Foodies tried these two eateries for Restaurant Week — here's how they rated

On until November 1, Restaurant Week SA gives you the chance to enjoy good meal and a great deal.

During this annual event, participating restaurants serve up delicious fare at reduced rates with special set menus starting from R150 for a two-course lunch, and R250 for a three-course dinner.

More than 100 eateries in Durban, Pretoria, Joburg, Cape Town, the Garden Route and the winelands are taking part, so there are plenty of options to choose from. This includes several well-known and award-winning restaurants.

We tried these two in Gauteng:

GEET INDIAN RESTAURANT, PRETORIA

THE REVIEWER: Sanet Oberholzer, Sunday Times Lifestyle writer

WHAT'S ON OFFER: For Restaurant Week, Geet is offering a three-course lunch menu for R250pp and a four-course dinner menu for R350pp. The chefs used the lockdown to experiment and have come up with a few new dishes that they are showcasing on both menus.

I opted for the dinner menu. For both the appetiser and starter, I enjoyed the vegetarian options: dhal arancini and thread paneer. The lamb alternatives were delicious — I tried my partner's — but I would definitely opt for the dhal arancini again. It was bursting with flavour yet light enough that you weren't filled up before the main course. 

We could select between five choices for our main course — pitambari chicken, nalli gosht lamb, badami ostrich (a lovely alternative for meat lovers), baingan (brinjal) katlib masala and a coconut lime coriander prawn curry. 

I couldn’t resist the prawn curry and was delighted with my choice — the light curry sauce had just the right amount of heat and didn't overpower the delicate flesh of the seafood.  

The beauty of enjoying Restaurant Week with a partner is the option of sharing, meaning we could try both desserts on the special dinner menu — pear and carrot halwa and chocolate samosas. Both came with malai kulfi ice cream that was delicious.

VALUE FOR MONEY? With a standard main meal from the à la carte menu priced just under R200, paying R350 for a four-course dinner was good value for money. The portions were so generous my partner and I left loaded with doggy bags — something the restaurant insisted upon.

WOULD I GO BACK? I would go back again, without hesitation. The wine list is extensive but pricey, offering good pairing options for the wide variety of dishes on the menu. I’ll be back for the saagwala and rogan josh curries and their range of ice creams.

OVERALL RATING: 4/5

TIP: If you’re visiting on a sunny day, ask to be seated on the terrace that wraps around the outside of the restaurant.

CONTACT DETAILS: Geet Indian Restaurant is located at 541 Fehrsen Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria. Open Mondays to Sundays. To book, call 012 460 3199 or visit restaurantweek.co.za

Our menu was a choice of grilled kingklip with lemon sauce or lamb flank rolled up to look like a noisette. The food and accompaniments were tasty — nothing exciting, but pleasant. The portions were small and my man was still hungry. When we saw waiters delivering platters of food to the birthday party, we were ready to join the celebration.

The service and view made up for it — and one of the best creme brûlées we’ve eaten in a long time.

VALUE FOR MONEY? We left with that niggling feeling that it wasn’t.

WOULD I GO BACK? For a picnic or birthday party, yes. For lunch, maybe not. For the brûlée, yes.

OVERALL RATING: 2.5 out of 5 — with the brûlée 3/5.

TIP: Wear your walking shoes, as the beautiful surroundings call for an afternoon stroll.

CONTACT DETAILS: Find Bijou at Toadbury Hall Country Hotel, Beyers Naudé Ext, Elandsdrift. Open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. To book, call 010 593 75 23 or visit restaurantweek.co.za