We had to visit Hermanus in connection with the renovation of our new home in Greyton. On route back to Greyton, we stopped at Die Plaaskombuis for lunch. The entrance to the restaurant is via the Farm Stall, where you could easily spend a couple of hours. There are fresh vegetables and eggs, frozen home cooked food, preserves, cups and … Continue reading →
On the way from Greyton towards Hermanus is the picturesque Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. According to a visiting Moravian missionary in 1899, it got its name because “so high are the hills which closely embrace the valley all round, that they seem to touch the sky and you cannot see anything but heaven and earth”. I was stunned to see this beautiful … Continue reading →
Abbey Rose is a family-run restaurant in Main Street, Greyton. It is also a wedding venue. When Deon and I were waiting in the guest house to move into our house, we ordered food from this restaurant. They assisted with cutlery as well and their friendliness overwhelmed us. Deon’s favourite was Oxtail, and I loved their Green Chicken Curry. Since … Continue reading →
Today we had the privilege of visiting Jéan Restaurant at Klein Roosboom Boutique Wine Farm which reopened after being closed due to renovations for more than a year. It is situated in the Durbanville Wine Valley and owned by winemaker Karin de Villiers. It is situated in the same spot as the previous Klein Roosboom Restaurant, but has been totally … Continue reading →
After a busy year, Deon and I at last have some time to explore new restaurants again. We discovered a little bistro close to home in Durbanville recently. It is called Urban Wines and Bistro, situated at the corner of New Street and Koeberg Road. Lisa, the owner, comments: “Urban Wines is a dream I have had for many years. … Continue reading →
We recently discovered a new restaurant in Welgemoed, Cape Town. It is called after the rocket plant, Arugula. We were hesitant to try this restaurant, as it is situated in a shopping complex, but it turned out to be a little gem. As we entered the restaurant, we were immediately attended to by friendly staff. We were seated at a … Continue reading →
We have visited SlipWay Waterfront Restaurant in the main harbour of Saldanha many times and every time we visit, we love it. The restaurant is not all that visible from the road, but there are sign boards to guide you to this beautiful little venue, situated on the lagoon. When our friend from France visited us for a couple of … Continue reading →
There are certain streets in Cape Town that are very inspiring to foodies – Breë Street in the Cape Town CBD area and Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, are two of these fascinating streets. Spek & Bone on Dorp Street is owned by South African chef and TV personality, Bertus Basson. In Afrikaans we have a well-known saying – “jy werk vir … Continue reading →
If you like traditional food, Barrique Restaurant is where you should go. It opened in 1998 and is situated in the Stellenbosch winelands, a beautiful setting surrounded by the Helderberg Mountains. As you enter the Vredenheim estate, you are met by a variety of game such as gems buck, ostriches and zebra. There is also a Big Cats Park with … Continue reading →
Deon and I decided on Friday to visit De Grendel Restaurant in Plattekloof. Before we left, I googled the wine farm and read that it has been in the Graaff family since 1891. Today the farm is owned by Sir De Villiers Graaff and is known for its award-winning wines. The chefs are Ian Bergh and Garth Davids who serve … Continue reading →
As we are at last entering winter in the Western Cape, Deon and I are getting more housebound (read lazy) and prefer to stay at home on Fridays. But last Friday I felt like exploring and Deon suggested that we find a restaurant around Franschhoek. It was a lovely sunny day and we enjoyed the scenic drive to Solms-Delta where … Continue reading →
Deon and I recently re-visited Durbanville Hills Wine Estate, one of our favourite wine estates in the Durbanville Wine Valley. It has magnificent views, great food and excellent wines. Their Chef’s Platter was launched to celebrate the 2016 summer season. We were a bit late for this experience upon our almost autumn 2017 visit, but the chef informed us that … Continue reading →
On Friday, 17 March, we decided to celebrate my birthday a day early, as we would both be working on Saturday. I wanted to have lunch in one of Cape Town’s oldest towns, Riebeeck Kasteel, named after Commandor Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch founder of Cape Town. The town of Riebeeck Kasteel was laid out around the Dutch Reformed church … Continue reading →
