the three ducks- les trois canards

our evening began well, there was a welcoming fire although very few guests. we arrived at 7.30 and ordered starters. our intention was to have a meal over about 3 hours as we hadn't had dinner with our guests for three months. the starters looked fantastic on the menu and 3 out of 4 were good but thesauceon the clam and mussels was overpowering. we then ordered mains which were very disappointing. the sauces on the rack of lamb and the fillet medalions were salty and overbearing.
it was now 9.00 and we were told to order our deserts and coffee because the kitchen was closing ! just incase we stayed too long the fire was out and the front door open so the place was now rather chilli and the coffee was cold. the only saving grace was our waiter, bekki, who was new, having been there two weeks and had no knowledge of the dishes he was serving, was attentive, discreet and friendly. we would not choose to return there.

we have read reviews about les trois canards for a couple of months now, so was very excited to finally experience it for ourselves!

as some of the previous reviews state, don't be mislead by the reataurant's exterior and streetview - from the outside it looks like a french streetcafé where you can have a quick panini and coffee. but as you walk through the front café, the beautiful background music sets the atmosphere fitting the serene vibe of the restaurant at the back - crisp white tablecloths, shiny wineglasses and the trickle of water from the ducks waterfountain ...feels like you walked into a paris restaurant!

our waiter don greeted us as we entered the restaurant and accompanied us to our table, ready with menu's. he was professional and friendly throughout and served us well.

the food was outstanding! we ordered the lamb shank with rosemary as well as the rack of lamb, both beautifully tender with an amazing subtle rosemary flavour. the brandy and peppersauce steak was perfectly medium as we requested and thesaucecreamy and well balanced. the fillet medalions with camembert and cranberrysaucewas our dish of the day - tender and soft with ample sauce, well balanced with the camembert cheese.

regretfully we did not have dessert.... will have to return for it!

overall an amazing eating experience and special family quality time - highly recommend this restaurant!

we had our valentines dinner booked at 6pm at this restaurant, this after we had a dinner here a couple of months ago. we arrived on time and were seated at a table adjacent to the toilets. we were the only table in at that time and our booking was done well in advance but we decided not to query the placement. after ordering champagne we placed our order off the set menu (which we were not advised of at the time of the booking) only to be told that the service of the appetisers would only commence after 7pm. i found that unacceptable, especially as it was a set menu and prepping should have been done well in advance. it went down hill from there. the appetisers and starters, when they eventually arrived were good but the main course, a duck l'orange was overcooked, dry and rubbery. don, our server tried his best but the replacement duck breast was more pink inside but no crispy skin and mealy flesh. the l'orangesaucewas acidic and more blackberry consistent than orange. this was disappointing after waiting more than two hours. we ordered our deserts to go. the manager eventually came to our table and offered us a round of drinks, but it was too little too late. i settled the substantial bill vowed never to come back.

went there for lunch - celebrating a birthday. my first time. walked in and i liked what i saw....white tablecloths, lots of glasses on the table, flowers on the table. the menu matched the place, nice selection of french dishes...here and there a dish that made no sense but all in all happy until the food start arriving...... starter: foie gras (r149) consisted of a sliver (not bigger than 5cm x 1cm x 0.3cm) on three small toasted rounds of bread. the consistency of the foie gras was crumbly not smooth. balsamic reduction spattered all over plate. did not make sense. the biggest rip-off if ever i have seen one! mains: fillet (medium rare with snails) the snails were overcooked - a bit mushy. fillet rare - but good. served on mash. the vegetables accompanying it (serve separately) was cold chips and a greek salad?! fish provencale.....the worst i have ever eaten. the delicate white wine was asauceresembling wall paper glue and tasted of vinegar. it looks like it comes out of a packet as there where green specs evenly distributed insaucewith raw cherry tomatoes and cold kalamata olives. the kingklip were overcooked. desserts: pistachio pana cotta. the wobble was more like a bounce. was grey and tasted nothing of pistachio. so once we ate our desserts, a peppermint crisp tart on a plate with happy birth-day (yes...i kid you not!) written on it. the manager did made an appearance half way through the mains, i did complain which resulted in him disappearing for the rest of lunch. i also left my name and number with request that an owner phone me in order for me to discuss this dismal experience, but nothing yet. such a great pity as setting and ambiance nice, maybe they must change menu to reflect their expertise and not try to be french when clearly the chef do not understand the french way of cooking.

this dining experience was thanks to zomato inviting me to my first foodie meetup, where i was welcomed by friendly foodies and the great staff of the three ducks. the restaurant is quaint with the main dining area hidden quite far back past the initial setting you see from the road.

the restaurant is dimly lit with a roaring fire, creating an intimate and "romantic" setting. the staff are very friendly and attentive, and helped in making the night an enjoyable one!

as for the food -
the bread basket and dips were very tasty as the dips were not the usual ones you'd get anywhere else. the breads were all warm and toasted, served fresh and in abundance.

