Bellevue Market

Bellevue Market is the place to be tomorrow evening. Every last Friday of the month you can wine and dine underneath the stars while listening to live music. My first visit to the market was last month and I am so sad that I am missing tomorrow night as I am on call :(

Bellevue Market

 

It starts at 16:00. Perfect to head over straight after work. Start off with a glass of wine, craft beer or even gin cocktails. My favourite was a pomegranate flavoured gin. While you are getting in the mood browse through various clothes and décor stalls.  There's ample seating but if you want to be more comfortable bring a blanket and make a picnic of it!

It is always gin'o clock!

Food wise they cater for all. For the adventurous tuck into delishous curries or pulled pork burgers. We enjoyed a delicious vegetarian pizza that we spiced up with some jalapenos and onion marmalade. As the cold showed face this week you can even tuck into some hearty soups and maybe take away some for the week?

Delicious pizza!

Before you leave be sure to grab some dessert on the go. I left with a few cupcakes and my weakness, a pecan nut tart.

Loved the fairy lights!

Bellevue Market, the perfect place to start your weekend! See you definitely next month!

 

 

Location: 5 Bellevue road, Kloof

Time: 16:00-20:00

Like them on Facebook

 

 

Cape Point Vineyard

Driving to Cape Point usually was just that little bit too far out for my liking. Now I have changed my tune since I visited Cape Point Vineyard.
 
The drive to Cape Point Vineyard took us past part of The Silvermine Nature Reserve which was already awesome. If you are a keen hiker who loves nature then you will enjoy Silvermine which forms part of Table Mountain National Park. You can hike from here to Table Mountain if you have an entire day to yourself. We were however on the quest for wine...
 
We eventually arrived at Cape Point Vineyard and was treated to this view...


Look at that view!

 
So worth the drive! How can you not have a fabulous day with this??
 
We decided to enjoy a wine tasting as the sun was shining and we had to celebrate the day. What sets Cape Point Vineyard apart from other wineries I have visited is that you can taste wine by the glass. A taster range between R5 to R10. You can also order wine by the carafe which ranges between R25-R80. We opted to order three carafes and host our own wine tasting. It was actually nice as we could taste and enjoy the wine at our own pace. We tasted their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. I enjoyed all three but we left with a few bottles of the Sauvignon Blanc. I actually just had a glass and I still love! Too much of an easy drinking wine :)

Let the tasting begin!

Cheers!

 
Cape Point Vineyards is also a prime picnic spot. Unfortunately you have to order your basket 24 hours in advance so we missed out but it's on the 'to do list' for summer! You can enjoy your picnic in a large space around their dam while chilling on some comfy cushions or utilise some of the picnic benches. There are also numerous umbrellas around that will protect you from the sun. With that view, great wine, a group of friends and delicious treats you are ensured of a fabulous time!

Pricewise a picnic basket that serves two is R395. It contains the following:

Bobotie wraps

Cured meat selection

Cheese selection with crackers and chilli jam

Smoked coronation chicken salad

Chickpea, lentil, basil and mint salad

Caprese salad with pesto dressing

Roasted red pepper and corn hummus

Chicken liver pate with thyme and honey glazed bacon lardons

Roasted garlic snoek pate

Ciabatta loaf

Double chocolate and almond brownies

 
A vegetarian option is also available.
 
If you want something light then go for the snack basket for R230:

Cured meat selection

Cheese selection with crackers and chilli jam

Roasted garlic snoek pate

Ciabatta loaf

Olives

They also cater for the kiddies at R65 with a hot dog, potato salad, cheese and bacon pinwheels,fruit salad, juice box and old fashioned fudge.

There's ample space to enjoy your picnic in private

Choose your spot and relax...

You are ensured of a great view no matter where you sit!

Some pillows are available to ensure you picnic in comfort!

 

On Thursdays they host a Community Market from 16:30-20:30. The Kitchen Cowboys, Cakes&Desserts and Imhoff Cheese are just some of the vendors that will tantalise your taste buds. As a sidenote, if you love markets, check out this website which summarises all the markets in a particular area as well as feature what markets you can visit on the different days of the week.

