PAM'S FAVOURITE CAPE WINELANDS RESTAURANTS

The winelands are blessed with some of the finest restaurants the Cape has to offer.  As such we strongly recommend that you make a plan to spend a few days in our wine region.

FRANSCHHOEK:

La Petite Ferme -

Highly recommended for excellent food and the best view of the valley. When booking always request a terrace table which will allow you to have the vest view of the Franschhoek valley and the vines.  On arrival always ask to sit in the garden and order your meal from there.  When the food is ready, they will call you through to your table.  The menu boasts good old fashioned dishes cooked in innovative ways.  It is always a treat to spend the afternoon here – and if you have the time, do not plan to leave, just relax and take your time, after lunch you can retire back to the lawn and the view.  They do not open for dinner and as such expect you to spend the afternoon with them.  As such if you are in a bit of a hurry, it is always best to let your waitress know when you put your food order in.  Book well in advance as they are extremely popular. Open for lunch only (daily). Tel +27 21- 876-3016 (Franschhoek)

Bouillabaisse -  Oyster and Champagne Bar

Located in the main road of Franschhoek, this little restaurant is drawing rave reviews from the local "foodies".  The concept is simple: open plan kitchen where Camil Hass and his team can be seen producing delicious dishes, a focus on providing the freshest seafood in the region, innovative dishes and an emphasis on serving tapas sized portions so that you get to sample many different dishes. Bouillabaisse serves food from 10h00 until 21h00, every day except Tuesdays and Sunday nights.  Tel: +27-21-876-4430 BEST TO BOOK AS IT IS EXTREMELY SMALL AND IS POPULAR DURING SUMMER SEASON

Le Quartier Francais - NOT TO BE MISSED!   Currently voted as South Africa's TOP restaurant by Eat-Out Magazine, voted by UK magazine RESTAURANT as one of the TOP 50 in the world, winner of Chef of the year award 2003 and 2004.  They have  split up their offerings into two  restaurants on the property.   iCi is the more casual side of the food offering - lighter meals outside on the terrace or inside with wonderful decor.......the verdict on this new spot - excellent!!!  Le Quartier has launched the Tasting Room for the evening.  Here they offer a tasting menu of a number of courses - 6 or 8.  This meny changes regularly and it is well worth the drive to enjoy the award winning chef Margot Janses' cuisine. www.lqf.co.za

Booking in advance essential. Tel:  +27-21-876-2151 . Note they are now requiring your credit card details in advance due to the high number of "no shows" that restaurants have to deal with in the Cape.   EAT OUT TOP 10 RESTAURANT 2008.

Reubens in Franschhoek - great addition to the culinary capital of South Africa........... Reuben worked at a number of restaurants in this town before departing for a stint overseas.  The town has lured him back and he has opened his first restaurant to much acclaim.  In summer dine in the outside courtyard and plan to stay for three delicious courses.  The menu changes daily and is pencilled on a chalk board.  Tel  +27-21-8763772   EAT OUT TOP 10 RESTAURANT 2007

Grande Provence - To me, this is the most beautiful restaurant in the winelands.  The decor is elegant and modern.  If dining there in the evening - dress up a little and turn the night into a special occasion.  Note that chef Vanie Padayachee has left and has been replaced by Peter Tempelhoff. Pam has not reviewed the new chefs food.  From Eat Out: Peter Tempelhoff makes magic in exquisite dishes like the sublime leek tart. Don't even try to resist one of his signature dishes of medallions of springbok loin, potato fondant, chestnut purée and a cherry- scented jus..  Tel  +27-21-876-8644 

The main road in Franschhoek has many wonderful little restaurants on the pavement - chose the one that you fancy most - nearly all of them are really good.  It is wonderful to sit on the pavement in Franschhoek with a great glass of wine and enjoy the world go by.  One of my favourites is the French Connection Bistro on the main road - excellent and relaxed with great mountain view. Tel:  +27-21-876-4056 

Bread & Wine - relaxed venue on a wine farm near Franschhoek offering interesting innovative dishes at reasonable prices. Spend the entire afternoon on the outside terrace enjoying their feta stuffed bread with rocket or pap gnocci or carmelised corn biltong accompanied by chilled Franschhoek wine.  Neil Jewell, the Charcuterie guru, is the inspiration behind the perfectly balanced, seasonally influenced and surroundings inspired, menu. His passion lies in his homemade Charcuterie that he prepares with mountains of patience and bucket loads of love.

Moreson Wine Farm Franschhoek. Lunch Wed - Sunday.  +27 21-876-3692 .  www.moreson.co.za

Topsi:

Topsi is a legend in the food world and seems to have been a part of it forever in South Africa.  She shares her venue with a parrot, her daughter and her grandchildren.  The menu is always chalked up and revolves around what is fresh and available and what inspires Topsi.  Note that the restaurant is easily accessible as it is just off the main road and it does not have a license - so take your own wine! (Excellent wine shop at the end of Main Rd Franschhoek)

Tel:  +27-21-876-2952 

NEW: Genot: Lovely new restaurant on Klein Genot Wine estate Franschhoek.  It is co-owned with Bertus Basson from Overture.  Gorgeous decoration and inspired dishes - the group I took absolutely loved it.  The only pity is that from the interior you cannot see out into the vineyards.  So, book outside if it is a lovely day. Tel 021 8762729 www.kleingenot.com Note this estate is home to one of the most lovely guesthouses in the region - I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Franschhoek