the starters and mains were truly authentic and cooked to perfection. the chef came to explain and recommend meals to us, helping us decide what we should have from their extensive and enticing menu.

for starters i had the springbok carpaccio, and tasted the snails as well as calamari.
the flavours that came with the springbok were a great combination, pairing oranges with the meat and complimenting the meal as a whole.
the calamari was also tasty, and even better when having all components together, creating a burst of flavours. (the cheese being the most interesting and flavoursome ingredient)

mains were by far the tastiest meals of the evening. i had the rack of lamb which was cooked to perfection and could be pulled off the bone. the meat was however a bit fatty, unfortunately. the fillet served with mushroom and mustardsaucewas also delicious; cooked and served perfectly.

the desserts were, unfortunately, the most disappointing options of the evening. the creme brulee was quite bland and had an unusual texture, the panacotta was a bit too stiff, and the butterscotch toffee pudding lacked flavour and also had an unusual texture. i am unsure if this is how french desserts are made/served, but they were not the "normal" puddings i am used to.

overall, this restaurant was an amazing experience and i will definitely revisit to try some other meals.

this was my first zomato meetup, so whoop whoop ya'll! once again, thanks to zomato and le trois canards for the opportunity to sit down and talk k@k with fellow foodies :) a good night coupled with great company.

my first impression of le trois canards, was to ask the car guard where it is. they definitely need better signage in front. looking at the venue from the street, you would mistake it for  a tiny little cafe and you would totally miss out on the main dining area at the back. upon entering the venue, i was greeted by friendly faces in a relaxed and very inviting atmosphere and was promptly shown to our table. as i entered the main dining area, i saw a transformation take place from the cute cafe, to the eloquent restaurant. the main dining area has a cozy fireplace, coupled with an array of wines on display in a fairly well thought out space. the only suggestion for this area would be to have better lighting. like, please, please, please. 

the wait staff were extremely attentive (i dont think that my wine glass ever ran dry), but i will be back to attest this without the zomato name badge. they did get one of the starter orders wrong, but apart from that, there were no issues. the waiters new the menu fairly well and were they did not know certain details, they were quick to find out from the chef.

now, down to the food. we were served with bread baskets while we waited for our table to get settled. i cant comment on it, as i wasnt too interested in it, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. i had the springbok carpaccio starter, which i found to be a beautiful combination of flavours. the carpaccio itself didnt blow my taste buds out of the park, but it was still nice. again, the combination of ingredients was the real winner here and i would definitely recommend it to anyone. for me, the winning starter of the evening was the escargots. wow! uber wow! a mouth full of deliciousness.

for mains i has the mignon, served with a creamy mushroom sauce. while this was good, i found thesauceto be a wee bit salty, while others found it to have a bit too much mustard. thesauceis still a great pairing for the fillet either way and i'd definitely recommend it. the best dish for me was the rack of lamb. good lord this was awesome. while i agree with everyone that the fat needed to be rendered a bit more, i aint complaining. i've had dreams about that single bit of lamb ever since. this one gets a 10/10.

to finish off our evening (and our wine), i had the pistachio panna cotta. this one was a bit of a disappointment, as it was way too gelatinous. if that problem is solved, it would be a seriously amazing desert. the panna cotta itself is accompanied by (what we assume is) a turkish delight  sauce (almost a coulis) and has got to be one of the best desert sauces i've ever had in my existence. tru dat! hats off to the chef for this one. 

le trois canards has the perfect setting for a romantic meal. the staff are attentive and fairly well trained (still some room for growth here). i seriously rate this menu guys and i must say, one look at the menu and i was hooked. if some of the minor details in the dishes are sorted out, it will justify the prices asked for the meals, but a compromise is needed on the price. 

overall it was still a fantastic evening and i'll definitely be back here.

great location and simple yet sophisticated decor. simply menu, so many restaurants try to provide an extensive menu and end up doing lots of dishes mediocre. baby calamari was interesting, fillet with cheese and jalapeñosaucedelicious, but fillet with brandy, mustard and mushrooms was the best. beautiful fluffy peppermint crisp tart. great place

a french restaurant in waterkloof. what sets this place apart is the chef albert, or papa, as he is affectionally called. papa spent his first years in france but grew up in castile region of spain. the last twenty /thirty years he lived in and loved south africa. this is reflected in the food at les trois canards. french/ mediteranean and robust in flavour. i had calamari sauteed in butter, garlic and chilli. tender calamari with punchy flavours. needed some bread to mop up the juices - asked for and were promptly provided.
fillet of beef with cheesy jalapenosaucewas delicious. baby carrots, green beans all dente and perfect potato croquets completed the meal.
we still had some of the delicious cederberg cabernet souvignon left and therefore requested a cheese board. though not on the menu, it was gladly provided. a fitting end to a good meal.
thank you papa

last night i had delicious and healthy melanzane for a starter and deboned & grilled half chicken - tender, juicy with a wonderful chicken liver brandy cream sauce. served with delicious veggies and perfectly cooked risotto. ambience wondeful!