 

As you can see Cape Point Vineyard has a lot to offer. They also have a restaurant where you can feast on Italian/Mediterranean food. They currently have special where you can enjoy a two course(R150) or three course(R180) lunch on Wednesday and Friday from their a la carte menu.

 

The deck of the restaurant

 

They cater for a wide range of people and budgets. I'm sure you will find something there that you will love! That view alone is price-less! Add it to your summer 'to do list'. I can't wait to return!

 

Contact them at 021 789 0900 or bookings@cape-point.co.za

Visit their website for more information

Like them on Facebook

Follow them @CPVineyard

 

We ended off our day with a drive through Chapman's Peak. Wow, I am so privileged to live in such a beautiful country!

 

Hello beautiful South-Africa



Whoo hoo! Bring on summer!

 

Happy Sunday!

Hope it's a wine, delicious food and friends filled day!

 

 

Crown Restaurant at Meerendal Wine Estate

It was one of those sunny winter Sundays. You know one of those days, that we've been enjoying the last couple of weeks, that's usually followed by rainy and cold weather. A total teaser! I must say that winter has really overstayed it's welcome but I think we are almost official in summers' territory.  So I headed out to Crown for an afternoon of wine and sun before 6 weeks of Paediatrics took over my life.

Welcome to Crown

Crown is situated on Meerendal Wine Estate. If you are part of the 'active' crowd you will know that Meerendal is one of the places in the Northern Suburbs where you can ride your bicycle or go for a run and then hop right into Crown for a 'bederf brekkie'! Breakfast is served until 11:00 and range between R25-R60. I skipped the active part and headed straight for the wine and food part. Next time I will go with my running shoes :)

I was surprised how stylish the establishment was. I was impressed how they played with different shapes of furniture. One of my favourites was this awesome piece below as well as the bicycle wall!

Next time I want to sit in one of those! It looks so cool!

Crown paying tribute to all the bicycle lovers!

They also have one wall that is covered with mirrors that enlarges the space immensely. They have large concertina doors that open onto a big lawn. Ideal if it's a sunny day or if you go with little ones as you will always be able to keep an eye on them.

Large lawn that everyone can enjoy!

The mirror wall!

They serve simple food in an elegant manner. We enjoyed a cheese and chacuterie platter for R155. It was more than enough for two people and I will recommend that you share it between four. The only thing I did not enjoy was the boiled eggs. It took away some of the class of the platter and you should rather keep those 'delicacies' when you go on a road trip! I personally just hate them! The food that went passed us looked delicious and ensured that we have to return in the future! Their BBQ beef burger(R65) caught my eye as well as their beef steak(200g) that is served with baby potatoes, hollandaise sauce and green beans(R130). Their salads range between R60-R67 and they are definitely generous with their portions.

Our delicious platter filled with a great variety of cheese, chacuterie, olives, figs and more!

We did however enjoy a sweet treat of chocolate and caramel filled pancakes served with ice-cream(R34). I loved the filling but the pancake itself was undercooked and underwhelming. They do have milk tart on the menu that is served with butternut and mascarpone ice-cream(R34) that I will try next time! Vegetable ice-cream can only be healthy :)

Chocolate and salted caramel pancake. Here the portion is already halved.

 

I loved how they served their coffee. It's the small details that count.

Service was a 10/10. They were friendly and efficient. Bookings area a must if you plan to visit over the weekend. The place was packed and the atmosphere was wonderful. If it's a great day do sit outside!

Crown also hosts a Farmers Market on their large lawn. The next one is the 11th of October. You can RSVP here. You will be treated to fresh produce, home made goods as well as an entertainment section for the little ones. 

Where you will find the wine tasting...

We really enjoyed Meerendal's Unwooded Chardonnay(R69) so after lunch we went to the wine tasting and deli area to purchase a few bottles. An unwooded wine is usually when the wine is not matured in an wood barrel but rather in a stainless steel vat. It's an ideal wine for people who don't like the strong wood taste that accompany some wines and it's also ideal for wine beginners as the wine has a gentle yet flavoursome taste. I think we really enjoyed it because it was an easy and refreshing wine to drink which paired perfectly with all the strong cheeses without competing with their flavours.

