The purpose of this site is to make sure visitors to the beautiful Drakensberg Mountain region of South Africa have a wonderful time, free from threat and conflict and abuse. Unfortunately, this means avoiding Bingelela Lodge and Restaurant, located on the R74 just outside of Bergville, South Africa.
It’s a shame, because most of the food was decent and the facility is nice. (Except for the repetitive high-pitched noise coming from a wall speaker that apparently signaled to the wait staff that a dish was ready from the kitchen.)
Here’s what happened to us, a party of 9, on Valentines Day 2012, at Bingelela Lodge.
Our Experience at Bingelela Lodge
Our experience at Bingelela’s was so bad, it puts every other bad restaurant experience to shame. It ends with drunken threats of violence and a short-term kidnapping (by the owner). But here’s how our Valentine’s evening began:
Our party of 9 ordered around $250 worth of food and drink, including one pasta dish which my daughter requested specially as she is a vegetarian.
She found the dish poorly made; the pesto was grey and bitter, a bit off. So she requested that it be returned and ordered a pizza instead. When the bill came, the pasta dish was still included. I showed it to the waitress, who nodded and left. I expected her to return with an adjusted bill but she didn’t. Oh well, she wasn’t a very good waitress. I took it up with the owner instead, showing him the bill and politely letting him know that we returned the dish.
He said that since the dish wasn’t on the menu, we didn’t have a right to return it. I was dumbfounded; I’ve eaten at restaurants all over the world, and have never encountered this attitude. I told him that, and that I wasn’t going to pay for a poorly made dish that we returned, almost entirely uneaten.
We left cash at the table, and I subtracted the cost of the dish (62 rand, or about 8 dollars), as well as the 14% VAT and a mandatory 10% service change (which they wisely include, as their wait staff is so bad they wouldn’t receive many voluntary tips).
Believe it or not, the owner, Joss Joubert, followed us out into the parking lot and demanded payment. I told him I wasn’t going to pay for a lousy dish that we returned. He grew angry, cursed at me, and called a tall, drunk friend and they headed for their truck.
When we tried to leave the premises, we saw that his truck was parked in the entrance, effectively blocking us in. He cursed some more (in front of my two children, an a 78 year old friend with whom we were dining), and his friend threatened to “blixem and donner me” with his fists. I got out of my car, took some photos, at which they threatened to take and destroy my camera.
Bingelela owner Joss Joubert and drunk friend block us in with their truck
He called the police, and wouldn’t let us (or any of the other 5 vehicles that were now lined up behind us) leave. The police came (3 vehicles). They asked me to pay just to settle it, even though they agreed what Joss and his drunk friend were doing was wrong. I told them that I wanted to press charges for being held against my will, and they were sympathetic, but wouldn’t do anything about it.
Had I been alone, I would still be there in the parking lot with the entire population of patrons waiting behind me. But with a family and an elderly friend, I was forced to swallow my righteous anger and just pay the ransom so we could get home.
Two couples who were also part of our table tried to reason with Joss, but they were also verbally abused and threatened. The drunk guy now had some sort of weapon that he had retrieved from the truck, which he brandished over a woman in our party.
Finally, after more than 30 minutes, I went back into the restaurant and paid the ransom.
I’ve attached a couple of photos that I managed to snap of the owner and his drunk friend blocking us in. Truly, this was a Valentines meal none of us will ever forget.
Be sure to visit Bingelela if you want to be abused, threatened, delayed, and possibly poisoned.
Oh, my trout and avocado salad was pretty good.
I was one of the shocked patrons “locked” inside Bingelela waiting to go home after Valentines evening. I watched the drama unfold as Bingelela owner Joss and friend held captive guests who did not pay for a meal that was bad. Guests were repeatedly threatened with a wooden weapon, sworn at non-stop with violent threats – guests that were threatened included two children and elderly woman. Finally got to leave once police arrived after more than 30 mins. I will never return to Bingelela, they ruined our Valentines evening with their violence & aggression!
the moral of this story, if you’re going to act like a douche bag then don’t pick on an internet marketer!
Neil asher
Firstly: Who do you Americans think you are? Royalty?
