Tag Archives: Le Bon Vivant

Streetsmart smart move for restaurants and beneficiaries!

November 23, 2013

I have not been a great fan of the forced R5 addition to one’s restaurant bill without permission in Streetsmart restaurants, but after attending the presentation of monies to support the good community work for street children it is funding, and hearing what a difference the money makes to the less fortunate at a function held at The Salesian Institute on Thursday evening, my perception about Streetsmart has changed completely.

Established in 2005 by tour operator Margi Biggs as a means of helping street children, and now chaired by committee junkie Nils Heckscher (he has been or currently serves on the board of FEDHASA Cape, Cape Town Tourism, the former Cape Town Routes Unlimited, and Tourism Marketing of South Africa), Streetsmart generated just over R900000 in the past year, and a total of R7 million since its establishment. R5 is added to the restaurant bill per table, irrespective of the number of patrons seated at the table. This money is transferred to Streetsmart once a month. Streetsmart is also collected in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and in India.

Heckscher suffers badly from being in the shadow of his very well-known Continue reading →

Many Mediterranean-style restaurants open in Cape Town!

October 28, 2013

Despite one of the worst winters ever experienced by the Cape hospitality industry, most restaurants appear to have survived it. A surprise trend is the number of Mediterranean style restaurants opening, with true Spanish and Italian owners and/or staff. This list of restaurant openings and closings is updated continuously, as we receive new information:

Restaurant Openings

* The Harbour House group has opened La Parada Spanish Tapas restaurant on Bree Street, with a subterranean bar/nightclub (above).

* Café Puerto Cabo has opened on Loop Street, a Spanish eatery and men’s clothing shop.

* The House of Machines has opened on Shortmarket Street, building motorcycles, offering good Evil Twin coffee, and serving very healthy food.

* Orphanage Cocktail Emporium is opening Orphanage Club upstairs, with 1920’s style music by live performers, later this year.

* Equus restaurant on the Cavalli stud and wine farm on the R44 has opened. Continue reading →

Franschhoek Fireplace Route offers warm restaurants and tasting rooms

April 30, 2011

During the first sharp winter spell earlier this week, questions were asked on Twitter about restaurants with fireplaces in Franschhoek. As a service to the Franschhoek visitor, I have compiled a list of warm and cosy restaurants and wine tasting rooms with fireplaces:

Restaurants with fireplaces

Allora Restaurant: Italian style menu with pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes Tel (021) 876-4375

Bistro Allée Bleue: cosy atmosphere in this blue-decor bistro at the entrance to the wine estate. Tel (021) 874-1886

Café BonBon: Very cosy room, home-cooked style food (right). Tel (021) 876-3936

Common Room: Tapas style restaurant at Le Quartier Français. Tel (021) 876-2151

Country Kitchen: Second restaurant at winetasting center of Mont Rochelle Hotel and Mountain Vineyards Tel (021) 876-3000

Dieu Donné: Large fireplace for the large restaurant with a view, menu varied style Tel (021) 876-3384

Dish: Restaurant at Le Franschhoek Hotel. Tel (021) 876-8900

Dutch East: multi-style menu. Tel (021) 876-3547

Elephant & Barrel: pub tucked behind French Connection, good spot for sports match broadcasts. Tel (021) 876-4127

Franschhoek Kitchen: two rooms, one with a large fireplace, good fresh cooking from Chef Bjorn Dingemans. Tel (0-21) 876-2738

Franschhoek Station Pub & Grill: with its 1915 fireplaces (above), must be Franschhoek’s oldest. Tel (021) 876-3938

French Connection: French style menu Tel (021) 876-4056

Grande Provence Restaurant: smallish fireplace but warm restaurant with excellent fine dining menu. Tel (021) 876-8600

Grillroom: steakhouse that also sells meat. Tel (021) 876-2548

Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant: cosy eating in a cave-like cellar restaurant. Tel (021) 876-3688

Kalfi’s Restaurant: the fireplace caused a fire in the restaurant, closing it down for two days earlier this week. tel (021) 876-2520

