I won't lie. It was pretty easy for me to fall in love with the teeny village of McGregor when I first visited it last year. But then again, I go gaga whenever donkeys enter the equation.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the pastoral hamlet is chocolate-box pretty, with its Cape Dutch and Victorian cottages and dusty streets, gently flowing streams and mountainous backdrop. Oh, and did I mention that there's food?

But first, back to the donkeys. Entering town on Voortrekker Street, the motley crew of long-ears await on your right-hand side at Eseltjiesrus, a ‘retirement village’ for downtrodden and mistreated mules run by lovely local couple Johan and Annemarie van Zijl. If you arrange it with them beforehand, they'll take you into the grassy camps where you can murmur sweet nothings into their soft, furry ears (the donkeys’, not the Van Zijls’) as you slip them carrots and brush their coats.

Even if you aren't all that keen to commune with the hoofed ambassadors, a visit is still well worth it purely for the scrumptious tucker served at the resident Eseltjiesrus Country Kitchen. Kitted out in mismatched chairs, cheery multicoloured tablecloths and an old-fashioned wood-burning stove, this quirky country eatery does comfort food best. The highly recommended home-made lamb-shank pie comes on a platter brimming with fresh salad, seeds and fruit, while vegetarians are also well catered for with the likes of veggie kormas and lentil-nut roasts.

In town, an English breakfast at The Frangipani, which is situated in a lovely renovated Victorian fronted by a sweet-smelling frangipani tree, is a pretty good bet, with free-range eggs courtesy of co-owner Glynn's laying hens, perfectly crisp bacon, and excellent coffee. The rest of the menu is seasonal and slow-cooked, so you can dig into everything from home-made pastas to duck pies and gourmet burgers.

If you need to walk off any over-indulgence before your next gourmet sitting, head over to Rhebokskraal Olive Estate, where Annalien van der Colff will take you on a guided amble through the farm's olive groves, and treat you to tastings of everything from olive oils and tapenades to fresh fruit juices.

Speaking of strolling, a meander through Temenos Health Retreat’s lush, maze-like garden is a must before indulging in on-site restaurant Tebaldi's Italian fare. Set in a thatched Cape Dutch building, the elegant eatery is named after opera diva Renata Tebaldi and stars an ever-changing selection, with favourites including truffle-oil-dotted asparagus and sun-dried tomato risotto, and rolled sirloin atop Parmesan mash drizzled with red-wine and berry sauce.

My fellow foodie-travelling friend Ilze recently told me about a brand-new addition to the McGregor eating-out beat, Karoux Restaurant that I can't wait to try out. Run by Kurt and André Middleton-Le Roux, the eatery sports an old-fashioned 16mm movie projector silently screening black-and-white classics on the wall, and a blackboard menu scribbled with an array of made-from-scratch signature dishes including duck springrolls, wild mushroom and leek risotto and Karoo lamb cutlets.

Heading back towards Cape Town on the R60, you can soften the blow of leaving behind the bevy of Jacks, Jennies and jolly good restaurants by popping into Klipdrift's humorously curated headquarters for a knertsie, stock up on freshly roasted beans at Strictly Coffee, and sample some of the Robertson Wine Valley's lauded wines. I know I usually do.

By Annette Klinger

Picture: The author with her new friend.