Wining & Dining at the Vineyard Hotel

A Cape Town Favourite

The Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town’s southern suburbs is not a place to pull up to in a battered, (gratefully) borrowed car that hums so loudly under the hood that dogs in Athlone growl back in reply. A car with wipers that won’t switch off and that wave furiously even on a rainless day, scraping the glass like fingernails on a blackboard. I probably should have walked.

Usually, I love valet parking. But when the attendant kindly greeted me in the car I’d borrowed (mine had recently deceased in a collision) and requested the keys, I clenched them tightly and said, “You don’t want to drive this car. Just show me the way.” He insisted, though. Sometimes good service is so unwelcome. I skulked out of the vehicle as a hotel porter took my bags and wheeled them off inside. I followed him, hoping no one had seen my entrance…

The service at the check-in counter made everything better. Treated as though I’d just rolled up in a Rolls, I took my room card and made my way down the carpeted halls of the Vineyard to my room.

The Vineyard is on our Rhino Africa list of Favourite Cape Town Hotels. Situated in the leafy southern suburb of Newlands, on the banks of the Liesbeeck River, it’s a quiet haven just outside the city and is a 15 minute drive from all the must-see spots, including the City Bowl, the Atlantic Seaboard (where you’ll find the Camps Bay and Clifton beaches) or the False Bay coast where the seaside hamlets of Kalk Bay and Muizenberg are located.

There are several different kinds of rooms at the Vineyard Hotel – river facing suites, garden facing suites, mountain facing suites, courtyard facing suites, beautiful and spacious cottages tucked away in the Alice in Wonderland-like garden, and more.

My mountain facing suite looked out at, well, Table Mountain (unsurprisingly). It was just right – one higher than the ground floor, with sliding doors opening on to a balcony with table and chairs surrounded by greenery to screen the other rooms’ balconies from each other. Three rooms down, a couple popped open a bottle of Champagne from their patio, shooting the cork into the garden below. Cue: raid own mini bar.

We cracked open some beers – cool and straight from the fridge – and munched the complimentary biscotti. We were at the Vineyard for one of their special gourmet dinner evenings and wine pairings with Wine Concepts and a night’s stay. A knock on the door ushered in a ribboned gift box, complete with a personal note, truffle chocolates, nougat and Moyo creams. My poor man’s complex was fast dissipating. Clearly – as we tucked into the mini bar and wolfed down the mini wine bottles too. “Heck, when in Rome,” was the day’s dictum.

We heeled up and sauntered down the carpeted path to the Square Restaurant where dinner beckoned. The gourmet dinners and wine pairing evenings here have become quite popular. Respectable-looking people stood around chatting to other respectable-looking people. Waiters greeted us with glasses of Genevieve Blanc de Blancs 2009 Chardonnay, as David Ryan, our Rhino Africa Managing Director, arrived to join us with his partner.

Speeches about the wine pairing commenced and the chef spoke about what we could expect on the menu for the night. We were twitching-starving and about ready to bite into the chef’s ribs, when the hostess ushered us to a candle-lit table.

The Vineyard Hotel was originally built in 1799 as a single storey home for Lady Anne Barnard, and now includes new bedrooms designed by highly acclaimed architects Jack Barnett and Revel Fox. So expect class and panache. The decor combines modern and classic styles with a royal touch and makes you want to walk taller, with shoulders back, just being there.

The Square, which seats 130 people, is quite something in itself. Trees dot the area, bringing the outdoors in and creating a warmer, more comfortable atmosphere. Harp and piano music play in the background while water trickles from the fountain. Our glasses were topped with white wine (Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2011 from Bardenhorst Family Wines) and plates arrived for the first course: salad of Provencal vegetables, goat’s cheese pannacotta, cucumber gazpacho, toasted pine nuts and herb salad. And yes, it tasted just as good as it sounds.

Second course was the most perfectly cooked fried Norwegian salmon and slow-cooked duck egg, which, together with the confit beetroot and roast asparagus spears with vermouth abayon, went down as smoothly as water off a nasturtium leaf. This was paired well with Beau Constantia Cecily Viognier 2010.

For mains, we cut into springbok loin, paprika-spiced potato fondant, creamed leeks and roast parsnip puree with cherry jus, washed down with red wine (Gabrielskloof The Blend 2009).

It was by far the best red I’ve had in ages. Reds aren’t really my thing, but I’d elope with this one.

The meals are small and so by the time dessert rings round you don’t feel overly gluttonous as you fork cheesecake, cassis and cranberry jelly with warm Cape gooseberry compote and honey and lavender ice cream into your mouth. I found the accompanying Ridgeback Natural Sweet Viognier 2010 too sweet but it is a dessert wine, so it’s expected. It’s obvious why the Square Restaurant received the Diners Club 2009 and 2010 Diamond Award for its wine list.

The uber cushy white-linen bed in our room was well received and though I’d like to say I continued to raid the mini bar, howl at the moon out my balcony window and make the most of my hotel stay, I faded like a burnt out light.

The thick curtains keep out morning light long after sunrise, but you’ll want to rise early to get the most out of the buffet breakfast on offer here. Colourful doughnuts, cheese platters, croissants, breads, hot breakfasts with sausages and bacon and more, fresh juices, cereals, fruits, yoghurts, and much more.

We soaked awhile in the big tubs in the en suite bathroom –  modern, white and stocked with Charlotte Rhys products – and then pulled up chairs at the Square for breakfast. We paged through the weekend paper, over hot coffee and a breakfast of champions. After all, we’d have to leave soon in a skedonk of a car (that’s a South African expression for a bit of a banger!) and needed the ego-boost.

The gardens are definitely a large part of the Vineyard’s allure. You could spend all day getting lost in its crooks, crossing the river, spotting geese stretching their wings on rocks and the big leopard tortoises, smelling the flowers, tracing the jogging routes with Table Mountain views, and more.

Visit the Vineyard and its restaurants – the Square, Myoga, Splash Café, and the Garden Lounge & Patio – just for a day if you’re in Cape Town and you’ll get a taste of its magic, but for the full course experience, try one of their gourmet dinner evenings and a night or two’s stay.

The next event is on Friday 21st October in the Square Restaurant and there will be wines from the Swartland, paired with a four course gourmet excursion. There are special stay-over rates when booking the wine events. Click here for more information.

Contact the Square Restaurant:

Tel: 021-657-4500
Email: eat@vineyard.co.za
Address: Colinton Road (off Protea Road), Newlands, Cape Town

To book a night at the Vineyard Hotel or to tailor make a Cape holiday that includes the Vineyard, contact one of our travel experts today – or for more information about things to do and accommodation in Cape Town.