George Harrison said it best: Here comes the sun. After months of low-digit temperatures, the season’s first blooms have emerged. Dining outside signals the real start of the good stuff – blue skies, sun-kissed afternoons, longer evenings and rosé season. Eating alfresco with friends and family is one of the great delights of spring in the Cape Winelands, so to celebrate, we’ve rounded up the hotspots to book in the coming months. Prescribe yourself a lungful of fresh air and some countryside comfort – these are sure to become your firm favourites.
Wilde Vy Bistro
Wilde Vy Bistro, tucked away on Hooggelegen Farm (also home to Signal Gun Wines), is fast becoming a beloved Durbanville Wine Valley staple. Alfresco dining is the drawcard here: Think vineyard vistas, chirping birds and abundant outdoor tables lining a greenery-filled terrace. A giant wild fig tree makes for an eye-catching centrepiece. And when the chilly weather does arrive, there are plenty of alternative spaces inside, including a cocktail bar and private dining room. The spacious terrace is elegantly contemporary in feel, with pale oak tables and black woven rope chairs. Inside, it’s dark and moody, shot through with emerald greens and gold. This spot shifts from a daytime retreat to a nighttime escape. Staff are warm and helpful, while the menu is a melting pot of share plates. The floor manager knows head chef Jürgen Snyman’s menu backwards – and charms everyone who makes the trip down the gravel roads leading to the restaurant. Pick at sweet-savoury duck liver parfait on toasted brioche topped with cherry granola, pillowy choux pastry filled with smoked snoek and cured egg yolk, and burrata that’s almost outshone by the stone fruit, marinated tomatoes and gremolata in this colourful salad. Citrus-cured salmon draped across a bowl of ajo blanco (an old Spanish style of almond soup) is an alluring mouthful. Jalapeños bring a gentle heat, while green apple supplies a satisfying acidity and cucumber makes the soup significantly more refreshing. For the main event, many of the signature dishes incorporate a fun flourish – from the salt and pepper prawns served with dipping sauces, to the Chalmar onglet steak with beef fat chips and chimichurri, which lifts the meat with its bright, herby and punchy flavours. Signal Gun drops are front and centre on the wine list. Reminiscent of a salty sea breeze with notes of green fig, pear and asparagus, the Sea Smoke Sauvignon Blanc is both easy-drinking and food-friendly. Don’t leave without tasting the strawberry, fior di latte and marshmallow dessert – just the thing for a balmy spring day.
Hooggelegen Farm, (off Vissershok Road), Durbanville
064 643 9766
reservations@wildevybistro.com
The Manor Restaurant at Nederburg
Paarl’s laid-back charm and picturesque landscapes are a recipe for some of South Africa’s finest wines. If there was an award for the most happening winery along the Paarl Wine Route, Nederburg Wine Estate would win it hands down. The property features a country-house tasting room, picnic experiences, The Courtyard self-serve area, a Jack Black’s Brewing Co craft beer taproom and The Manor Restaurant – a rural restaurant offering breakfast and lunch. The restored Cape Dutch homestead is surrounded by ancient oaks, and the ambience is suitably relaxed. The comfort factor is strong in this one, making The Manor Restaurant an excellent escape. Mediterranean-inspired dishes are showcased using the best local ingredients. The lunch menu might include calamari puttanesca, lamb koftas, Moroccan fish and rich caramelised pork belly alongside classic farmhouse comfort. Start with saffron prawn risotto made with vibrant yellow saffron and grilled split prawns. Continue with beef short ribs, cooked slowly and practically dripping off the bone, served with scrape-it-yourself bone marrow. Vegetarian options are no afterthought either – notably the melanzane parmigiana with its layers of soft baked eggplant, sweet-savoury sugo and bubbly parmesan on top. And desserts like rooibos tea cheesecake reflect the confidence and creativity in the kitchen. Contrast that with citrus almond cake with dark chocolate ganache. It’s a battle between the two desserts. Red drinkers will find their true home at Nederburg, which is the place to try The Winemasters, Heritage Heroes and Two Centuries ranges. Soak in the serene views of the Drakenstein mountain range as you sip standouts, such as The Winemasters Pinotage. Of course, if reds just aren’t for you, that’s A-OK because Nederburg also does whites, rosés and bubblies. The team are visibly proud to be working at one of South Africa’s most celebrated wineries, and their enthusiasm is infectious.
Nederburg Wine Estate, Sonstraal Road, Paarl
021 877 5155
Pink Valley Restaurant
There are many reasons to love Pink Valley Wines on the Helderberg Wine Route. There’s the pale, dry Pink Valley Rosé made from sunshine-soaked Sangiovese and grenache grapes. There’s the outside seating among the distinctive forest trees. And flowers, flowers everywhere – neon-pink bougainvillea tumbling down every wall and blowsy bushes scenting the air. Blooming lovely. And best of all? Behind its red-brick facade, a restaurant dishing up original, occasionally inventive and often very good food. This is where all the locals go, as well as some foreigners in the know. Perfectly positioned for catch ups with friends, Pink Valley Restaurant is located just off R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West – and its small size feels pleasantly intimate. Relaxed lunches see a selection of small and larger plates, including dry-aged sirloin served with a beer and bone marrow sauce or truffled chicken in a Provençal mushroom crème. This is all enjoyed in a dining room with rose-pink velvet chairs, green booths, botanical prints, splashy art and subtle background music. Alternatively, drop in for a fruity cocktail during an afternoon in the Winelands. The restaurant is open till 22h00 on Fridays and Saturdays, so there’s plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere bathed in a golden-hour glow. Practically obligatory for an alfresco treat is the Potluck Feast. At R525 per person, the experience offers a four-course set menu served sharing-style for a minimum of two people. Favourites include savoury pancakes combining Sichuan duck, zesty grapefruit and green onion; sticky pork belly mingling with thinly sliced cucumber and kimchi mayo; and gochujang tempura corn with togarashi and executive chef Monché Muller’s special miso sauce. The knockout dessert is the cinnamon sugar-dusted churros paired with a moreish milk tart dip on the side. They come out steamy and pillowy on the inside, with a satisfying crunch on the outside.
Pink Valley Wines, Cordoba Road, Stellenbosch
021 855 3744