At the wine tasting area you can sit  outside on a lovely deck overlooking the estate and also enjoy a platter with your wine tasting. If I remember correctly its about R25 for five wines. Their wines per bottle range between R39-R250. Meerendal is one of the first places in South-Africa that planted the Pinotage cultivar way back in 1955. Their Pinotage (R140) therefore is a 'must-try'.

The deck

 

Wine shop

 

This is definitely a spot where I want to be on a Friday afternoon after a long week or enjoy a wine filled lunch with friends!

Crown Restaurant and Wine bar

• Visit their website for more information
• Contact them at 021 515 5853 or info@crownrestaurant.co.za
• Like them on Facebook
• Located on the Vissershok road, Durbanville
• Breakfast and lunch: Monday-Sunday
• Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday

Meerendal Wine Estate

• Visit their website for more information
• Wine tasting: Monday-Sunday 10:00-17:00
• Like them on Facebook

Haute Cabrière

We had a fantastic time at the Bastille Festival this weekend. Blue, white and red ribbons were all over Franschhoek. As you walked down the main road you could feast on food and drinks that were supplied by all the shops, bars and restaurants on the strip. The majority of the people were dressed up in the French colours and wore cute berets. Something that was also prominent was the security that was present all over Franschhoek. This created a safe atmosphere as we all know the horrors of pick pocketing that occur as some of these events.

There was also a market you could browse at. Apparently the Franschoek Village Market is there every Saturday from 09:00-14:00. I was impressed by the variety as well as the prices of the produce.  You can buy a large piece of cheesecake for only R20.

We decided not to go the festival wine tent but to visit a wine farm and then soak up the atmosphere in town.

We visited Haute Cabrière and wow I was impressed. I regularly drove past the hobbit house looking cellar and was always intrigued . The weather on Saturday was perfect so we sat outside on the lawn to soak up the sun and the beautiful view.

Let the tasting begin!

Our host Luvuyo was extremely charming and hosted a great tasting experience. There are three tasting options to consider that are R20, R30 or R40.

We went for the "Classic tasting" which was 6 wines for R30.


Now all the MCC's are named after the original founder of Haute Cabrière, Pierre Jourdan. The still wines are named after the property. Haute Cabrière was the first place in South Africa to produce wine according to the correct methode cap classique style. All their wines are produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir cultivars.

Our charming host Luvuyo!

We started with the Pierre Jourdan Brut(R110). Now this is one of my favourite alcoholic beverages to drink. If it was possible I would request and IV infusion of this every Saturday :). It provides you with a refreshing and crisp explosion in your mouth. I bought a bottle which will be enjoyed next weekend! Can't wait!

Pierre Jourdan Brut

Next was the Pierre Jourdan Rose(R120). It's made with 100% Pinot Noir cultivar and has a beautiful blush colour and fruity taste. Not as refreshing as the Brut.

Pierre Jourdan Rose

We were very impressed with the Pierre Jourdan Tranquille(R55). This is a very 'dangerous' wine as you can easily finish a bottle on your own. It's a fresh and crisp white wine that will pair perfectly with light salads or seafood.

The other three we tasted were the Chardonnay Pinot Noir(R85), Unwooded Pinot Noir(R85) and Pierre Jordan Ratafia(R85). As a group we preferred the unwooded Pinot Noir over the Chardonnay Pinot noir. The Ratafia is a 'sweet wine' that would definitely warm you up during these cold winter evenings.


The tasting experience at Haute Cabrière is one I would return to. I have done a lot of wine tastings and always enjoy them but rarely I say that I want to return. Haute Cabrière is an exception as they offer a comfortable environment, excellent wine tasting hosts and a beautiful view. Even the parking guard was very charming. A great thing about Haute Cabrière is their education center where they ensure a prosperous future for their employees' children. It's overseen by a qualified teacher and children of school going age can do their homework here in the afternoon while the small kiddies come for day care. I take my hat off to an establishment that goes the extra mile for their employees!

Wine and food pairing wheel

Dining at their adjacent restaurant is also on my bucket list. They also offer cellar tours Monday to Friday from 11:00-15:00 and if you visit on a Saturday you can enjoy the cellerman's tour at 11:00.