STELLENBOSCH REGION:

OVERTURE @ Hidden Valley estate - Stellenbosch: (Note these guys are now over a year old - but I am leaving them in this list as they are still fairly new and are amazing!) Wow - these guys definitely have the best view out of any restaurant in the winelands.  Combine this with gorgeous contemporary architecture and a great chef and you have a winning combination.  Chef Bertus cooks in an open plan kitchen for all to view.  You can pop in to chat to him as you progress through the delicious tasting menu.  On offer is a tasting menu from one to seven courses.  This menu changes daily based on what is seasonal and what is fresh.  The portions are generous and I found that 3 courses was more than enough for me! The prices are good.  Billing depends on the number of courses and at around R260 for 3 courses paired with wine - I find it excellent value for money.   Presentation is beautifully done.  Each morsel was a taste sensation and I loved the presentation of the chocolate mousse in a jar - reminded me of eating nutella straight from the jar as a child! Book now - this restaurant is going to become hard to get into once it is discovered.  It is a gem! This is perfect for summer.  They are now so popular that you need to book well in advance. Tel +27-21-880-2721.  www.hiddenvalleywines.com TOP 10 RESTAURANTS FOR 2009 eat out awards.  They won 4th best restaurant in the country!

NEW -  DELAIRE GRAAF (on Delaire Graaf wine estate - Hellshoogte Mountain pass Stellenbosch) - I have watched them build the new drive way into this estate for the last year and a half and must admit I was very curious to go and check out what the end result was.  The Graaf family are diamond dealers and the budget for the revamp of Delaire was extremely high.  The end result is quite simply gob smacking.  This estate always boasted one of the best views of the wine region.  Take the stupendous view and add innovative modern architecture, a cellar enclosed in glass for the public to view, a refined tasting room, a glamorous restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating and a high calibre art collection with sculptures dotted around the garden - you have a winery that is now a destination that must be included on a visit to the wine region.  The restaurant is not cheap - starters at around R100, mains from R150 plus.  I managed to go and try out the restaurant recently (Sept 09) and found that the food matched the décor – it was excellent.  The foodies are beating a fast track to Delaire this summer!. www.delaire.co.za Tel: +27-21- 8858181 or info@delaire.co.za Note that as we go into summer, I would highly recommend booking in advance.  Open for lunch Tues - Sun, open for dinner Tues to Sat.

NEW Cuvee on Simonsig Wine Estate This is a delightful addition to the Stellenbosch region – gorgeous décor and fine dining.  We tried it out recently (Sept 09).  The restaurant offers all courses as either a starter size portion or a full size portion and offers a wine pairing with each.  My recommendation is to order the starter size portions – this way you can sample more of their delicious dishes.  Additionally, although the décor is beautiful inside, the view of the vines surrounding the restaurant is restricted - - so either book for a table next to a window with a view or for an outside table.  I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and would recommend a trip to Simonsig.  Tip: Simonsig was one of the first estates to make champagne in South Africa and as such it is definitely worth doing a wine tasting while you are there, and ordering a few bottles of champagne to take home.  We fell in love with the Simonsig Brut Rose.  Simonsig Wine estate Stellenbosch wine region. www.cuveeatsimonsig.co.za Tel +27 21 888 4932. 

PAARL REGION:

NEW Cosecha @ Noble Hill Estate "Cosecha" is the Spanish word for "Harvest" in Spanish.  It reflects their location in the middle of the vineyards. This is a delightful addition to the Cape Winelands for a number of reasons.  The farm owners are from California and as such they have introduced their favourite cuisine - Mexican to the wine region.  This is unlike any offering we have had previously in South Africa.  The dishes are a celebration of fresh flavours and they strive to try and create the authentic dishes.  This is a challenge as some items such as Mexican cheese are not found here.  To overcome the challenge of using the correct chillies - they are now growing their own.  The restaurant offers extremely good value for money - in fact it is actually cheap for what you get.  As such it would work for locals and foreigners during this credit crunch time! We completely over ordered - as we assumed the "Light and Fresh" section would be starter size portions and ordered 3 of these and 1 of the "Warm and satisfying" section between the 3 of us - what arrived was a feast! The portions are substantial and each dish was delicious.  My two favourites were the Tiger Prawn Taquitos (R48) and the Beef Enchiladas (R75).  The mouthwatering description of the Tiger Prawn Taquitos was "A traditional Mexican street food from the coastal regions: sauteed prawns mixed with chillies, lime and coriander, wrapped in flour tortillas and served with fresh guacamole........it was so delicious I am going to have to sneak back there very soon! Note that they also do picnics for those who wish to have slightly less adventurous food! Location: Paarl wine region.  Tip: They are very close to Glen Carlou & Backsberg wine farms - so it is a good idea to combine a tasting at these two estates with a visit to Cosecha.  Note that you must head into the Noble Hill Winery tasting room to taste their wines and their innovative flavoured olive oils.  Tel +27 21 874 38 44 www.noblehill.com  Note closed on TUESDAYS (also on Mondays during winter)