I’m a local in Bergville and a regular customer at Bingelela. I always enjoy myself there and all the regulars feel like family. I left earlier on Valentines and had a great night like always. If I were there when this happened, you would have had some loose teeth today and one more tall drunk friend to contend with! Assault cases in Bergville normally ends with a R500 fine paid over to the courts. In Africa restraining orders only work if the police are present and there is a wall between the parties. Jail is to full, you see.
You walked into a restaurant with an established menu. There are vegetarian pasta dishes available on the normal menu, but no YOU and your brat wanted to create your own dish, off menu. Joss and Paula then politely accommodated your special request, on busy Valentine’s Day. And guess what… it didn’t taste nice (If it was good, it would have been on the menu already). The only restaurant that I know of that you don’t need to pay is the F-word by Ramsey for TV. Try ordering a veggie-pasta at one of the American franchises in SA like MickyD or Unlucky fried Kittens, you will be even more disappointed and there are going to be urine involved.
Then you, with all your arrogance, instead of getting your daughter something else, quietly. You refused to pay for something you specifically had created (ingredients used) and tried to duck. Try doing this at KFC or MickeyD. It is not that they could warm it for someone else; it is not on the menu and your little precious already touched it…nobody knows what germs she has and rabies is doing rounds in the area now. This is not New York, Boet. In Africa we do not sue and press charges, we handle it ourselves. By the way the correct spelling is Bliksem.
Why did you go out? It sounds like you could barely afford it. Fighting over R62. Having a salad (one of the cheapest meals on the menu). $250 is barely enough for a party of four, if we get going. Why did you try to feed 9 with that amount at Bing. You should have gone for fast food and liquor from a shibeen or home cooking. I’m pondering if your home cooking would be better than the “bit off pasta”.
And then making your name arse on internet…shame on you! What a disgrace? You were to coward to stand your man, buck up when the moment arise, felt intimidated and then tried to start long distance media warfare. The next day went on internet and marketed your story as hard as you could, like all cowards do. You should have gone and apologized to Joss. If you behaved yourself better the next day, you might have even gotten a voucher and Bingelela could have redeemed itself.
Imagine if Joss took pictures of you and blacklisted you as a bad payer and sent flyers around that you do not pay, billboards and posters. You would be pissed. Bad publicity is still publicity. Joss told us about your stories and we laughed at your arrogance. I know people that were waiting behind you at the gate, they say you are wrong. The police thought you were at fault and the weapon the “drunk” friend got out of his truck, was a warning triangle. I personally think he should have warned you more physically with it, you should have one in your car too. The two of you could have settled it with a duel…
You are like some of the natives… that want everything for nothing. A big salary for no work and the words stingy and inconsiderate comes to mind, when I think of you. The other people that paid their meals wanted to leave, it was Valentine’s…you know.
Now you can start to attack me, I’ve said my say.
PS: Have you watched the episode TopGear when they visited America and were attacked at a Gas-station in the South when the owner called “her Boys”? Imagine if Bingelela was there in your country. You would also have run, I imagine, or maybe if you bucked you would have been reported missing…
Hi H,
Yes, violence is always the answer.
Thanks for clearing that up, and for calling me and my daughter names. And for insulting my country of origin. And for threatening to punch me in the mouth. You are clearly the bigger man.
This is the kind of thing why literally millions of people (many highly educated) have left South Africa. Millions who would love to go back – if just the violence and crime was at an acceptable level.
It’s not just the”bad places”, but the willingness for violence in places that one would expect to be safe and pleasant. It’s all levels of society that are part of the problem.
“In Africa we do not sue and press charges, we handle it ourselves.” – Maybe you do, but please don’t give the all the South Africans a bad name.
“I personally think he should have warned you more physically with it” – Really? Big ego no brain kind of thing??? Over a dish of pasta???
“You are like some of the natives… that want everything for nothing.” – Please don’t give all Boers a bad name. Yes, I know Paul Kruger – the true South African – even took the state treasury with him when he left the country. But the Afrikaans people I know are some of the most pleasant people on the planet.
