JAN

Amazing culinary journey. Food was original and excellent. Great wine pairing. Perfect and pleasant service. 10 out of 10. Can’t wait to try Jan’s restaurant in Cape Town next time I am there!!

Michelin star restaurants can be too much of a show and not enough food. Not JAN. Wonderful hosts, servers and friendly atmosphere. And with surprise visit to Maria for cheese we had more than enough to eat. Could not have gone better

France is home to many incredible Michelin-starred restaurants, so during my trip to the South of France, I booked two—one of them being Restaurant JAN, which had an impressive 4.8 rating on Google. I had high expectations. I made a reservation in advance and specifically noted that one of my friends is a vegetarian. To ensure they were prepared, I also sent an email before our visit confirming the availability of a vegetarian menu. However, when we arrived, there was no warm welcome—no acknowledgment of our dietary request, and no mention of a vegetarian menu. My friend was initially handed the standard menu, leaving us confused and uncertain. One of the most bizarre parts of the experience was the "butter" served at the table. It remained there throughout the meal, slowly melting away—its nose, head, and other features falling apart. It was unplesant to look at and felt unnecessary, especially since no one could realistically consume that much butter. It seemed like an odd choice and, frankly, wasteful. As for the meal itself, nothing particularly stood out. The flavors and presentation didn’t leave a lasting impression, making it an overall unmemorable dining experience. While the restaurant eventually accommodated my vegetarian friend, their approach was uninspired—all of the substitutions were replaced with artichoke. Using artichoke in one or two dishes is understandable, but having it in every course felt lazy and lacking in creativity. There are countless ways to craft thoughtful and exciting vegetarian dishes, and this lack of effort was disappointing. For a Michelin-starred restaurant, I expected far more in terms of hospitality, attention to detail, and culinary innovation. Unfortunately, Restaurant JAN did not live up to the hype, and I wouldn’t return.

A high quality, unique dining experience. Dinner lasted ~3 hours. We opted for the signature course + non-alcoholic pairings. Food: Although there were 2 dishes and 1 pairing which were not for me, the food was otherwise delicious and of exceptional quality. The lobster dish and cod dish were phenomenal. Personally not really into cheese, but the cheese room was a unique experience and a nice break in the meal. Service: Flawless. Staff were attentive, polite, and accommodating. Truly Michelin standard level of service. They even gave us a cookbook to bring home as a souvenir (pictured above). Atmosphere: The atmosphere was intimate, although the volume level does get a bit loud; we found ourselves raising our voices to hear each other at one point (some may not mind this). Overall, would recommend JAN!

I can only echo all the wonderful reviews for the dining experience we had at JAN. From the get go, we were treated with so much respect and kindness. The service was unlike we have ever personally experienced and has inspired me to elevate my own service - being in the industry myself. The food was a cultural journey that kept surprising us. I would highly recommend this as a special occasion spoil. We were left in awe and we relive the experience every time we tell it to friends and family whom subsequently now also want to go to one of the JAN establishments. As fellow Saffas, we felt incredibly proud to be there and were so joyful to enjoy classics from home such as vetkoek and bobotie.