La Petite Ferme: this long-established restaurant with a view, located at the foot of the Franschhoek Pass, has a fireplace in the entrance room of the extended restaurant space. Tel (021) 876-3016

Le Bon Vivant: highly creative chef Pierre, but disappointing service, tucked away one block from main road, behind ABSA. Tel (021) 876-2717

Le Coq: Two fireplaces, one each for the Grill and Light Meal sections of the new restaurant on the main road. Tel (021) 876-4404

L’Ermitage Restaurant: restaurant at L’Ermitage Hotel, at foot of Franschhoek Pass. Tel (021) 876-9200

Mange Tout: fine dining restaurant inside Mont Rochelle Hotel. Tel (021) 876-2770

Monneaux: multi-style menu, located within Franschhoek Country House. Tel (021) 876-3386

Pierneef à La Motte: soon-to-be award winning restaurant with creative chef Chris Erasmus, Cape cooking with a modern twist. Tel (021) 876-8800

Reuben’s Restaurant: large fireplace in this well-known fine-dining restaurant (right). Tel (021) 876-3772

Rickety Bridge Restaurant in the Vines: hot and hearty meals served include curry and casseroles. Tel (021) 876-2016

Winetasting Rooms with a fireplace

Boekenhoutskloof: Home of highly regarded Boekenhoutskloof wines, as well as of Chocolate Block, The Wolftrap and Porcupine Ridge. Tel (021) 876- 3320

Glenwood: Cellar tours at 11h00 daily. Chardonnay Vignerons Selection is flagship wine. Tel (021) 876-2044

Grande Provence: Both Grande Provence and Angel Tears wines sold. Tel (021) 876-8600

Haute Cabriere: Cabriere Pinot Noir and Pierre Jourdan sparkling wines. Cellar tour and Sabrage on Saturdays at 11h00. Tel (021) 876-8500

La Bri: Its labels are inspired by colourful flowers. Tel (021) 876-2593

La Chataigne: Three wines are made – a Sauvignon Blanc, the Kastanje white blend and Marron red blend. Tel (021) 876-3220

La Petite Ferme: Cellar tour and tasting offered. Tel (021) 876-3016

Le Manoir de Brendel: Produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz wines. Tel (021) 876-4525

Maison: excellent Chenin Blanc and Shiraz with very friendly wine-tasting in Weylandts-interior cottage (left). No charge for the tasting, and blue cheese and biltong are served with the wine tasting. Tel (021) 876-2116

Mont Rochelle Mountain Vineyards: Miko is the flagship wine, named after the late owner of the estate. Cellar tours three times a day. Gourmet food and wine tasting. Tel (021) 876-3000

Rickety Bridge Winery: Cellar tours by appointment. R15 tasting fee for five wines, but waived if wine is bought. Tel (021) 876-2129

Topiary Wines: First Platter 5-star for their sparkling wine in 2010. Tel (021) 867-0258

Vrede en Lust: No tasting fee is charged at this wine estate at the entrance to Franschhoek, in Simondium. Known for Boet Erasmus, Mocholate Malbec, Marguerite Chardonnay, and more. Tel (021) 874-1611

It was interesting to note that a number of restaurants and wine estates called said that they were waiting for the delivery of their wood, and would only have their fireplaces blazing from next week onward.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Franschhoek chefs will be cooking (with wine) at ‘Cook Franschhoek’ in June!

March 16, 2011

A number of hands-on demonstrations by some of the top chefs in Franschhoek will take place over the weekend of 10 -12 June, the chefs sharing their knowledge and passion for their craft, in what Franschhoek Wine Valley is calling ‘Cook Franschhoek’.