What a shame to go to such a level of force over a dish of pasta. If you want to learn something about making money and service – take a trip to Primi Piatti in Cape Town. Those “natives” are real masters in selling. And getting clients to come back…
Thanks, Markus, for your comments. Things are getting a bit surreal here, so I appreciate the sanity check.
I totally missed the racist implications of his comment about the “natives” – I guess a lot of healing has to happen here for this country to move forward in unity. (That’s at least as true of the US, so no disrespect intended to South Africa.)
As someone who tries to bring peace and harmony to the world, I feel conflicted about keeping this issue going. But being spiritual doesn’t mean letting other people get away with outrageous and violent behavior.
I’m half-planning to run the 2 Oceans Marathon in Cape Town in April, so I’ll definitely check out Primi Piatti. Thanks for the recommendation.
And I do want to say that this experience has been a total anomaly. In the 5 months that I’ve been here, I’ve met more cool and wise people – English, Afrikaaner, Zulu, Xhosa, Serbian, German, Portuguese, Indian, American, Canadian, you name it – than I could have imagined. People have been friendly and accommodating in restaurants and hotels, without fail.
Twice we’ve eaten at a restaurant where one of us wanted to order a dish from the neighboring restaurant – once in Pietermaritzburg, where we were at Jewel of India and my wife fancied a dish from Jimmy’s Killer Prawns, and once at Umhlanga where my son wanted pizza and my daughter and I preferred to dine at neighboring Bangkok Wok. I fully expected all parties to refuse – after all, it’s a hassle to shuttle dishes back and forth and deal with the checks.
But they couldn’t have been friendlier, like they were all delighted to give us the best experience possible.
I’ve even been treated graciously when I was clearly in the wrong. Last month, a friend, my son and I went to Champagne Castle Resort to use their tennis court. I knew I should get permission at the front desk, but I didn’t feel like walking an extra 100 yards, and nobody was using the court. After 20 minutes a couple of very embarrassed security guards came round and told us that management was upset, and asked us to leave and ask permission next time. Not a hint of judgment, or nastiness, or threat of force. Just kindness and a clear sense of them doing their jobs.
So I don’t hold this against all Afrikaaners, or South Africans, or anything. Just the opposite: this beautiful region of this beautiful country deserves much much better.
To H Willemse : your ill-informed, biased, rather racist, bullying (and poorly-spelled) attack on someone, a visitor, guest in our country, bringing tourist dollars into our country, is backward and damages the perception of other South Africans.
I am South African and I would NEVER condone violence towards anyone, no matter the circumstances, over a plate of food. What Howie described is tricky yes, but not unreasonable, and certain not uncommon in other parts of the world.
Running a business puts one firmly in the public eye, and the owner should have thought of that before reacting the way he did. “The customer is always right” – and what this means, as you apparently don’t know, is that when small things don’t work out, you take it like a man, and move on. I hope that this embarrassment to all South Africans has cost the Bingelela a lot more than R62 – trying to make out that we’re a backward pig-ignorant society has no price too much to fix it.
Howie, I hope that every minute of the rest of your time in SA is far more pleasant & that you can forget these imbeciles fast.
My comment was totally directed at H Willemse.
“As someone who tries to bring peace and harmony to the world, I feel conflicted about keeping this issue going.” – The lodge could easily charge back the amount you paid them. And double it. Any decent person would do that.
And who else would stand up against someone who clearly has no problem with violence in a pretty lawless environment.
You could strike a deal, that you will take this website down, if they donate 10 or 20 thousand rand to some local orphanage or so. But let them contact you.
Good idea about the donation. I would have settled for an apology. But I like your thinking
I don’t think you should demand an apology. You are responsible for your feelings, they are responsible for their feelings.
They made you walk back. To humiliate you. They did not accept your 100 Rand offer. Nearly double the price of the pasta dish. That is rude extortion.
If that is the attitude with which they run their business they might be in serious trouble anyway. Then all this is just a symptom.
Perhaps the donation thing will set their thinking-cogwheels in motion. Take your hourly consulting rate, the time you lost, – that would problably be a good sum for a donation to some local charity. They know the area, and will know what charities are worth their donations.
