Situated on the idyllic estate of Babylonstoren, Babel mixes the honest aesthetic of the farm with clean, contemporary design.

The mood: Once a humble cowshed, the restaurant has been beautifully reworked into a modern Cape Dutch space, which celebrates the breathtaking vistas of the garden and surrounding mountains. Large panels of glass help to bring the outside in, but the interior remains welcoming, friendly and unpretentious.

The designer: Owner, Karen Roos, and Maranda Engelbrecht (of Manna Epicure) collaborated to produce the décor. The design really took shape after Karen found a beautiful tile panel of a bull at an international design festival. After that, says Maranda, the rest followed rather easily. “We used the colours of the cows, and different textures of white and grey, like powdery cheese and shiny yoghurt.”?

The details: “We don’t use flowers,” explains Maranda. Instead, tables are adorned with fresh seasonal vegetables. “We’ve got so much gorgeous Savoy cabbage at the moment,” says Maranda. “So we’re using big heads of it on the table.” Old basins in the centre are a nod to the farm’s history, while old walls have been retained to preserve the building as a true piece of heritage. ?

The food: The food is fresh, innovative and epitomises the ‘farm-to-fork’ concept. The menu is driven by the restaurant’s magnificent garden, which boasts 11 types of thyme and 41 varieties of plum tree. “If there’s an interesting berry, leaf or fruit, we’re going to show it to you; let you feel it, smell it and taste it,” says food and beverage manager, Anelle van Tonder. Salads are a work of art, and are named by their colour rather than ingredients. Choose from a green salad, a red salad, or a yellow one. Meat is free-range and sourced as locally as possible.?

Does Babel have what it takes to win the Boschendal Style Award?