IT’S been a frigid winter, but spring is around the corner. Here are some fireside destinations in an around Cape Town to get you through the last of the chilly days and nights. With its mountains and beaches, it’s a city many think best suited to summer but winter can be just as magnificent a time to explore the Mother City.
Sustainable and seasonal produce is served fireside with sweeping vineyard views at beyond at Buitenverwachting in Constantia. Peter Tempelhoff and team’s slow food experience ticks all the feel good boxes ensuring you eat delicious food at a fair price, with all ingredients sourced from the best local producers. Expect food that comforts and nurtures served to old-fashioned service standards.
The winter menu has something for everyone – including free range beef, pastured chicken and ducks, Iberico breed pork, organic vegetables, sustainable fish and GMO-free grains, rice and pulses. beyond supports only small farmers and producers which ensures you can enjoy a four-course meal for under R400. beyond is open for lunch on Wednesdays to Sundays from 12pm – 3pm and from Thursdays to Saturdays for dinner.
Book via 021 794 0306, email [email protected] or click here.
There’s no doubt that imbued with an artist’s creative vision, a garden takes on still further layers of meaning. The Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden in Stellenbosch won’t disappoint – this magnificent garden contains within it levels of symbolism and serves as a stage where nature and man, wild and tame, meet.
A winter stroll exploring the sculpted landscape which frames Lewis’s sculptures is best concluded with barista coffee and home-made cake around one of two roaring fireplaces in the gallery. It’s a brilliant destination for family outings and equally perfect if you just need a well-deserved afternoon all to yourself. Visits to the Dylan Lewis Studio and Sculpture Garden are by appointment only.
To book, call 021 880 0054, email [email protected] or click here.
While the vineyards use the cold and rainy days of winter to rest and recharge ahead of the next harvest, in the cellar door tasting room at Bouchard Finlayson (top picture) there’s a weekend fireside offering which is bound to warm up winter in the valley. Enjoy a bowl of hearty soup next to an open fire, accompanied by fresh breads and some of South Africa’s finest wines. Known for its superlative Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offering, the 120-hectare Bouchard Finlayson farm is a must for anyone visiting the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.
Book via 028 312 3515, email [email protected] or click here.
