Verdicchio Restaurant and wine Cellar
Ranking
#14
in Restaurants & Food
NPS Score
-50
Recommended: Unlikely
Jun '25 - May '26
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
We attended the Chicago show at Montecasino on Friday evening, 24 October. The show started at 19:30 and ran for about two and a half hours, ending around 22:00. Knowing this, I booked a table at Verdicchio for 22:15 through Dineplan, as we’ve done many times before — it’s always been one of our favourite spots. The booking was confirmed by email and SMS, and I even reconfirmed the day before. Then, fifteen minutes before the show started, while seated in the theatre, I received a call from Verdicchio saying the kitchen closes at 22:00 and asking that we come earlier. That call left me stunned. If the kitchen closes at 22:00, why would you accept a 22:15 booking in the first place — and then still confirm it? It was completely unprofessional and frankly embarrassing, especially as we were hosting overseas guests. Trying to explain to them that the restaurant decided, at the last minute, not to honour a confirmed booking was not how I wanted the evening to end. Verdicchio, we’ve supported you for many years, but this experience was unacceptable. You’ve lost my support, and I won’t be returning. I sincerely hope you fix your booking system and your communication with customers — no one deserves to be treated this way.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
We attended the Chicago show at Montecasino on Friday evening, 24 October. The show started at 19:30 and ran for about two and a half hours, ending around 22:00. Knowing this, I booked a table at Verdicchio for 22:15 through Dineplan, as we’ve done many times before — it’s always been one of our favourite spots. The booking was confirmed by email and SMS, and I even reconfirmed the day before. Then, fifteen minutes before the show started, while seated in the theatre, I received a call from Verdicchio saying the kitchen closes at 22:00 and asking that we come earlier. That call left me stunned. If the kitchen closes at 22:00, why would you accept a 22:15 booking in the first place — and then still confirm it? It was completely unprofessional and frankly embarrassing, especially as we were hosting overseas guests. Trying to explain to them that the restaurant decided, at the last minute, not to honour a confirmed booking was not how I wanted the evening to end. Verdicchio, we’ve supported you for many years, but this experience was unacceptable. You’ve lost my support, and I won’t be returning. I sincerely hope you fix your booking system and your communication with customers — no one deserves to be treated this way.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I hosted my baby shower at Verdicchio Wine Bar, and I regret ever choosing this establishment for such a special occasion. From the moment my guests arrived to prepare, the experience was nothing short of frustrating and disrespectful. What was meant to be a joyful celebration was instead marred by hostility and poor treatment, led primarily by Chef Sawan, whose behaviour was not only inappropriate but outright disgraceful. Chef Sawan’s actions were shocking — he was rude, confrontational, and unprofessional, with no regard for customer service or basic respect. He took it upon himself to approach and chase my guests out in a manner that was completely uncalled for. Not only did he bring up irrelevant information about losing business from 11am (which was not our problem), but he also made it a point to repeatedly remind us — paying customers — that we had to leave. Our reservation was from 13:30 to 17:30. Mains were only served at 16:55 and dessert arrived at 17:45 — after the supposed end time. Yet, we were being rushed and harassed to leave even while packing up and settling the bill. At this point, no one was seated, the table was being cleared, and I was still being rudely interrupted by Sawan, who insisted we had been told "several times" to go. Why a chef was even in the front of house aggressively confronting guests is beyond comprehension. His tone was hostile, and his attitude completely unacceptable — almost as if he was doing us a favour by allowing us to be there. As a Black woman and paying customer, I felt deeply disrespected and discriminated against. Sawan’s behaviour bordered on ******, and he made me feel unwelcome in a place I had paid in full for — including a fully paid set menu for 15 guests and a separate bar tab that was settled without issue. And yet, I was treated with contempt. I want to be clear: Verdicchio Wine Bar ruined my baby shower. What should have been a beautiful memory was turned into a stressful, embarrassing ordeal. My guests were shocked and equally disappointed by the treatment we received, and none of us will be returning. I would, however, like to commend the waitresses, Sinegugu, and the floor manager Dali, who handled us with grace and professionalism despite the chaos. They deserve recognition — but unfortunately, their efforts were completely overshadowed by the disgraceful conduct of Chef Sawan and the overall mishandling of our event. Verdicchio should be ashamed of how this was handled. You lost the business of 15 guests and more — not just for today, but permanently.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I hosted my baby shower at Verdicchio Wine Bar, and I regret ever choosing this establishment for such a special occasion. From the moment my guests arrived to prepare, the experience was nothing short of frustrating and disrespectful. What was meant to be a joyful celebration was instead marred by hostility and poor treatment, led primarily by Chef Sawan, whose behaviour was not only inappropriate but outright disgraceful. Chef Sawan’s actions were shocking — he was rude, confrontational, and unprofessional, with no regard for customer service or basic respect. He took it upon himself to approach and chase my guests out in a manner that was completely uncalled for. Not only did he bring up irrelevant information about losing business from 11am (which was not our problem), but he also made it a point to repeatedly remind us — paying customers — that we had to leave. Our reservation was from 