish and chips while my partner went for the farm rump steak. the fish was fresh and perfectly crisp and my friends steak was just made to his requirements. however, i had only one complaint - the chips were under cooked but when we mentioned this to the manager mike, he immediately offered a fresh basket of well made chips. i have to also note what a friendly gentleman he is, he was visable throughout the night talking to guest and went as far as to say he welcomes all critism so he will able to take the information and turn it into a much better resturant.

the cream of this entire experience for me was my view of the ocean and sunset - the fireplace was an additional bonus for the winter blues.

found a bug in my food. it was good though. would go back.

this is a lovely restaurant within viewing, hearing and smelling distance of the ocean.

i have been here on many occasions, and not once have my food, service or mood been anything below excellent!

the food is well priced and great portions! hot chocolate is always a winner here!

i highly recommend this to anyone and everyone within the area!

very cool little place. very popular place. spectacular view outside. mussel pot is very good value for money i would definitely recommend. malva pudding is authentic south african dish.

a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike, ons huisie in blouberg offers all the comfort and familiarity of the west coast seaside. whether you are looking for a place to have a round of drinks, a quick snack, or a slightly more extravagant sit-down meal, this is the place to go. enjoy your drink of choice with anything from a basket of slap-tjips, to fresh oysters, to traditional west coast cuisine, as you overlook the blouberg coast.