And give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the pasta was totally fresh. Their behaviour afterwards is the problem.
you americans think you can rule the wolrd but you wrong here if some thing on the menu is bad with re4ason then you can get a new 1 or it taken orff your bills but now thet child wanted 2 create her own menu and not pay tipicle yank stay out of the rest of the worlds bussiness its not the states here and obams not gonna bail you out and the FBI,NATIONAL GAURD arnt coming they dont even no your name so face the facts you have 2 pay and bribes cost more then a R100 and joss and f4riend werent drunk so get your facts right b4 you accues some 1and they wont sue cause you dont have money 2 sue you for over and lets c if u brave enough 2 reply
Thanks, Shaun, for weighing in. You’re right, I did not conduct a breath test or a blood test on Joss’s friend (I never said that Joss was drunk, by the way). I was just giving him the benefit of the doubt, hoping that had he been sober he would not have acted the way he did. My bad.
Be careful, if you can do this to one restaurant then you can do this to another restaurant in the Berg. You might not be welcome any where. Oh and thank you for the free publicity, we spend at least three nights a week and the restaurant is pumping. Get a job, grow up and take your kids and wife and return to the land of honey “America “
Thanks for your concern. But no worries. It takes a lot to get me to write a negative review. Threats against me and my family, unlawful detainment, that sort of thing. I don’t think that sort of thing happens in other restaurants.
So that is the “New South Africa” in that area? Rip of tourists, be rude, threaten, violence and aggression? Just don’t blame only the “natives” for the state of the crime and violence in the country. With all those farmers that have been murdered in the last years in KwaZulu-Natal you should know better. Is that what happened to hospitality: Give us your money and then voetsek?
You should know better that threatening a family.
Isn’t it you who lock the doors of your cars, are afraid when you come to your home to get out of the car, don’t stop at a traffic light at night, etc. Oh you don’t even go out at night anymore if there isn’t someone with a gun watching your car. Isn’t it you guys who install an infrared alarm inside your house and a steel door inside your house to keep the sleeping rooms safe? With all the electrical fences, dogs, guns, security companies.
And then you have the audacity to threaten a family? And keep on doing so in public. What kind of a community is that???
American leave? May I remind you, that you “non-native locals” are not really wellcome in that part of South Africa. You are so NOT wellcome, that you can’t even barbeque in your own garden after 6 in the afternoon. To dangerous. That is how much you are hated down there. You can’t even visit your friends after 7 in the evening, because it’s too dangerous to drive from one place to another. That is how much you are hated down there. You can’t even drive down any country road without checking in your mirror all the time. Is there a suspicious old Merc, someone overtaking me and slowing down, trying to hijack me. You even have to lock up the vicious pit bulls at night – as they might get stolen and eaten. Now and then you even have to fire a few bullets at night into the ground, just to feel safer. You can’t even go into the center of Pietermartizburg shopping. You can’t let your kids drive a bicycle down the road. Or go roadrunning without a friend following you in a car (with a gun). You don’t even go to the rugby anymore. The way home is too dangerous.
(Foreigners mostly do not see this side of the country. Except when ordering pasta.)
Don’t complain about the crime. You are part of the problem, not the solution. Great example to the native employees who see how things are best handled. Great example to the younger people reading this.
Next time you, someone you know, someone you love is threatend with violence, the real ugly thing, the murder, don’t complain. They’ll get off with 500 Rand (see above). You see, the prisons are too full. And the cop you went to school with is not that powerful when the ugly stuff happens to you. The cop in charge probably won’t file the case. He can’t follow up anyway. Don’t complain against corruption, you are part of the problem.
All of you know at least 2 people who have been murderd, mugged, hijacked etc. Ok perhaps it’s rather 15 or more people each of you know who experienced ugly stuff. And now you know some people who wanted to beat someone up about a dish of pasta. With kids and an pensioner around.
You know how easily the mood flips around in KwaZulu-Natal. And every time you are afraid if it’s going to be a Zimbabwe-thing. Reminder: Zimbawe is the country your government is supporting pretty much… When it’s up to the “natives” most of you are foreigners yourself.
