roma revolving restaurant

whatever reviews i have read about this restaurant about the service being too slow, waiters not friendly, place dilapidated and food notgoodquality contradicts everything i experienced at lunch today.

i booked via email. they were very quick to help with bookings and extra information. when we got there the entrance was beautiful with statutes and artwork. the waiters who assisted us (and about 3 of them) took suchgoodcare of us. they spoke to us about the restaurants and madegoodsuggestions with regards to meals. the food was delicious! nothing could be complained about. the duckling ala orange is a must try. for someone who has never eaten duck before that leap of faith was well worth it.

the view...the view...the view...absolutely amazing. seeing the harbour and watching the boats go in and out and the beautiful ocean there is no comfort compared to watching such beauty.

if you are thinking about visiting roma stop thinking and go. you will never be dissapointed! we also had an opportunity to meet the owner who was incredibly kind and very passionate about what he does! make sure you go on the roof top aswell to take in more of the beautiful views. well worth the visit!

starter: crumbed calamari (2/5) - would have beengoodif it wasnt for the weird fishy after taste and being over chewy (also found fish bones????)

main: monrey (4/5) - cheesy steak fillet which was very good

service: (1/5) - sooooo much of confusion amongst the waiters and they take forever to do anything...

would have given a higher rating if it wasnt for the poor service....

i feel that this place could be so much more. it is an icon in durban and one of the last truly revolving restaurants. the food is verygoodand the service is ok but upon walking in you feel like you're in a casino hotel from the 80's. the same 'elegant' drapes still line the windows as you revolve around the bleery italian murals that have faded along with the romas glitz. even the fish in the foyers tank are screaming to be set free of this monotony. sad considering the potential it has.

i promised my 6 year old son a visit to the revolving restaurant and he was fascinated with the view. food was asgoodas it was 5 years ago. waiters are on the ball, especially the ones that have been there for more than 20 years. what i love about roma is the freshness of the food. they create a kids meals or half portions.

the food - ok, no wow factor. service non existant. was suppose to be a special evening for the wife but wife was deeply disappointed. strange part was that the restaurant was full. would it be safe to say that the theme exceeds the net worth of agooddining experience and that the food and bad service is mitigated by the theme. been there done that - won't be back.

well i was impressed when my husband made a booking here - born and bred in durban and i had never been. zomato has many mixed reviews. well here’s my take - the italian boss guy and the matradee avoided only our table but we were ok with that - we like conversation to be uninterrupted . our waiter ravi was great - helpful and attentive. experience wasgoodbut food average. go for the experience 😊

the revolving floor is really amazing, a truly wonderful thing to experience. however the decor and food is stuck in 1973 i felt like i was in a time warp!
we went out for our anniversary for lunch the views were spectacular but that’s it we got out of the lift and was met by a gentlemen in a vest no one came to welcome us seat us or anything not characteristic of a fine dining establishment.
the menu was not great everything contains cream we had the mushroom and the asparagus starter which both had the same cheese sauce and mash thing sort of slapped on this tired crockery. the plates were hot the waiter served them to us with a pink mr price torn piece of face cloth that smelt of bleach.
the uniforms were old and untidy the place had a musty stuffy smell, the blinds were broken. the onlygoodthing was the flamboyant italian owner who has also not moved on since scareface!
we had main meals of line fish and a napoletana pasta the plating was shocking not fine dining at all just food slapped in a white over used and washed plate. the manager, staff and owner really need to go out and see what’s out there south africa’s culinary world is moving so fast and become so amazing that there isn’t room for this unimaginative tired places.
really the worst 600 ever spent we waisted all the food as you just can’t eat in a place where you not comfortable! the thought that crosses your mind is if the dining area is this bad imagine the kitchen and suddenly your stomach starts churning.
there were random not uniformed staff or cleaners 🤷🏽‍♀️just like walking around doing things.
i couldn’t stand to be there a min longer and left without desert or even ordering a second drink!
please do not embarrass durban by sending people here.

from my experience:
1. best views
2. friendly and helpful staff
3. wonderful food (verygooditalian food)
4. loved the desert table. their pastry chef has worked for them for nearly 40 years.

incredible.

i am so surprised to see this place does not have a 4.5+ rating.

so i decided to read other's reviews to see why.
main points they complained about:
not vegan, not vegetarian, no ample parking and one person even complained that the owner didn't make a fuss of them.
in all likeliness these people need a reality check.

thanks roma for a wonderful time!

