Normally I do not address other reviewers in forums such as this, but in the case of the review by “Cape Boy” below, I will make an exception. His review is a load of codswallop. The food and service at The Riverway Café are exceptional. The Baviaanskloof River, which runs in view of the restaurant is a mountain stream that comes down through the swanky, upmarket Baviaanskloof neighborhood, past the equally swanky Hout Bay Manor Hotel and then through the Mainstream and Midpoint Shopping Centres where The Riverway Café is located. The stream does not smell and does not run through or anywhere near the Imizamu Yethu informal settlement. The only “cess” is coming from the mind of “Cape Boy” through his keyboard to this website. He posted a similarly mendacious review on Tripadvisor. According to the response from the Riverway’s owner on Tripadvisor, the tip given by “Cape Boy” was quite low. The Riverway manager has been trained to inquire as to the client’s satisfaction with the service when the tip is less than half of the customary 10%, as this may be indicative of a service problem. This is a best practice in the restaurant industry and is practiced by the better establishments both here as well as in North America and other countries where tips are not added automatically. The obvious reason is to obtain feedback to correct any poor service, present or future, and to convince the client to return. Of course, this strategy does not work with individuals who are cheapskates. Likewise, it does not work with certain loathsome South Africans who believe that a gratuity of 10% is reserved for persons of pallor only – the rest must settle for less. Shame on you, sir. For the larger audience, please notice that I sign my name to my reviews whereas “Cape Boy” hides behind a nom de guerre. Real men and women own their opinions. Bullies and cowards hide behind comic book wanna-be secret identities. “Cape Boy” needs to grow up.
