Videos: Up close and personal at The Original Calisto’s Portuguese Restaurant
We take you behind the scenes at Calisto’s in Gillview.
MANAGING director and part-owner at Calisto’s Portuguese Restaurant, Breeze Meyer, gave us an in-depth guide to how the classic and well-known eatery in the South works.
Established in 1992, Calisto’s is well known for its electric atmosphere and personalised service. Families are welcomed to Calisto’s to enjoy a relaxed dining environment in a space that is a home away from home.
Jorge Calisto invested 21 years of hard work in his brand and, together with his staff, has made Calisto’s a fun brand with loud music to enjoy and top-class staff. The original restaurant is situated at 20 Gill Street, Gillview, and is open from 12 noon till late. It’s closed on Mondays.
The very accessible location makes it easy for customers to find the restaurant. It is also in a safe and secure area with ample parking. The massive and constantly supervised children’s play area makes it easy for you to get the kids off your hands and enjoy the majestic view from the patio overlooking the Klipriviersberg area.
Watch a tour of the restaurant:
Jorge Calisto, originally from Portugal, is the owner and founder of Calisto’s. Jorge grew up in the South and has been a resident of Meyersdal for about 15 years.
“Jorge loved the idea of family and friends in a relaxed and happy environment. He saw an opportunity to change the world, so he took it! At Calisto’s we focus on what we do and we do it to the best of our ability,” said Meyer.
Calisto’s offers well-prepared Portuguese cuisine that can be eaten daily and is served by well-trained waiters and waitresses who are seen as entertainers, offering hands-on personalised service.
Customers’ glowing testimonials can be found on Calisto’s website and Facebook page as well as on the websites Hellopeter and Zomato. In addition to the food, Calisto’s offers a premium Gin selection, aficionado cigar range, high octane cocktail list and a wide variety of Portuguese inspired drinks such as Champagne Sangria, Katembe and R&R.
“We are always finding new ways to entertain our customers and are always inventing new tricks to our trade. We take all feedback as constructive criticism and use it in a positive way to improve. We appreciate people correcting us, as it uplifts our business. We try to be different, so we encourage you to experience our different approach to customer service for yourself. We have a strong focus on presentation and we make every customer feel special because we understand how customers need to be treated,” said Meyer.
Meyer spoke of how Calisto’s welcomes people of all nationalities and cultures but also has its amazing regular client base that is like part of the family.
Having been at Calisto’s for eight years, Meyer particularly recommends the seafood and chicken dishes, as those are the most popular. His favourite – at the moment – is the seafood rice dish.
Breeze Meyer and the executive chef, Peter Mourinho, prepared the seafood rice for us.
Watch the video here: Video
For bookings contact 011 680 0368 or email calistos@mweb.co.za. Don’t forget to visit their website: www.calistos.co.za and visit the Facebook page.
Videos edited by Prince_TheCreative