As soon as things get rough again, when the farmers hear the drums at night, you tend to become religious again and flock to the churches. Let me remind you: Matthew 7, 2 “… and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”
In South Africa more people get murdered on a daily basis, than people get killed by regimes on a daily basis in the whole Arab world. And you and your attitudes are part of the problem and a wrotten example to the less fortunate and the younger generation.
Is there anyone of you locals who actually have the guts, to go to the logde and lovingly speak to them? Or are you too afraid to loose your personal hangout place?
And don’t complain about the Americans and their politics. Your government is looking away when mass graves are found in Zimbabwe. And look how those refugees are treated in your country.
Damen, Shaun, Willemse & Logdy- grow up. Shame on you.
You are actually also working on the foundation your kids will have to work and live with. If they don’t like it – they will leave. And you will grow up with half your kids in another country. Kids who say: “Enough is enough!”
Ek woon in Suid-Afrika ’n lang jaar gelede, en jou woorde klink vir my baie duidelik. My gesin is ‘n lang tyd in Suid-Afrika, wat ek liefgehad het nog altyd my land maar ek mis die samelewing niet.
Wie is reg en wie was verkeerd Joss is die eienaar en moet trots wees op sy kliënte. Sake te doen met die swaar einde van ‘n waarskuwing driehoek is nie die manier om mense om terug te kom na jou restaurant. Dit is nie ’n advertensie vir Suid Afrika.
Markus, you are so right on the money. The fear we carry so deep inside ourselves will end up running our lives. The things we accuse others of are the things we believe deeply within ourselves about ourselves. So, the person accusing another of skipping out on his payment is probably late and stingy in paying his own vendors. These people are proud to announce how they are “pumping” and how they are laughing at the Americans. If this website lets other foreigners know that this is a hub for reptilians (see David Icke on this subject), then this website will have done its job. Let the reptilians continue their pumping. Their racism should deter innocent foreigners from entering this hub though…
I am a South African, and I think a lot of these negative comments to you are coming from friends and family of the guys who run bingelela..
I am disgusted they behaved so badly, its shocking that they would do what they did – blocking you in and threatening violence to a restaurant patron!
these guys think they are cowboys and hardcore afrikaaners maybe, but this is not afrikaans hospitality – I honestly dont understand this mentality.. nor the american bashing.
You are supposed to treat your clients and patrons with respect and not be an ass over a R60 pasta dish and inconvenience all the other patrons. I will not ever patronise this place.
the words donner & bliksem mean they were threatening to beat you up.
I also think that it was a huge ego issue.
I agree completely. I certainly felt my own ego acting up in that situation. It’s so easy to get hijacked by our own limited perspectives and make everyone around us wrong. (I’m sure I did the very same thing at the time; my own ability to empathize and be compassionate totally shut down under attack.)
Looking back a few days later, I found myself thinking about what am amazing person Nelson Mandela is, to put his own ego aside and respond with love, understanding and forgiveness. And of course you can’t begin to compare our experience with what he and his family and community went through. I have a long way to go before I can call myself healed or enlightened!
Hi Admin,
Firstly…. I’m a proudly South African & have been fortunate enough to visit some of the best holiday destinations in the world…
I must also add that when Joss & Paula started with their venture, they were the perfect hosts… offering excellent cuisine at a reasonable cost…..
Over the years, many things appear to have changed…. In particular, their unfounded arrogance & disrespect for those who have supported them unconditionally.
I have been tempted to expose this establishment on several occasions in the past, and so pleased that you have finally done it!
I now have the opportunity to add my grievance to a growing list of dissatisfied guests.. I have eaten at Bingelela several times and stayed there twice …. BUT after our last experience, I will NEVER set my foot on their property again!….. Neither will any of the other guests in our party.
Our traumatic and most unpleasant experience occurred a few years ago, when we attended a wedding in the district…. The standard of accommodation had deteriorated to a point that I wouldn’t allow my dog to sleep on their beds!!….
