Guest Comments
Thoroughly enjoyed lunch and the wine tour
Lionel Dason
CT
The hotel had made us reservations at a place called Jessicas, we sat out in a garden at the back of the property and had one of the nicest meals we've ever had.
We both started with Warthog carpaccio - our second carpaccio of the trip, and second carpaccio ever - it was delicious and next time we watch the Lion King we'll be eyeing up Pumba as a starter!
Next I had Karoo Lamb whilst Tim had a Karoo Trio which was Lamb, Ostrich and Springbok, I'm surprised there is any wildlife left at the rate South Africans munch through it!
They also do wine by the “glass” which is actually around a third of a bottle. This glass will set you back around £2 and is good stuff. The total bill for both of us to have 3 courses + wine + water was just under £40. This was a top end restaurant and you can eat really well for less than half that if you shop around.
All food + wine lovers should visit here, we've yet to eat anything that wasn't really nice and good value!
Laura and Tim
UK February 2010
*****
The best restaurant ever!!
Kyle Waldie
UK
1st Class!!
Wonderful. Not enough words to describe the mouth watering food... 1st Class!!
John and Melany - UK
2010 Baedeker
Beste sudafrikanische Karte, u.a. steaks von Straus und Springbock. Vorzugliche heimische Weine.
5 Stars
5 Stars! Best Wine! Super creative, super delicious dishes! Fabulous creme brulee! Flawless service! Thank you so much!!
Forista Lamkanf, Tom Koninck, Peter Feckman
Brussels
A wonderful experience
One of the best meals and definitely the best wines we have tasted in South Africa. Congratulations to the chef and staff.
Lord David B Tillotson
Isle of Jura | Scotland
All first class
Just a quick thank you from all of us for a really lovely evening last night. The food, wine and attention were all first class and we would be most happy to recommend Jessica's again to Montagu visitors.
Dr Brian Silverstone
LONDON
Best food..
Best food and service we've ever had - that's including Michelin Star places in the UK and France. Well done!!
Dietrich and Isolde - Germany
Best in Montagu!!
Best food and service in Montagu - WOW the garden is stunning!!
Andrea and Stephan - Germany
Best in SA so far!
Best dinner in SA so far
David and Ghenys Morecamde
BEST RESTAURANT I'VE VISITED IN 2010!
We had the pleasure of eating at Jessica's during a "foodie holiday" in December 2010.
I had the Karoo Trio (a selection of Ostrich, Lamb and Springbuck steaks) and my wife had Veal (prepared sous vide style). The food was absolutely exquisite, the wine list was smallish but obviously selected with care (and reasonably priced), and the desert was an unforgettable and heavenly experience. My wife had a Gorgonzola panacotta with a shiraz and chocolate sauce that was simply amazing!
The ambiance is welcoming and the decor is upmarket and stylish. The service is attentive and personal (I think the owners themselves do all the serving). The chef also made a personal stop to check if everything was to our liking.
The average main is about R100, which is very reasonable for food of such high quality.
This is without any doubt one of the best restaurants in South Africa.
Being located in a charming little town like Montagu just make it even more special.
Best we've had in South Africa!!
My wife and I have just returned to the UK from a seven week holiday in South Africa which included a trip on ROVOS Rail from Cape Town to Victoria Falls.
We visited your restaurant on Friday 6th November and want to tell you that the meal was THE BEST that we sampled in our entire trip. CONGRATULATIONS to you all.
Kind regards
Doug and Jenny Lowther.
Brilliant!!
The best souffle EVER!
Jessica Carrie Green - 10 years old.
Brilliant Creme Brulee!!!
James W Green - 12 years old.
EAT OUT MAGAZINE / WEB DECEMBER 2008
Food - The standout item on the starter menu is the crab and shrimp cakes, served with a creamy lime dressing - delicious; but the Thai prawns, marinated in lime, chilli, ginger and garlic, served on a Thai green curry risotto, run a very close second.
In the mains section nothing beats the famous crispy slow roasted duck, served with a ginger and lime sauce, a formidable combination, even though the Karoo lamb noisettes with a rich Cabernet and rosemary sauce have their passionate devotees.
Desserts feature a superb lavender scented crème brulée, and deliciously rich panacotta made with coconut cream and served with coffee syrup.
Wine - A very good, carefully chosen list featuring some of the very best from this famous wine region.
Service - Excellent and friendly with just the right amount of country hospitality from owners Adele and Werner Joubert, and Adele’s brother, Chef Heinrich-Werner Blom.
Ambience - This charming and much-loved Victorian home right on the main street of Montagu maintains its place as one of the culinary destinations on the edge of the Little Karoo.
The hum of discreet conversation between oohs and aahs over the cuisine, is hallmark of Jessica’s relaxing ambience.
And...In the summer, the cute little outside area in the garden is perfect for those sweltering nights under the gorgeous Karoo sky.
Excellent!!! Perfect!!!
Excellent meal, perfect service, one of the best we have ever had in SA!!
Sue and Rob - Sheffield UK
Fantastic
Dinner at Jessica's 3 nights in a row!!! The choice you offer is fantastic!!! The steaks are the best we've tasted in a very very long time!!
Liam and Beverly
CT
Getaway Magazine - August 2008 Edition
By Leigh Stefanski
The road pushed me into more dramatic landscapes. Vertical rock faces towered overhead as I snaked into Cogmans Kloof. I ducked through the Hole in the Rock - the unofficial gateway to the Little Karoo - and headed towards Montagu.
Jessica's is a small and intimate restaurant that's been around since 1997. It was named after a faithful old bulldog, Jessica, who has since passed on to doggy heaven.
Their famous Camembert and Almond springroll arrived and looked almost to good to eat. I cut into it and watched the melted Camembert dribble onto the plate. The textures of the crispy pastry, smooth cheese and crunchy almonds played together in my mouth. The duck arrived, dark brown and glistening, tender and juicy, with a layer of honey-coloured crispy skin over the top.
Other than the springrolls and duck their trio of game - Karoo Lamb, Springbok and Ostrich - is a must for a visit to the Karoo.
Jessica's is definitely a gem.
Grand Cru!!
By the high standards of South African food, this is Grand Cru!
Nicole and Raul - Switzerland
Perfect
The perfect place with even more perfect service with excellent and delicious cuisine! Thx a lot!!! We enjoyed every minute
Diane and Richard - Canada
Recomended!!
3rd day in a row! hard to resist such an excellent and exciting kitchen :-) Thank you
Jane, Alex, Jason, Karina and Peter - Sweden
Romantic setting
We spent two evenings here - wonderful food in a romantic setting - Adam Middleton - UK
Travel literature
Recommended by our host and in the Lonely Planet, "travel literature", but we wanted to check it out ourselves, we we're very pleased with the excellent service and the tasty food! We will therefore recommend it to our friends in Holland! Baie dankie uit the Netherlands...
Vegans can dine here!!
As a vegan, so thrilled I could be catered for and WOW what a meal sensation!! Coconut panacotta out of this world!!
Candice Webster
CT
Very enjoyable
Very enjoyable - Good food, good hosts, lovely surroundings
Alison - USA
Worth a Star
Worth a Star in our Michelin!!
Lizelle and Guilo
Very nice food, especially the chocolate souffle and the chocolates that joined the bill. We had a lovely evening.
Hinke and Yvonne
Holland