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Lots of expectation with this one, and thank you to those who have already commented on maze on this post. Thanks also to Bazil for the menu items listed. I visited maze for an initial look yesterday, and certainly enjoyed the experience – enhanced no doubt by the titillation of the IPL circus arriving and the fact that Sol Kerzner was lunching at a table next door. Reuben Riffel was also sampling the wares. So you get the feel – the One & Only is where the action is. At least for now. Your only distraction from celeb spotting may be the alarmingly coloured and patterned carpet. For all the sex appeal of the Ramsay moniker, this is a hotel restaurant.

I suspect maze will not be what many expect. A Gordon Ramsay restaurant, sure, but not the fanciful food you may have seen on telly. The maze menu is built on the kind of food you could eat most days, more casual food, the kind of menu that suits world-weary travellers. There is a large grills section, also a rather bespoke seafood counter for luxury carapaces. Burger, salads, risotto – a collection of modern-day faves.

maze was reasonably busy, it is a voluminous restaurant (seats 170) with sections partitioned by screens that slide down to modulate space. The feeling on the whole is large, portentous and the fittings are luxurious. Service was patchy, though well-intended: plates did not arrive for the cheese course until requested, the bill took too long to be processed – but these are probably teething issues.

To the quality on the plate, my risotto to start was excellent (R50), delicately flavoured and ideal in texture. Also saw the signature marinated beetroot and cheese starter, very tasty. We all ordered steaks, you can choose between grain or grass-fed and you can also choose Australian wagyu, beer-fed, at R750 or so for a steak. The menu is steak-heavy (supported by a waiter bringing you a platter of the uncooked cuts to eyeball). The meat is grilled at 650 degrees Celsius in a broiler – seems the same concept as at 1800 (which is hotter), though the maze website says they have the only “imported American broiler”. I sense litigation. While the steaks are beautifully grilled with a crust and griddle marks (and come on an art-directed wooden board) I sent my first one back as over-cooked to medium-rare. The response was flawless. Sides are extra, so a R150 steak becomes R200 with fries and a sauce. Fries are “hand-cut” on the menu but look very very uniform. Similarly, a “wood-fired” section of the menu was confirmed by the waiter as coming from a gas hearth. So it seems the menu is creative on a few counts.

On the wooden board also the welcome sight (unadvertised) of roast garlic, which was unfortunately undercooked. We also tried the side order of marrow bones “on toast” but these were simply poorly gratinated, tasteless and oily. Interestingly, and commendably, there are a number of dishes that celebrate local ingredients and/or dishes but bobotie is a side order (with average success). Dessert was good, and so was the coffee, while the wine list is formidable at 6000 bottles.

All in all, I won’t mind returning at all, but more for a quick meal than an occasion. This is, I think, the reason for this restaurant. So don’t go looking for food nirvana, rather a solid meal in a glam and upmarket, though very much hotel, environment. And although you could have a main for R90, expect to spend R300 plus if you relax into the meal.

maze at One & Only V&A Waterfront 021 431 5800