Were you at the Bastille Festival? What wines or places stood out for you??

Cheers!

 

Visit them at the beginning of the Franschhoek Pass (R45)
Contact them at 021 876 3688 or restaurant@cabriere.co.za
For more information visit their website
Tweet them @HauteCabriere
Like them on Facebook

Take note: Haute Cabriere Restaurant is closed from 14th July- 5th August for their winter break.

Fun in December at Creation's sunset market

There's always a bottle of Creation wine in our home and during my vacation time I always schedule a wine tasting session with some friends.

 So I was extremely excited when I heard that they will be hosting a sunset market in December. So if you are planning to be in Hermanus during the December holidays, or you have nothing to do where every you are, pen this down in your diary! You will be wined and dined in the most beautiful surroundings.

Date: 15th of December 2013
Time: 16:00 - 19:30
 
If you think that you are going to attend the event RSVP to salome@creationwines.com . They just need this to roughly have the numbers and ensure that they deliver the best market ever :) BUT if you do just attend without a RSVP they won't keep it against you!

You can also contact Salome if you need anymore information!

Website: www.creation.com
Twitter: @creationwines
Instagram #creationwines

 

 

 

They also host a fabulous canapé and wine-pairing! Here is the link to my visit of last year!

Hermanus Markets

Saturdays in Hermanus can be enjoyed by visiting two very different markets. I recently decided to visit both in one day to see which one I prefer. Both markets start at 09:00 in the morning.

Hermanus Country Market

This was my favourite market of the day! The market has a great variety of fresh produce, food, coffee and drinks to satisfy all taste buds as well as some pretty goods to buy.

My favourite shopping stall was Helen Silverware Jewellery. All the jewellery are made out of antique spoons. They are not as tacky as those forks you see everywhere that people wear as bangles. These jewellery pieces are extremely well transformed from its original use to great rings. I did not realise at first that the rings were made from spoons. For more information and pictures visit her Facebook-page .

My favourite food stall was where we had the best breakfast for only R35. Two pieces of French toast topped with bacon, rocket, green figs and camembert! Delishes! I still want to replicate this at home. This market really is affordable with most food choices being less than R40.

This for only R35

Enjoying my surroundings and a very great cup of coffee

The market is also great to stock up with some gourmet sausages made by Sanity Farm that you can serve as a o'dourve at a braai. Think of sausages fill with ingredients such as blue cheese, cranberries and almonds.  Invest in some sweet treats or fresh loaves of bread for late Saturday afternoon.

Hermanus Country Market attracted all shapes and sizes. Children played on the jungle gym and loads of doggies were around to play with each other. There's enough seating to accommodate everyone and Piano Ben, a popular artist in Hermanus, was the entertainment of the morning.

Market was bustling with loads of people

This market really made me feel relaxed and was a perfect start to a lazy Saturday morning.

If you come a bit later to catch an early lunch you can do a wine-tasting from some of the local cellars that are there as well and enjoy some craft beers.

Raka wines was one of the local cellars visiting

Food ranges from Mexican to Polish cuisine. Something I did not expect from a "country market".

Mexican breakfast of tortilla topped with scrambled eggs, sour cream and avo and tomato salsa

Polish baguette of cheese and bacon

The market is open until 13:00 and during season time in December they also open on Wednesday evenings!

Locate the market next to the Hermanus Cricketfield!
Open during the summer months from 08:00 -12:00 and during the winter months from 09:00-13:00

For more information regarding the market and its traders...
Like them on Facebook
Follow them @HermanusMarket
Visit their website


Hermanus Pietersfontein Market

Now this market was more for the refined crowd. I did not feel as at home here as at the country market but they also have great food and wine to be enjoyed.

The seating here are long tables. People were not to happy to share so you would sometimes find three people sitting at a large table. In the end we got some seating and tried some sweet treats and dim sum. My only regret for the day was the dim sum. What you receive and what you pay for did not add up and the filling of the dim sum was very meagre.