The restaurant Giovanni is situated on the Eikendal Wine Estate close to Somerset West in the Western Cape. On a rather windy Friday afternoon, we were seated at a table close to the dam with its impressive fountain. The scenic view of the Helderberg mountains encouraged us to forget about the slightly uncomfortable breeze. The restaurant seemed to be very … Continue reading →
Deon fondly remembers the lunches he and fellow student friends enjoyed under the trees at the Lanzerac Hotel when studying at Stellenbosch University. Those lunches took place many moons ago. Today, as it was Friday again, after a hectic week at work for both of us, we were off to the Postcard Café at Stark-Condé wines in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch. Deon … Continue reading →
We love Greek food and the ambience of a Greek restaurant. And yes, we love Greece with its relaxed atmosphere, the magnificent islands and blue water and last, but not least, its moussaka and meze! During Johan and Paula’s visit last year in October, we attempted having lunch at Spiro’s, a Greek restaurant in Hout Bay, but on our way … Continue reading →
On a very hot Friday afternoon during the December holidays, we were off to Vrede & Lust Wine Estate, situated on the Simondium-Klapmuts Road, close to Franschhoek. On a previous trip to Franschhoek, we noticed this wine estate and it has been on our restaurants-to-visit list for quite a while. The trip to Vrede & Lust was not so peaceful … Continue reading →
We read a few very negative comments regarding Lemon Butta restaurant, situated at the Willowbridge Life Style Centre, Bellville. We decided to try the restaurant last Friday as we were at the centre for some Christmas shopping. The ambience is not too bad, but should you choose to sit outside on the patio, your view would be of the cars … Continue reading →
After our visit to Jardine Restaurant in September 2016, next on the list of restaurants headed by acclaimed chef George Jardine, had to be The Bakery at Jordan Wine Estate, Stellenbosch. It is a scenic trip along beautiful vineyards and blue mountains on the way to the restaurant via Stellenbosch Kloof Road. The restaurant itself is situated in a picturesque … Continue reading →
Why do we always return to Diemersdal? It must be the beautiful scenery, or the cosiness of the restored stable in which the restaurant is situated – or it could be the always changing menu which draws us back to this graceful wine estate. Whatever the reason, it is always a happy event when we visit the eatery, especially on … Continue reading →
Today was the second time in a short while that we visited Bistro on Beach, a small restaurant situated at the Melkboschstrand beachfront. We were on our way to the popular Orca restaurant on both occasions, but on the first attempt the restaurant was closed and on the second it was full and we had to wait for more than … Continue reading →
We haven’t been to the V & A Waterfront in a while and decided that it was time for a visit. Lunch would be at an old favourite, The Greek Fisherman. The restaurant opened its doors in 1992 as an informal and hearty Greek restaurant. Their Meze was fabulous and therefore the restaurant was always on our to-do list during … Continue reading →
Described on their website as simply nirvana for carnivores, is not really what I have in mind when I visit a restaurant for lunch, but the beautiful setting of the restaurant, situated 7 km from Wellington, makes up for the statement on their menu. The Local Grill is the restaurant at the Val du Charron Wine and Olive Estate. The … Continue reading →
Waking up on Friday to a glorious sunny day, we decided to take a slow drive to Paarl and enjoy the scenic view while the good weather lasted. Luigi’s Mediterranean Inspired Restaurant was on our lunch menu. It was not long before we reached Paarl and started searching for the restaurant, situated on 311 Main Road. It took us a … Continue reading →
It was Friday and Deon’s birthday, 9 September 2016. Both reasons to find a new restaurant for lunch. Since moving to Cape Town at the end of 2010, we visited quite a number of restaurants. Many of these restaurants were great, others not so great, but after today, we have two that are competing for the first position on our … Continue reading →
We had visitors (my brother Johan and his wife Paula) for a couple of days and on the Friday of their visit, we decided to have lunch at a Greek tavern in Hout Bay, called Spiros. However, on our way to Hout Bay, while waiting at a robot in Tamboerskloof, Deon spotted a Portuguese Restaurant in Kloof Street, Beleza (“beautiful” … Continue reading →
Since discovering our local Tyger Waterfront, we cannot stay away. On Friday we were contemplating staying home, but then decided to go for a quick lunch at a restaurant we spotted at the Waterfront a while ago. It was a chilly day, but we preferred to sit outside where we had a view of the water. We were seated on … Continue reading →
