Out and About: In the Cape Winelands
Looking for something to do in and around Cape Town with the family? Yesterday we were too!
A simple Google search turned up this amazing map of the Cape Winelands. (Click Here to download the .pdf 1.3mb) Using it enabled us to quickly pinpoint which wine estate we wanted to try out, and yesterdays selection was Delvera Wine Estate, off the R44 near Stellenbosch.
Please note that all reviews are unannounced and paid for in full by NessWorld.
Images from this post are courtesy of the Delvera Wine Estate website and are hosted on our own server. (A flat battery in my car, and the resulting stress of having everyone packed, hatted, shod and sunscreened and strapped in already, meant that I accidentally left my camera behind. My bad.)
Our plan was to try out the Simonsberg Cafe, and then unleash the children in the play area.
Things that I really liked:
The outdoor restaurant area is beautifully canopied by very large and beautiful trees, so we were well shaded, and enjoyed a dappled sunny afternoon, rather than sweltering in the heat!
The restaurant menu is reasonable (compared to other wine farm restaurant prices) and had many classic childrens favourites.
The children had enough time to play for a little while before the food arrived, so when it did they were more than happy to eat. In fact the timing of the arrival of the wine (we chose a local Knorhoek Chenin Blanc) and the food was perfect in every respect, even considering that we arrived after 14h30.
The waitress was friendly, professional, and thoughtful to remember things for the kids like tomato sauce. (Can’t remember how many times I’ve had to ask for it in restaurants!) She also picked up an error on our bill before we did, and rectified it immediately.
We both ordered the classic ‘Simonsburger’ which exceeded all our expectations when we were presented with a real hamburger patty (as in made from scratch, not pre-packaged frozen rubbish), which was delicately spiced and served on freshly baked farmhouse bread rolls with rocket and the most delectable onion marmalade.
They elevated the chips (literally, in a bowl on the plate) to so much more than just your average french fry and even though it was enough as a portion, I could have happily inhaled another bowl. But then, I do have an unnaturally close relationship with carbs.
Both kids opted for the chicken nuggets (again, real chicken!) and chips, and my eldest not only polished his plate, but attempted to finish his little brothers as well. Again, the portion sizes were fine, but then the food *was* delicious.
The tables where we chose to sit outside were thoughtfully spaced, and ideal for people with little kids. Each table is set into it’s own private little area, and even though you can hear others nearby, it is like you have the place to yourself.
The play area was in site of our table, so my eldest (who is only 4) could go back and forth and wave to us from on top of the play house.
Our entire bill came to ZAR 250.00 (including a ZAR70.00 bottle of wine and a ZAR30.00 tip for the good service), and in my mind was well worth it for a family of four, and in such a beautiful environment.
What I didn’t like:
Absolutely nothing!
Suggestions to visitors considering a visit to the restaurant:
My youngest is 21 months old and is at that age where he just runs without looking where he’s going and without stopping when told to.
Now while this was absolutely fine given the environment, with plenty of little kids around and no major bodies of water (except for a 20 cm deep, 2m wide rock pool at the very bottom picnic area), the area is so well foliaged on either side of brick paved pathways, and shaded that we had to leave the table to keep an eye on him, because the plants are taller than him.
That was my only ‘issue’ as it were, and once we’d finished lunch, we all took the short stroll down to the grassy area at the bottom where we could work off some energy. Also note, that the play area/jungle gym is only for children under 8, and while it was adequately entertaining for my 4 year old, it is quite small.
Lastly, there are a whole host of other attractions on Delvera Wine Estate that we did not have a chance to visit, including:
A function venue, Pony Drawn Cart rides (on Sundays), a Wine Shop, a Wool Shop and Farm Kitchen, a Ceramics Studio, a Clothing Design Collection by Delilah the Pure Earth Workshop, an indigenous plant Nursery, an Olive Shop, the Dirtopia Trail Centre (we are SO coming back for that!), and I can definitely see us sneaking a weekend away at the Oakleaf Lodge Self-Catering Accommodation.
There is so much more, and far more than I could possibly list here, so please visit their website, or better yet, visit the Wine Estate itself.
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