The chefs that have been included in ‘Cook Franschhoek’ are Margot Janse of The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français, Neil and Tina Jewell from Bread & Wine, Bjorn Dingemans from Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz wine estate, Judy Sendzul from the Salmon Bar, Ryan Smith from Ryan’s Kitchen, Leigh Trout from Mange Tout at Mont Rochelle Hotel, Darren Roberts at Grande Provence, Chris Erasmus at Pierneef à La Motte, Pierre Hendriks of Le Bon Vivant, Matthew Gordon from Haute Cabriere, Adrian Buchanan from Freedom Hill, as well as representatives of L’ermitage, Huguenot Fine Chocolates, Le Franschhoek Hotel, and Franschhoek Country House and Villas. Each course will accept 8 – 30 participants, depending on the size of the demonstration venue. Each demonstration will be paired with a Franschhoek wine. Most, but not all, of the demonstrations will be held at the Franschhoek Kitchen. The cost per course and the venues will be announced tomorrow, and will be added to this blogpost.

Franschhoek’s best wine estates will participate in ‘Cook Franschhoek’ too, including Franschhoek Pass Winery, La Motte, Grande Provence, Cabrière, Haut Espoir, Anthonij Rupert Wines, Mont Rochelle and Môreson.

Accommodation will be available at a variety of accommodation establishments over the ‘Cook Franschhoek’ weekend. Whale Cottage Franschhoek is offering ‘Cook Franschhoek’ participants a special reduced winter rate for the weekend.

Franschhoek is re-asserting its positioning as the Gourmet Capital of South Africa. While it may no longer have the largest number of Eat Out Top 10 restaurants, it has just launched the Franschhoek Wine Valley Food & Wine Route, and ‘Cook Franschhoek’ is another demonstration of Franschhoek’s culinary leadership.

‘Cook Franschhoek’, 10 – 12 June. www.franschhoek.org.za. Tickets can be bought at www.webtickets.co.za

POSTSCRIPT 18/3: The Franschhoek Wine Valley has not dotted all its i’s nor crossed all its t’s, and therefore is not yet able to provide cost, chef and venue details, as was promised for yesterday. Darren Roberts from Grande Provence denies being a participant of the ‘Cook Franschhoek’ programme, not the first time that they have been erroneously listed on a Franschhoek programme, Roberts says.

POSTSCRIPT 6/4: The program for Cook Franschhoek has been finalised. Most of the demos will take place at Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz, the exception being those at the Salmon Bar, Le Quartier Français, Allora, and Pierneef à La Motte. At each demo a chef and a matching winemaker will participate. Prices range from R 30 for a chocolate tour and tasting at Huguenot Fine Chocolates, to R 225 each for two demos by the Salmon Bar, hosted by Judy Sendzul of the Salmon Bar and Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof: a Farmed versus Wild-caught salmon cook-off on 11/6, and a Salmon and Trout Tasting on 12/6. On average the prices for the other demos range between R100 – R150. Grande Provence and Le Bon Vivant are no longer participating in the event. The full Franschhoek chef and winemaker list is as follows:

* Adrian Buchanan of Freedom Hill restaurant, and Dieter Sellmeyer of Lynx

* Chris Smit of Café Bon Bon, with Rob Armstrong of Haut Espoir

* Bjorn Dingemans of Franschhoek Kitchen, and Mark Carmichael-Green of Holden Manz

* Leigh Trout of Mange Tout at Mont Rochelle Hotel, and Dustin Osborne of Mont Rochelle

* Judy Sendzul of Salmon Bar, and Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof

* Ryan Smith of Ryan’s Kitchen, and Neil Patterson of Antonij Rupert Wines

* Matthew Gordon of Haute Cabriere, and Takuan von Arnim of Cabriere

* Daniel Botha of La Verger at Le Franschhoek Hotel, and Susan Erasmus of Vrede & Lust

* Neil and Tina Jewell of Bread & Wine, and Clayton Reabow of Môreson

* Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à La Motte, and Edmund Terblanche of La Motte

* Louis Jansen of Monneaux, and and DP Burger of Glenwood

* Philip Aplas of Allora, and Terra del Capo (Anthonij Rupert Wines)

* Ethne Booysen of L’Ermitage Hotel, and Wynand Grobler of Rickety Bridge

* Margot Janse of Le Quartier Français, and Rob Armstrong of Haut Espoir