13:30 to 17:30. Mains were only served at 16:55 and dessert arrived at 17:45 — after the supposed end time. Yet, we were being rushed and harassed to leave even while packing up and settling the bill. At this point, no one was seated, the table was being cleared, and I was still being rudely interrupted by Sawan, who insisted we had been told "several times" to go. Why a chef was even in the front of house aggressively confronting guests is beyond comprehension. His tone was hostile, and his attitude completely unacceptable — almost as if he was doing us a favour by allowing us to be there. As a Black woman and paying customer, I felt deeply disrespected and discriminated against. Sawan’s behaviour bordered on ******, and he made me feel unwelcome in a place I had paid in full for — including a fully paid set menu for 15 guests and a separate bar tab that was settled without issue. And yet, I was treated with contempt. I want to be clear: Verdicchio Wine Bar ruined my baby shower. What should have been a beautiful memory was turned into a stressful, embarrassing ordeal. My guests were shocked and equally disappointed by the treatment we received, and none of us will be returning. I would, however, like to commend the waitresses, Sinegugu, and the floor manager Dali, who handled us with grace and professionalism despite the chaos. They deserve recognition — but unfortunately, their efforts were completely overshadowed by the disgraceful conduct of Chef Sawan and the overall mishandling of our event. Verdicchio should be ashamed of how this was handled. You lost the business of 15 guests and more — not just for today, but permanently.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
We have been coming to Verdicchio for over 10 years, and it has always been our favourite restaurant. Unfortunately, after our most recent visit, I doubt we’ll be returning. We had a 7 PM booking, and while our waiter took our order within 20 minutes of sitting down, we only received our main course two hours later. When we addressed this with the manager, we were given the excuse that a big party downstairs had left them understaffed. That may explain the delay, but it certainly doesn’t excuse the stale seafood we were served. To make matters worse, the portion sizes were disappointingly small, and the prices were shockingly high for the quality of food we received. After reading recent reviews, it’s clear we’re not the only ones who have noticed how much this restaurant has declined. The only reason I’m giving one star is because our waiter was so sweet and genuinely tried his best. Unfortunately, great service can’t make up for the poor food and long wait times. Sadly, Verdicchio is no longer the place it used to be.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
We have been coming to Verdicchio for over 10 years, and it has always been our favourite restaurant. Unfortunately, after our most recent visit, I doubt we’ll be returning. We had a 7 PM booking, and while our waiter took our order within 20 minutes of sitting down, we only received our main course two hours later. When we addressed this with the manager, we were given the excuse that a big party downstairs had left them understaffed. That may explain the delay, but it certainly doesn’t excuse the stale seafood we were served. To make matters worse, the portion sizes were disappointingly small, and the prices were shockingly high for the quality of food we received. After reading recent reviews, it’s clear we’re not the only ones who have noticed how much this restaurant has declined. The only reason I’m giving one star is because our waiter was so sweet and genuinely tried his best. Unfortunately, great service can’t make up for the poor food and long wait times. Sadly, Verdicchio is no longer the place it used to be.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I have already raised my concerns with the manager, but will do so in writing here. She suggested raising my concerns once I have "calmed down", so here they are. Giving them one star since zero stars was not an option. We made an online reservation for 7pm on Saturday, 22 February 2025. We received two notifications post the reservation, making it very clear that we need to be there by no later than 15 minutes after our reservation time. We arrived at 7pm sharp, only to be told to wait as our table was not ready due to a double booking (exact words). After our table was cleaned, the host continued to attend to other guests before taking us to our table. Another (white) couple had arrived just before us without a reservation and were taken to their table before us. So the fun began. Once at the table, we waited nearly 10 minutes before a server arrived asking if we had been helped and proceeded to hand us menus and hand us off to Bongani. He took our drinks order, and seemed quite annoyed that just my wife ordered a drink, with me suggesting ordering a bit later. Our drinks arrived shortly after and we proceeded to place our dinner order (bearing in mind that this was already a good half an hour since we arrived). Whilst taking our order, Bongani had to go attend to another (white) couple behind us who had ordered the lobster, citing that their meal was "complicated". In the meanwhile, the other (white) couple who had arrived just before us without the reservation were already eating their starters. I tried to order an arrabiata pasta with the cheese wheel, but this was too complicated to do, and Bongani could not explain why, just that it was not possible. I have had cheese wheel pastas in many places before and in a few different countries with a variety of pasta dishes and this was never a problem before. He proceeded to bring in the manager to further outline that this would not be possible. I conceded and we waited for our food. The (white) couple who had arrived just before us without the reservation were already on their mains (lobster) by 8pm, whilst we had not even had a sniff of food. By 8.15pm, we had decided that we had had enough and vacated. I am not sure if it was the fact that we are Indian, or did not order lobster (which could affect the tip that Bongani received), but there was something clearly not right here. We travelled all the way from Centurion, late at night with a 13-month old only to have the single, most disgustingly ****** experience at Monte, bearing in mind that this was the first we had been to Monte since our child was born. Having spoken to the manager explaining our gripes, she insists that she is not ******, having been born here in SA and that she is the only white person working there. I accept that, which only lends credence to the fact that she is utterly clueless about the behaviours of her staff. I sincerely hope that all the promises of reviewing the camera footage of our night there materialize and that ******s like Bongani cease to work in the hospitality industry ever again.