My mom from Port Elizabeth came to visit us for a week and naturally we had to find interesting restaurants to make her visit as pleasant as possible. Early Friday morning Deon googled to find a restaurant with a fireplace. The name, Oude Wellington Restaurant, came up with good reviews. So, off we went to experience a new adventure. As … Continue reading →
Going Greek again, after the previous Friday lunch at a Greek restaurant, we were in the mood for everything Greek. We even watched our favourite film, Shirley Valentine, again! Situated between Somerset West and Stellenbosch on Helderberg Road, we found the unpretentious white building George’s Greek Restaurant is situated in. A donkey with a wide grin welcomed us on the … Continue reading →
Our love for Greek food was ignited in Port Elizabeth when we first visited Zorba’s Taverna in Central. When visiting Cape Town, we could never resist The Greek Fisherman, a Greek restaurant at the V&A Waterfront. We spent a couple of weeks in Greece in 2010 and what a feast it was to live on a diet of Greek food. … Continue reading →
It was Friday again and time for adventure. We were heading to Avontuur Estate Restaurant, which was a very suitable name. The Afrikaans word Avontuur, translated into English, indeed means Adventure. Avontuur Estate is situated against the Helderberg, between Stellenbosch and Somerset-West in the Western Cape. When you drive up to the building in which the restaurant is situated, a … Continue reading →
What do the three restaurants, Indian Chapter; Moksh and Annapurna have in common? The answer is easy – curry. Whether you like tandoori, madras or vindaloo, or a cashewy korma if you prefer your food less spicy, these three Cape Town restaurants are well-known for delicious curries. The first Indian restaurant we visited in Cape Town after relocating from Port … Continue reading →
Gastao’s Restaurant I love the unexpected – well, if it is positively unexpected. It was Friday again, but we decided not to have lunch at a restaurant this time. Having lunch at home seemed like a very good idea. Around twelve in the afternoon Deon asked if I wanted to accompany him to Edward Street in Bellville as he needed … Continue reading →
We visited this restaurant last year with a guest from Port Elizabeth and when Deon asked if I could suggest a restaurant for lunch last Friday, I remembered the awesome view at Flavours Restaurant, which is situated outside Stellenbosch. Flavours is part of the Devon Valley Hotel. We ordered tapas upon our first visit, which was very good. As it … Continue reading →
Café des Arts Franschhoek is one of the destinations that we love to visit on a regular basis. Maybe it is because of the scenery, the excellent restaurants or perhaps Deon and I have the tendency to form habits easily. Whatever the reason, today we decided to have lunch at Franschhoek once again. As we were driving towards Franschhoek, we … Continue reading →
Franschhoek in our beautiful Western Cape has always been a favourite and on my birthday this year Deon treated me to lunch at Reuben’s – celebrity chef Reuben Riffel’s restaurant on the main road. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with high ceiling and beams, elegantly decorated and the bar area features a wing of an old DC 10 aeroplane as … Continue reading →
When we moved to Cape Town, one of the first restaurants we visited was the delicatessen at Tokara, situated outside Stellenbosch on the R310 in the Helshoogte Pass. I always wanted to return to Tokara and we decided to revisit this beautiful wine farm today, 11 March 2016. Tokara was purchased by GT Ferreira and soon became known for producing … Continue reading →
My brother and sister-in-law from Rheebok visited us on the last weekend of February 2016. We had to find a new venue for lunch. This time, after a Google search, we decided to visit Boschendal in Franschhoek, one of the oldest farms in South Africa. The first owner of the farm was Jean le Long, a French Huguenot. He was … Continue reading →
Exploring the Paarl valley – that was our mission for February 2016. On the third Friday of February we had our usual Friday lunch, this time at Harvest Restaurant, Laborie wine farm in the Paarl valley. Named after the district of La Bri in France, the farm became the property of Isaac Taillefert in1691. The architecture of the beautiful buildings … Continue reading →
As it was Friday again, we decided to head towards Paarl for an early 2016 Valentine’s lunch. We reserved a table at Glen Carlou Restaurant, but as we had some time to kill before lunch, we popped in at Koöperasie Stories between Paarl and Franschhoek. It is an amazing French style shop which sells furniture, crockery, linen and everything else. … Continue reading →