Something I do looked forward to trying the next time I visit is the chauceterie platter. During a beautiful day underneath the umbrellas this will go perfectly with some bottles of wine and a group of friends or family. Here they also have sushi, perlemoen, pizza and baked goods.

Delicious custard cake for only R15

This stall had delicious brownies

Freshly baked bread

The options at this market are more limited but exclusive. Nothing at this market is repeated at the Hermanus Country market. Quality of all the produce are excellent!

Hermanuspietersfontein is the only wine here as they host the market and is available by the glass or bottle. We refilled our glasses a few times. They have a great variety of wines and the lovely gentleman that worked there the morning we visited had a great charm to him and explained the wines to us in great detail. When the market ends be sure to head to their wine shop to indulge in some more wine-tasting!

If you plan to visit both markets I would first start at the country market and then move over to the Hermanus Pietersfontein Market. Both are a real treat!

Located at the Hemel and Aarde village at the Hermanus Pietersfontein Winery and cellar
Open every Saturday 09:00 - 13:00
Visit their website for more information


During the coming long weekend you can enjoy the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival at the Hemel and Aarde Village. Tickets are R120 at computicket. The festival is the 9th and 10th of August. It starts at 11:00 and runs until 19:00. More than 250 wines will be there for you to taste and local chefs will be there to spoil you with delicious food!

Greyton weekend away

Greyton is a must for a getaway weekend. I spent an idyllic day and night there with my family. We arrived early Saturday morning and took a quick drive through the town to locate everything and get our bearings together. The mother is a shopaholic so we had to locate all the shops and strategize our approach.

Here are some of our experiences.

The Oak and Vigne Café

 Our first stop was for breakfast at  The Oak and Vigne Café. The restaurant has a deli and an art gallery in it. They serve breakfast, light meals and you can even stop by for a cocktail. We shared the Sarabeth's(R50) which was a panini roll with egg, brie, bacon and avocado and enjoyed some Origin coffee. The portion was more than enough to share.

Origin coffee

The Sarabeth's

Delicious chocolates

A large range of flavours to choose from

They brought these out just as we arrived!

Be sure to pop into the art-space in the back of the restaurant

Freshly baked sweet treats

Preserves to buy and take home

Explore Greyton by bike

 
The owner and staff are extremely friendly and made us feel welcome from the start. They thought we were a mother and a bride as Greyton is currently a very popular wedding destination.

Outside there is a big patio where you can sit if the weather permits it and enjoy some freshly baked goods and refreshments. The Oak and Vigne Café  is a place that you can see won't ever disappoint. They have a set standard that they maintain no matter what.

You can also rent bicycles from them. If we had more time there I would have done this as Greyton was bigger than what we anticipated and there are loads of roads to drive around and admire the pretty surroundings and houses. While you are exploring don't be frightened by Mr Horse and Miss Cow that roam around freely! We in the end rather went for a jog early Sunday morning and really appreciated the freshness and beauty we were surrounded by.

 Visit them at 13 Ds Botha street

Open Monday-Sunday 08:00-17:00

Like them on Facebook

Contact them at 082 576 2160

 

Saturday Morning Market

 This market is run by the Greyton Conservation Society. It starts at 10:00 and is located opposite the church. I loved this market as you could see that everyone that was in Greyton, was at the market. Fresh produce, home-made goods and antiques are on offer here. Coffee is served in homey coffee cups and everywhere little groups were formed where the happenings of the week was discussed. Here you can still buy a pack of cookies that was made at 03:00 in the morning for R25. Some of the elderly cornered us as they were fascinated with the large amount of young people that were at the market. As there were two weddings the weekend the town was rather full of young adults. Greyton is really a place for the young and old!

 

Wood-work where there were beautiful cheeseboards

Fabrics from Hertex

Cookies from R10 upwards

 

Sweet treats:)

One stall I really liked was the PG fruit. The olive farm is situated between Villiersdorp and Worcester. We sampled some dried olives which will be perfect in a salad or even pasta. There was a smoked variant as well which was a crowd favourite. Visit their Face-book page for more information. They even had a bacon marmalade which will be delicious on a warm piece of toast.

 

 

We opted to sample a moist piece of coconut cake(R20) as well as lemon-curd pancakes(R8).

