Wining and dining therefore unfortunately have not been a priority these last few months BUT during one of my off weekends I did visit the fabulous Maison Estate located outside of Franschoek which is owned by the well known Chris Weylandt.
It was difficult to obtain a reservation from them. I phoned, the boyfriend phoned and I submitted a request via their website. When after a few days I still heard nothing I tweeted them and at last we had a spot for Sunday afternoon lunch!
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| Welcome! |
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| The entrance |
Thank goodness for our perseverance because The Kitchen at Maison is where you want to be on a Sunday afternoon. I loved the relaxing atmosphere. It was heaven sitting on their stoep with a glass of wine admiring all the big families and group of friends enjoying themselves on the lush lawn of the estate.
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| The lawn |
We started off our lunch with a bottle of their Maison Blanc Noir (R145). The wine was too dry for me but the boyfriend loved it. We were served a delicious bread basket with a mushroom and butternut spread. We finished this within 5 seconds. Hope no one watched us! The bread was perfectly baked and the spreads were creamy yet refreshing.
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| Look at that beautiful colour of the wine! |
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| The delicious bread basket |
For mains I enjoyed the pork belly(R155). The awesome aspect of this dish was the sour granny apples that paired perfectly with the pork. I loved the sour and salty combination! The pork belly was so succulent, it was a perfect Sunday lunch. The boyfriend had the line fish of the day(R145) which I loved so much I almost traded my pork belly for it. The presentation of the dishes were beautiful and at Maison you truly eat with your eyes as well.
Mains range between R145-R850 so lunch won't come cheap but treating yourself every now and again is mandatory :) Chef Arno Janse Van Rensburg will impress you with seasonal, fresh and well seasoned food!
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| The pork belly |
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| The line fish |
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| The mushroom crumble side dish |
I was difficult for me to fault anything except the side dish(R65) which was a mixture of mushrooms and crumble. It was bland,overpriced and I don't think it is necessary to order this with your main meal.
All that aside we were then then served this delicious creamy chocolate cake. I had to fight with the boyfriend to eat the last bite. It was the perfect ending to the meal.
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| Chocolate heaven |
After our delicious meal we ventured on to the lawn with our glasses of wine to take a well deserved nap :)
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| One word: Bliss! |
Maison Estate is also part of the red line of "The Franschoek wine tram". All the wine tasting are hosted at the front of the restaurant where there's also a few lovely spots to relax with your friends. Order a bottle of wine and a platter and you will be set for the afternoon.You can also shop for some chacuterie and preserves at their deli.
The Kitchen at Maison really transported us to a place of tranquillity. We stayed for as long as possible trying to delay the return to reality. This is one spot where in the future I know I can come and regroup. Great food, good wine, kind service and a peaceful atmosphere!
Visit them at ....
Open Wednesday-Sunday for Lunch 12:00-17:00 and the winetasting&deli open 7days a week 10:00-17:00
Contact them at 021 876 2116