We arrived at Bingelela, accompanied by several guests-including some from the UK, to a very cool (somewhat unfriendly) reception….. On our arrival, we were informed that there was no electricity!! a trickle of cold water in the showers and NO offer of candles or gas lamps to light the rooms, from the hosts…
We were forced to dry our hair at the wedding venue later in the day!!
On our return that evening, looking forward to warm comfortable beds…. The smell of old, dirty, unwashed linen was disgusting!…. (I chose to sleep on top of the bed – luckily I had a sleeping bag in the car! )
Unfortunately, one of the overseas guests became ill and vomitted on the bed-linen.
The following morning, I explained the situation to the owners, offering to cover any laundry costs. They, in turn became most irate and unpleasant to say the least!! … Joss, personally invaded the privacy of the said guest’s room (to ascertain the degree of damage!!) and insisted that I pay for a complete set of new linen!!!……
The FULL cost (& more) was added to my final bill.
They clearly chose to replace their existing well-used, badly stained & threadbare outdated Ndebele print linen with a new 400 thread-count Egyptian cotton set… At MY expense!
To save the embarrassment of our guest, I paid the amount requested….. but the whole ordeal has infuriated me for years!
……. SO THANK YOU for giving me the ideal forum to get this off my chest and into the public domaine at last…
You’re my HERO!!!
Thanks, Brian, for your support.
I now know how to spell “bliksem” thanks to this incident, so I suppose some good has come of it
Dear Brian
it is not just because they are South African: I live now in Europe and things are looking decidedly dodgy here what with the political mis-manangement. What strikes me as essential for any business in these uncertain times is to focus on their clients and their clients’ needs.
Ignore that and sometime something will get you in one way or another.
As I said above, mishandling your clients with the wrong end of a warning triangle is not the way to inspire return visits*. Those are the gold standard in business, and worth more than a meagre R80. Had the owner shown respect, generosity and kindness, people would have enjoyed their stay, and come back the following week to enjoy it again.
(*We ran a business in the UK and our returning clients were its backbone. Giving people what they want works!)
Afrika is nie vir sissies nie!
As ek so na die foto kyk sien ek nie te veel aggressie nie. Elke storie het egter twee kante, ek wonder of die man waar hy bly ook weg stap sonder om te betaal vir sy etes.
Ek hoop net nie hulle het agter gekom daar is groot olie reserwes by Bingelela nie?
Interesting : “Jerry” writes “As ek so na die foto kyk sien ek nie te veel aggressie nie. ” – to translate, this means “If I look at the photo I don’t see very much aggression” …hello people, there should not be ANY aggression in this situation!!! Get a life for heavens sake – no pasta dish is worth violence threats extortion etc…
Yes, I admit to being a bit of a “sissy” when it comes to physical threats towards me and my property. I did put the camera away when tall guy menaced me and told me he’d destroy my camera. That moment would have made a more convincing photo, I’m sure, but nobody would have ever seen it.
Dit is vir my vreemd hoeveel in hierdie konfrontsies gemaak word van die Amerikaner se nasionaliteit. Is dit omdat ons meerderwaardig voel? Voel ons dat ons regering beter doen as die Amerikaanse regering? Of voel ons dalk dat ons ons regering verteenwoordig, want as dit die geval is moet ek vir Jerry Springer herinner dat dit nie te lank gelede was dat ons swart mense soos diere behandel het en selfs elektrodes aan hulle liggame gesit het en hulle gemartel het nie. En as jy rassisties optree teenoor ‘n Amerikaner is jy dalk rassisties teenoor die “locals” ook! Ja, Afrika is nie vir sissies nie, maar is dit vir laffaards wat vroue dreig, kinders beledig en dan leuens gaan vertel oor mense (hulle het hulle rekening betaal behalwe vir die vrot pesto). Ja, die stories was die volgende dag in die berg van die mense wat glad-nie hulle rekening betaal het nie! Mens moet wonder hoekom hulle dit nodig vind om te lieg! Dit is jammer dat ons mooi land so besoedel moet word met dreigemente en vloeke teenoor mense van ander lande, en oor ‘n vrot bak pesto pasta! Wat vir diplomate is julle? Jerry, as jy jou met hierdie mense assosieer is jy in slegte geselskap! Groete.
