We always recommend building a buffer to decompress from the wilderness before returning home. In Southern Africa one can choose between the fabulous beaches of Mozambique where fresh seafood and azure waters await or the foodie capital of Africa - Cape Town and the winelands where the landscape is stunning and the food and wine even better (and such a bargain now that the dollar is so strong).
Our family flew to Cape Town via Johannesburg and were met and transferred to the quaint More Quarters apartments which are set on a small cobblestone side street in the eclectic Gardens Neighborhood of Cape Town just off Aloof Street. We were welcomed with hot tea and cakes as we sat by the warm fireplace in the reception as we had traveled south into the heart of winter and the outdid temps were a bit chilly at night in the low 50’s. We were shown to our large well furnished apartments which featured full kitchens, a separate living area, a large bathroom with tiled shower, heated floors and a huge white bathtub, and a large bedroom leading onto a small garden patio. The location was just perfect as there are numerous foodie shops, cut boutiques, top restaurants, and more along Kloof Street just out the door. We were treated to a superb breakfast in the upstairs dining room the next morning with excellent view onto the table mountain massif which looms just behind the hotel.
We spent the next 3 days exploring the craft markets, museums, castle, neighboring coastal communities like Bantry Bay, the bustling wharf area and more. One highlight was when we rented a car and drove along the coast (think Big Sur) to Chapman’s Peak drive which is a spectacular road cut into the cliffs along the Atlantic coastline with funding surf below and huge mountains called the Twelve Apostles above.
At the end of the drive we fortuitously stumbled into a small shopping village and snagged the last table at a bustling restaurant full of locals. It turns out we found one of the top chefs in South Africa (Franck Dangereux’s FoodBarn) and it just so happened that they had a winter special for lunch with 50% off the entire menu…Can you say lucky? This was one of the best meals we have ever had (and that is saying something) as we dined on fresh baked bread, baby squid, seaweed & edamame beans, homemade nori linguini, fontina truffle cream, sea bass with babaganoush and harissa oil, roast lamb and more…simply superb. With a delicious chenin blanc viognier and desert the meal was $20 per person for our family of 4. Ridiculous! Travel can reward you in so many special ways…what a treat.
Other favorite meals were in local shops like Manna Epicure where we had a delicious steak complemented by a pinotage (local grape between a pinot noir and a syrah) and fresh muscles in garlic and white wine sauce. It is hard to get a bad meal in Cape Town and the prices are so reasonable. The best bottle on the wine list at the fanciest restaurant is no more than $40 but you can get fabulous bottles for half that price.
We loved the Potluck Club which is in an old Biscuit Mill that has been reconverted into a shopping village - the restaurant is on the 7th floor of the brick building and you have 360 degree views of Cape Town and Table Mountain from this top floor perch. The kitchen is open format and it was great fun to watch the chefs layer the dishes with such care and effort. The dishes here were tapas style - small bites that exploded with flavor like the wild fish tacos…yum! We ordered one of everything on the menu and did not regret a thing.
Our last 2 days were spent exploring the wine country an hour north from Cape Town while lodging in both Stellenbosch and Franschoek. Our first stop was Jordan winery in honor of our son, Jordan where we feasted on fresh lemon grass infused mussles , risotto with beef cubes and of course a trip to their private cheese room for desert complimented by their superb desert wine.
The views across the valley vineyards to the steep mountains which rise up to several thousand feet above the valley floor remind me of a mix of Napa and South Island New Zealand. The scenery is jaw dropping gorgeous and as we made our way to our hotel in the quaint Devon Valley we saw the full moon ride early along the ridge over the vines…the next day we enjoyed bargaining in the craft market in the historic University town of Stellenbosch and then drove up and over the pass into Franschoek where we had a superb meal at La Petite Ferme. This is a must stop in wine country and it does not disappoint. After lunch we checked in to our hotel which is a new property on the ride between the two towns called Clouds Estate.
The weather was perfect so we jumped into the chilly infinity pool and enjoyed the late afternoon sun. Later we enjoyed our last G&T’s by the pool and toasted the end of our journey as the sun set over the vineyards and we awaited the “Blue Moon” to rise. The staff were so kind to make us a roaring fire out by the pool and when the moon popped up over the mountain all the granite in the rock faces came to live…an excellent way to celebrate our last night in Africa. I should mention that the next morning we popped over to the adjacent property which is a 5 star Relais Chateaux estate called Delaire Graf.
The property was amazing from the individual lodges for guests to the spa, the wine tasting room and the two restaurants which are considered among the best in Afrca. Perhaps the most spectacular part of the property is the superb art collection which includes stunning outdoor oversized sculptures to exquisite oil paintings and more… If you had an unlimited budget this would be the place to stay for sure…
