La Pentola - Pretoria

For our visit he and his great team hosted a pairing with Louisvale wine. As always we were warmly greeted and waited by the friendly waiters and Managers on duty that evening. A real treat was the presence of Chef Shane himself, cooking up a storm to ensure that everyone gets a plate of perfection. 1st Course Amuse Bouche. This refreshing bite sized delight consisted of a bite of Halloumi, topped with a fresh strawberry slice and slivers of almonds. A great flavour combination in one. 2nd Course Thai green curry. This combination of seafood, rich coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger and basil was served in a ramekin with a melted sugar crust (imagine a savoury crème brule) . Despite this sounding like an unlikely combination, the fragrant seafood is a great salty companion to the earthy sweet thin layer of sugar. This was served with some crisp toasties. 3rd Course Carpaccio. This artisanal smoked beef was rich and served with a red wine syrup and deep fried gnocchi croutons (great idea) and micro greens. 4th Course Fillet Steak This firm favourite was butter basted and grilled to chef’s preference (medium rare- EXCELLENT). This was topped with a delicious red wine reduction and topped with bacon wrapped prunes; all ingredients perfectly playing along with fruity tones. This was served with a lite and fluffy (but firm) potato croquette, and with carrots and green beans, julienned and lightly fried in butter. 5th Course Green apple puff pastry and lemon swirl ice-cream This desert was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. The pastry was flaky and crisp, while the tart ice-cream was a prefect fit with the green apple. Lite, with a perfect amount of fruity sweetness. Each meal was perfectly paired, ranging from a lite and crisp Louisvale MCC Brut Chardonnay to the fruity and medium bodies Louisvale Dominique.

It was my partner's surprise birthday dinner celebration and they didn't disappoint. The food was amazing, excellent staff and chef. Sandra's coordinating skills are out of this world. We enjoyed every moment and had the best 4 course meal ever....you will definitely see me again. The place deserves more than a 5star review...

I've never been so conflicted after a dinner experience.We booked for a 4 course meal with Boschendal wines included. Menu sounded heavenly and with this gem being one of our favourites in Pretoria.. we were most excited.To start off the eveing started 30 minutes after the intended time... little disappointing... but nothing that could spoil our evening.Food was phenomenal... really very tasty and brilliantly cooked. Wine Pairing was a disaster and quite frankly a complete waste of time and money. The white wine was served in tiny dessert wine glass. Very long wait between starters and mains. Usually this is not a problem if you are in charge of your own evening... unfortunately we had no idea what was happening next and the wine rep was not at our table once. Advice for future wine pairing customers...buy yourself a bottle of wine to get through the evening because the wine pairing is more of a taster than an actual pairing. As avid foodies and wine lovers this was a disappointing experience.

Had an amazing time at La Pentola. My wife and I decided to good to the restaurant for a date night as a treat. It was a very special evening. The food was such a treat. I can't remember the exact name of my main meal but it was a fantastic flavoured steak that was set on fire by brandy (awesome flavour). We shared two starters - "angel snails" and " aztec mushrooms" both unique flavours that leave you wanting more. There is so much more to say but I think go experience it for yourself, definitely worth it. Visit the union building afterwards for a nice view of the city. Thanks La Pentola and Chef Gaby for a great date night.

Well-trained, friendly and informed staff. Amazing food with something exciting for every palate. Lovely atmosphere. Always a treat!

Nice food ruined by poor service. I had emailed ahead to book and called. When we arrived the waitress was very unwelcoming and said she would ‘check if they could fit us in’ and left us waiting at the entrance. Eventually she moved us to a table crammed right into a corner, even though only 3 of about 15 tables in the restaurant were filled. The table was very wobbly which we mentioned, as we did not want to knock our wine over. The waitress did nothing to help, even though it was so wobbly every time we touched it the glasses nearly fell. In the end we moved ourselves to one of the many other, better, empty tables and wondered why the waitering team had not done this. We asked to try two of the house wines before picking which we would order,And were made to feel like an inconvenience with this request with no recommendations or advice given on what to order. The food that arrived was very nice but not quite as described by the service staff. The evening was unpleasant because of the atmosphere of the waitress even though the food was nice. If we could have tipped the kitchen staff we would have done so.The waitress came over twice to tell us she expected us to tip her, even though she had been rude throughout the meal. I could not wait to leave this restaurant unfortunately. In the restaurant I had visited the night before the food was not as nice as this restaurant, but I gave five stars as we enjoyed our evening because the team were so friendly (and have a food tip). Unfortunately my evening here was not enjoyable.

When a dairy allergy is your destiny, then you should rather stay away from this restaurant. Almost every dish is lavishly smothered in a creamy sauce and it is difficult to find a healthy alternative without any creamy component. The food is not that tasty either and sadly this restaurant is not performing as well as expected. The food is rather bland and rather expensive. I won't give it another try....it does not dererve the high ratings given.

Have been here a number of times. Never disappointed. Wine pairing/gourmet dinner evenings are great. Staff always friendly.

We have visited this Restaurant and the branch in Hermanus many times, over many years. Chef Shane's menus are ever changing, ever varied and ever interesting. No matter how much I enjoy my meal, I never have it twice - there is so much equally tempting to try for a 1st time. Maybe I should go more often?The service is friendly, slightly formal (in an informal way), professional, attentive but discreet. The waiters are always able to advise on menu items, describe the specials and completely confuse you as to what you should order.The re-vamped interior of the Pretoria branch has updated and refreshed the look and feel, without losing the Restaurants long and illustrious history in the area.Arrive hungry and prepare to eat a three course meal, explore the wine list and finish with brandy and liqueur.Its taken me far too long to write this message of appreciation, both for this nights wonderful meal and all those I have had at La Pentola over the years.Thank you Shane and your teams here in Pta and in Hermanus, much appreciated.Its a excellent Restaurant

Had a great experience when celebrating a birthday at La Pentola. Warm atmosphere, good service and great food. Definitely will go back