He doesn’t look that threatening to me,.
If you are in South Africa, live by the rules.
Its not the USA or any other country for that matter.
How many years have you lived outside your homeland?
How many years have you given up your homeland to experience new cultures and learn how 80% of the world lives, I mean really live like that to experience it?
It’s a shame you will never experience real life as the ‘other’ 80% do.
Shame on you!
Call upon you ‘virtual friends’..
The other 80% will be waiting…
Living ‘real life’
God Bless
@Shame on You
You say “If you are in South Africa, live by the rules. ” – so what rules are these? That your restauranteurs provide poor service because they have no pride in themselves? If that is how it is done in your country, then you are all in for a big shock when the other 80% are waiting for you! You cannot provide poor service anywhere and expect to last long.
So the standard to a true, safe and fulfilling life is to live ouside your own country? Is that why so many South Africans are leaving?
And the rules in South Africa allow threatening a familiy??? And demanding payment for foul food?
Just to get the right perspective on the matter: What happend there is easily a 2 – 15 prison sentence in about any other country of the world.
I have had the PRIVILAGE to have a meal on several occassions at Bingelela, and have found the food to be EXCELLENT, I think this nasty situation, has been made worse by the publicity.Is there anyone in the world that has not had an instance where a meal not to our liking has been left or changed, sort out the financial situation first, I am sure the person responsible for the kitchen, if she had been approached, would have dealt with the issue IF there was anything wrong with the pasta dish.
What a shame that after spending time in beautiful South Africa and in particular the stunning Drakensberg that you find it necessary to create such an issue over this, how about concentrating on some of the good things that happened while here, thats what South Afruca needs a little positive thought not negative.
Bingelela we will continue to support you, you offer the best food in the Drakensberg.
It’s not just about “a little positive thought or negative thought”. It’s about what happened and the willingness to be violent about a pasta dish (ca. 3% of the total sum paid). Violence about nothing, that is the South African Problem.
Do you know how to recognise South Africans? It never takes long for them to start talking about horror stories they or someone close to them experienced.
I repeat: In South Africa more people get murdered on a daily basis, than people get killed by regimes on a daily basis in the whole Arab world. We need more than a little positive thought…
Wow! The negative backlash and cyber-bullying by some of the locals above is completely embarrassing.
I have visited the area many, many times and have had some very nice meals at Bingelela over the years. It started off as a modest few rooms in Joss and Paula’s home and was a real family establishment, serving good quality fare and enjoyed by everyone.
However, as the restaurant has grown, in size and popularity, it appears that so to have the egos involved and it seems that the owners have perhaps forgotten what put them on the map to begin with – the patronage of locals AND foreigners. Without diners, a restaurant is nothing and the customer is always right. This is one of MANY incidents I have heard of at Bingelela and every story has one thing in common – not an iffy meal (which incidentally was not the point nor the focus of this man’s story) – but rather the aggressive arrogance of the owners.
The ‘frontier violence’ used on the night in question and subsequently supported by a few like-minded Neanderthals on this forum has left me dumbstruck, mortified and completely delighted that the family and friends that I have in the district do not behave the way that these few individuals do.
Hi EMBARRASSED……
Your most eloquent tale says it all………
In the absence of any real opposition in the area, I just hope the Bergville locals have the courage to open their eyes and see how they are being ‘ripped off’ by a couple of home-grown egotistical ‘arseholes’……
They really don’t give a continental s#*t, whether their meal is good or bad…….. As long as their coffers are filled at the end of the evening…. irrespective of customer satisfaction.
One thing is guaranteed….. Nothing is FREE from this outfit…..
EXCEPT of course aggravation, dissatisfaction and possible POLICE intervention if you don’t like the taste of a particular dish……
LONG may this kind of abuse survive.
Hi Admin,
I posted my explicit response after the entry listed on February 24th …….
Please review it, as I have a LOT to say about a seriously BAD experience at Bingelela some years ago……
Thanks for exposing them to existing patrons and any poor innocent visitors that may stumble upon this establishment in the future…..
Congrats on a job well done…..