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I have already raised my concerns with the manager, but will do so in writing here. She suggested raising my concerns once I have "calmed down", so here they are. Giving them one star since zero stars was not an option. We made an online reservation for 7pm on Saturday, 22 February 2025. We received two notifications post the reservation, making it very clear that we need to be there by no later than 15 minutes after our reservation time. We arrived at 7pm sharp, only to be told to wait as our table was not ready due to a double booking (exact words). After our table was cleaned, the host continued to attend to other guests before taking us to our table. Another (white) couple had arrived just before us without a reservation and were taken to their table before us. So the fun began. Once at the table, we waited nearly 10 minutes before a server arrived asking if we had been helped and proceeded to hand us menus and hand us off to Bongani. He took our drinks order, and seemed quite annoyed that just my wife ordered a drink, with me suggesting ordering a bit later. Our drinks arrived shortly after and we proceeded to place our dinner order (bearing in mind that this was already a good half an hour since we arrived). Whilst taking our order, Bongani had to go attend to another (white) couple behind us who had ordered the lobster, citing that their meal was "complicated". In the meanwhile, the other (white) couple who had arrived just before us without the reservation were already eating their starters. I tried to order an arrabiata pasta with the cheese wheel, but this was too complicated to do, and Bongani could not explain why, just that it was not possible. I have had cheese wheel pastas in many places before and in a few different countries with a variety of pasta dishes and this was never a problem before. He proceeded to bring in the manager to further outline that this would not be possible. I conceded and we waited for our food. The (white) couple who had arrived just before us without the reservation were already on their mains (lobster) by 8pm, whilst we had not even had a sniff of food. By 8.15pm, we had decided that we had had enough and vacated. I am not sure if it was the fact that we are Indian, or did not order lobster (which could affect the tip that Bongani received), but there was something clearly not right here. We travelled all the way from Centurion, late at night with a 13-month old only to have the single, most disgustingly ****** experience at Monte, bearing in mind that this was the first we had been to Monte since our child was born. Having spoken to the manager explaining our gripes, she insists that she is not ******, having been born here in SA and that she is the only white person working there. I accept that, which only lends credence to the fact that she is utterly clueless about the behaviours of her staff. I sincerely hope that all the promises of reviewing the camera footage of our night there materialize and that ******s like Bongani cease to work in the hospitality industry ever again.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I rarely share negative experiences, but what my family and I went through at Verdicchio Restaurant and Wine Cellar Montecasino on New Year’s Eve needs to be said. We prepaid R1,250 per person, expecting a smooth and enjoyable evening. Instead, the night turned into a frustrating ordeal. We arrived at 8:30 PM, placed our full order around 9 PM, and waited until 11:35 PM to finally receive our main meals. At 12:25 AM, we were told that the desserts we had been looking forward to were unavailable and were offered sorbet as a substitute. To top it off, the promised countdown drink wasn’t available either. Yes, the bill was reduced by R200, and we received an apology, but that felt inadequate for the poor service we endured on what should have been a celebratory night. For a restaurant as reputable as Verdicchio Monte Casino, this was completely unacceptable. I hope this feedback is taken seriously to ensure no one else has a similar experience.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
I rarely share negative experiences, but what my family and I went through at Verdicchio Restaurant and Wine Cellar Montecasino on New Year’s Eve needs to be said. We prepaid R1,250 per person, expecting a smooth and enjoyable evening. Instead, the night turned into a frustrating ordeal. We arrived at 8:30 PM, placed our full order around 9 PM, and waited until 11:35 PM to finally receive our main meals. At 12:25 AM, we were told that the desserts we had been looking forward to were unavailable and were offered sorbet as a substitute. To top it off, the promised countdown drink wasn’t available either. Yes, the bill was reduced by R200, and we received an apology, but that felt inadequate for the poor service we endured on what should have been a celebratory night. For a restaurant as reputable as Verdicchio Monte Casino, this was completely unacceptable. I hope this feedback is taken seriously to ensure no one else has a similar experience.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
After 5 visits to this restaurant I cannot fault them with a single thing. Excellent service coupled with excellent food for any pallet.
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2020
After 5 visits to this restaurant I cannot fault them with a single thing. Excellent service coupled with excellent food for any pallet.
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