the bench eatery & bar

we were a big group of 16 people, all of our burgers were horrible, the buns were old and crumbled to pieces when trying to eat them. the striped horse beer was disgusting and not drinkable (so were some of the other brands). the service was also not great, we had to order our drinks from the bar as they took so long to come and ask us what we wanted. and our food took well over 40min before arriving. all in all very disappointing.

always find this place ideal for a good coffee before my morning meetings, or a quick lunch between meetings, as most times i'm only in george for business. comfortable and conveniently positioned.

cool vibes, great food and good value. served us with a plastic straw though 🙁 would dine again!
good place for a small get-together. not excessive seating.

went on a whim and wanted to order a quick breakfast. was quickly seated. decided on a burger instead of breakfast. it took a long time and i had to ask the waiter how much longer as other people received their meals that came way after me. giving them a 4 star as the burger was really good. would go back and hopefully have a better experience

amazing cocktails. really good service. food takes time but it's prepared fresh. calamari tender never had such soft calamari ever. fis fresh tasty. well prepared.

still one of my favourite restaurants in george. whether it's for breakfast (tried the breakfast stirfry this morning, can definitely recommend it), lunch or dinner, the service is superb, food is of the highest quality and the vibe is rustic and laid back. they also have the best cocktails in town

firstly let me state that the bench is not at the location found on zomato. it is around another 2.5km down york street. now that that's out of the way, the review.
from the outside the outside the bench is very unassuming and quite understated, inside has a relaxing, rustic vibe.
both times we have visited we were served by very friendly staff who served us with a smile. although on the second occasion our waitress was a little slow and forgot to bring us water it did not significantly impact our experience.
the bench has an amazing selection of craft beers and even a few of our favourites on tap (darling breweries bone crusher). they also served liefmans fruitesse which is my absolute favourite.
the milkshakes are also incredible. i recommend the milo milkshake. we have had breakfast and lunch at the bench and both were positive experiences. if you have a sweet tooth try the nutella flapjacks with whipped cream, they are heavenly. the burgers are original and one can see effort went into making them.
our experience at the bench has been exceptionally positive and i cannot wait to return!

nice place, good vibe, awesome beer! for a tapas restaurant i expected small important details like extra plates for sharing and serviettes.

have never had food here but i never pass the place without picking up a takeaway coffee. it's so reasonably priced and absolutely delicious.

this is a cool looking hipster hang-out with a fresh menu and good service. i just found it a bit of pricey for the portion sizes.

if you're looking for a coffee or a breakfast spot in george give them a try for the atmosphere.

amazing spot for breakfast or brunch! in fact i had the best breakfast in years..

the bench is modern, trendy and just enough hipster without it ruining the charm of the garden route. their menu is light and equipped for the breakfast / lunch working crowd. if you're bacon-obsessed like me, you'll be pleased to find bacon on almost all of their menu items. i ordered the stacker which was a mashup of flapjacks, bacon and brie cheese, drizzled with syrup and caramelised strawberries. it was amazing! to compliment this our table ordered their signature corn fritters which were incredible too.

i can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu!

we loved the modern/rustic vibe. the food was tasty, well priced and service was great! we would definitely recommend it to anyone in the area!

love this cafe! being one of the most modern cafes in town gives locals something new to try.

i also love how the menu is right in front of you on huge chalkboard.