 Just off Bree Street, tucked into a beautifully restored heritage building, Bo-Vine Wine & Grill House has all the ingredients of a premium Cape Town steakhouse. It’s big, beautifully put together, buzzing with energy and clearly aiming for the higher end of the dining market. It’s the sort of place where you expect serious steak.
For this month’s outing, the boys arrived hungry and ready to judge everything from the crust on the steak to the all-important involuntary “mmmmmm”. The Steak The Picanha was a classic case of so close to being brilliant. The actual meat was, at times, off-the-charts good. Those first few bites were sublime - beautifully beefy, tender and exactly what you want from a premium steakhouse. Then the fat arrived. There was simply too much of it, and several diners felt the fat hadn't been trimmed or rendered properly. The fillet brought its own issue: ordered medium, it arrived closer to medium-rare. Not a disaster, but at this price level, accuracy matters. Starters & Sides Interestingly, the starters and sides were the heroes of the evening. The pâté was superb, the chips were excellent - and the calamari and carpaccio both landed well. Overall, the sides were solid, enjoyable and consistently delivered. Service The staff was well-presented, friendly and generally attentive. Service started a little slowly, but once everyone found their rhythm, things improved considerably. The table was relatively well looked after, with drinks and service operating smoothly. Ambiance The restaurant itself looks the part. Nicely restored, stylish and buzzing, with a great overall feel. It's a big space, and although our table was slightly removed from the main action, the atmosphere was still strong. The décor and lighting worked well, although the music choice and volume divided opinion. Value Ouch. There wasn't much disagreement here. Bo-Vine is expensive. The food was tasty and the overall experience was good, but the pricing left several wondering whether the restaurant had accidentally included the cost of the heritage building in their dinner. Final Verdict Bo-Vine delivered a good night out, but not a great steakhouse experience for the money. There were flashes of brilliance - particularly those sublime first bites of Picanha and the excellent starters and sides - but the fat, inconsistent steak execution and eye-watering pricing held it back. Would the Steak Boyz return? Well… after a few drinks, anything is possible.
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