i went to the roma for the first time this past saturday for lunch to celebrate my birthday and i was disappointed. i chose the roma based ongoodfeedback from older colleagues and family of mine. i am sad to say that it was a disappointing experience and a far cry from what i was told the place was like in its heyday.  service was slow and cringe-worthy at times. some of the younger waiters really need a lesson in etiquette.  the view is exquisite though and was the highlight of the afternoon.
the owner didn't even bother to acknowledge us or check up on our table, instead he choose to entertain the table of tourists seated close by and made a big fuss over them.
(puzzling to say the least) are the locals notgoodenough for some common courtesy?
our food arrived in a reasonable amount of time. my duck was mediocre and lacked flavour and the mashed potatoes didn't taste fresh. i had much better duck in other establishments in durban. my brother had better luck with the fish. my mum said her chicken dish was average and so was my dad's lamb. some of the side plates given to us were dirty!
on saturday, the restaurant was more than half empty at lunch time (this should have been a warning sign) so there was no reason for slow and sloppy service. we had to ask for our bill twice and that too from another waiter because our waiter was nowhere to be found. (beware that 10% is already added to the bill).
the decor needs a serious revamp. yes, i get that they were going for the retro theme but some of the stuff is really tacky and belongs in the 80s (and this is from a guy who loves 80s memorabilia). the restaurant also needs agoodand thorough cleaning. parking is atrocious and i was constantly worried about my car despite the car guards. i rarely travel into central town and this trip reminded me why.
the roma has loads of potential to be agoodrestaurant. it has amazing views over the city which is the reason many of us choose to visit in the first place. management needs a complete overhaul in terms of service and food to reclaim its glory days. i don't plan on going back any time soon.
on a side note, it would be great if someone opened a revolving, high rise restaurant in umhlanga. great views would be guaranteed and it would be safer.

once in a lifetime experience, one of a kind in durban. i especially love the duck. the service was great. book in advance. verygoodambience, charming decor. i was dissatisfied that there was no set dessert menu and that the waiter goes around with a trolley of desserts especially if someone has already picked the desserts that you want.
otherwise good

visited this place over the weekend. customer service is really bad here. being a vegetarian, there isn't many veggie options on the menu.

i ordered the veg ravioli from the menu. my food was served in a small dirty plate (with hard brown dirt) with only about 7 pieces of ravioli. take note of the pic attached with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top before the food was sent back. about 5 to 10 mins later, i got back my ravioli in a different place with different garnishing and the sides slightly harden. if i didn't know better,i am very sure that the food i sent back was just put into another plate and placed in a microwave to be heated. gross!

the ravioli was notgoodat all. to top off the bad service and bad food, the 10% tip is forced on you.

old school as it comes! you find very few restaurants anywhere in the world like this hidden gem. a classic menu which i bet hasn't been changed in decades, reading the menu took me back to my memories of the long gone restaurants i was treated to as a child. yes the service is a little old school, yes the wait between starters and main course was a little long. but that's the quirkiness that has almost become a distant memory from another era.

i mean where can you meet a professional 30 year veteran on a desert trolley , serving classic recipes only your grandmother could have made, i presumed lost to the new generation of chefs a long time ago. but unbelievably roma has survived and i am very privileged to have had the chance to dine in another era.

these businesses in my opinion deserve our support more than any others. stop eating cheap factory produced franchise rubbish, save up a little extra cash for a real meal andgoodglass of wine at establishments like roma before it's too late.

great experience, stunning views.
parking is not the best but there are security guards.
the staff are super friendly and their coffee is delicious.goodpasta however the restaurant has old fashioned decor. we only stayed for one rotation because we started getting motion sickness.

we went to roma revolving restaurant to celebrate and it was a great evening! the views are worth the price of the food and it's a real novelty! the italian owners are absolutely delightful and so friendly. the bread sticks started us off on agoodnote and i thoroughly enjoyed my pepper fillet with delicious pepper sauce and vegetables. the butternut was really tasty. my fellow diners had veal and fish and both really enjoyed it. we then shared a creamy three chocolate mousse and a really yummy tiramisu. i recommend the tiramisu as i enjoy anything coffee flavoured!
all in all, worth a visit and enjoy the warm italian hospitality.

firstly, no parking. the parking lot below only has ten spaces allocated to the restaurant, therefore you must either park in the street or down a dark alleyway, where more parking is available but with no security.

our reception wasgoodand we were seated promptly. our drink order was taken in about 5 minutes so that is not bad. but that's where the not bad service stopped. drinks came about 20 minutes after that. at about the 1hour mark i requested bread sticks as i was getting hungry no one was taking our order they came about 15minutes later and to my surprise our bread sticks were actually 4 pieces of stale bread.

having now requested to order twice a waiter finally came and took them. a further 30 minutes passed and we got what could pass for food. ps. still no second round of drinks have been offered at this point. we eat and they clear 10 minutes later. the manager comes by and he offers us a round of drinks. naturally, i declined as this would mean a further 30 minutes before we could order dessert.

waited another 15 - 20 minutes to order dessert. no one came. so i called the manager and exclaimed that for an establishment that chargers so much for what they call food the service is really terrible. give him exact times for everything. he looks sincere when apologising and tells me he will find the waiter and they will both be back.

10 minutes pass and our waiter arrives to kindly offer us our dessert. i decline and ask for the bill. within a minute he brings that (amazing). he then argues with me after hearing from the manager that he did bring us drinks. (remember the first round, about 2 - 2:30 hours earlier) and that he was told to apologise. great really. even after this completely terrible service. i give him a tip of 10% which isn't even appreciated.

do not eat here, also if you do all listed prices are wrong. even on their own website. add 20 to 30 % onto those prices.

ruined what was supposed to be a great date for my girlfriend and i.