 

Delicious moist coconut cake! It's never to early for cake :)

 

Look at this man multitasking!

Furthermore you can indulge in falafels, samosas, eggrolls and sweet treats  or browse through old book collections and buy some fresh fruit, vegetables or honey.
 

Ample space to sit around

These group of men looked as if they were solving all the problems of the world :)

 

Shops in Greyton

We then strolled down the main street and side-streets to visit some of the shops. The one shop we spent some time in was the charity shop. Small towns are know to have the best unsourced bargains. I unfortunately did not discover something but be sure to come and look for yourself!

The charity shops support the Greyton Animal Welfare Society

Cool ties

Come for a browse!

Inside stories was a great antique shop where we spent some time admiring all the well kept antiques such a working vinyl record player, morse code machine and keys as well as modern décor-items.

The working vinyl record player created a great atmosphere in the shop with all the golden oldies he was playing

Various items to rummage through

I loved these! Should have bought them!

 

 

Vanilla Café

For a long relaxing afternoon we visited Vanilla Café. The beautiful white benches an pretty umbrellas made us inquisitive. The restaurant is very eclectic with loads of different colours and mosaic art pieces scattered across the space with mismatch chairs hugging all the tables.

Great spots outside to sit at.

 

Greyton is an extremely friendly place and the owners and staff at Vanilla Café were also just as nice.

 

We chilled inside at one of their lounging areas first to enjoy some wine and gin and tonics before we moved outside for lunch. I had a sticky soy chicken salad and the rest of the table had lentil curry served with fluffy rice as well as pizza. The food  was pleasant but I expected more.

Soy chicken salad(R70)

 

Lentil Curry

They do however also host a high tea where a tier of savoury and sweet between two people can be enjoyed for R125.

Visit them at 18 Ds Botha street

Open 7 days a week for

• Breakfast: All day
• Lunch: 11:30 - 15:00
• Dinner: 18:30 - 21:30 Wednesday, Friday and Saturday ONLY

Like them on Facebook
Contact them at 028 254 9453

Searles Tradingpost

 
We ended off our day at Searles Tradingpost. Now this is one of the gems of the Overberg. I can't begin to describe the majestic feeling I felt here. If you only visit one place in Greyton this would have to be the spot. I'm going to let the pictures tell you the rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner if you ordered a main meal you could enjoy the salad and bread buffet. Options included a butternut & beetroot salad, apple and hazelnut salad, chicken pesto salad, potato salad and freshly baked different breads.

 

 

The main menu changes every month and we enjoyed the chicken pot pie(R75), lamb mutton curry (R95) and seared salmon with Chinese noodles(R120). Everyone cleaned their plates. Enough said!

  The food was beautifully presented and you truly feasted with your eyes as well. Service was mediocre and our waiter seemed nervous but the owner and manager were always present on the floor and very welcoming.

Chicken pot pie

 

Lamb curry

 

Salmon with Chinese noodles

 
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and also have a pizza oven. Freshly baked goods such as red velvet, carrot and chocolate cake are also on offer  or you could invest in some old-time sweeties.

 

The wine list is extensive and caters for all price ranges. We enjoyed a Sauvignon Blanc from the Sophie Terblanche Cellar located in Elgin which was R90 a bottle.

If the weather permits be sure to book a spot outside!

Visit them at 36 Main road, Greyton
Open 7 Days a week

• Breakfast 08:00-12:00
• Lunch 12:00 - 17:00
• Dinner 17:00-close  Tuesday-Saturday ONLY

Contact them at 028 254 9550
Booking is recommended and be sure to enquire about live entertainment that features occasionally

Via's

 

 

We stayed at Via's Guest house and bistro. The rooms were beautiful and our reception was warm and welcoming. Its situated in the centre of the town so you can walk to all the shops and restaurants from there.

Crisp white linen with big fluffy pillows. I had the best night rest!

 

 

 

Your night stay includes beverages and breakfast the next morning at the bistro.

Poached eggs on chive hotcakes served with chutney

 

Full English breakfast served with toast

 

 

Situated at 31 Main road

Visit their website for more information!

 

Are there any other great spots I missed in Greyton??