Our latest nominee for the Boschendal Style Award uses elegant, understated design to bring the gorgeous gardens inside.

The restaurant 
Situated at the five star Relais & Châteaux hotel, The Cellars-Hohenort, The Greenhouse  took home the award for Restaurant of the Year at last year’s Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards. 

This year, chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Gerald van der Walt are showcasing South Africa on a plate with dishes like rooibos-cured trout and inkomazi with Madagascan prawn mayonnaise, chive inkomasi, rooibos vetkoek, Cape gooseberry, and smoked snoek broth; and perlemoen with a tartare of tuna, bokbaaivygie, crispy rice, white asparagus and jalapeno. For a different take on foie gras, try the ‘foie grasnola and big numnum purée’, which is seared foie, served with honey-nut granola, parsnip and onion confit.

The x-factor
Interior designers HotCocoa were called in to create a unique space for the 45-seater restaurant.

Architect David Misplon was briefed to design a simple Victorian greenhouse. The existing cottage pane doors were used, along with additional cottage pane windows fitted with sheets of glass, to create a simple greenhouse, making the most of the beautiful gardens outside.

“The lighting called for a different approach and I wanted to create warm pools of moody light. These lights give accent to the plants, feature wallpaper and tables. A simple and subtle way of showing off the star attraction – the food,” explains Dawn Dickerson of HotCocoa.

To keep the noise down – always an important factor – new cork tiles were used for the flooring. A traditional Sanderson fern print on the wallpaper is echoed in the chairs.

Ultimately, the effect is simple understated elegance, a perfect foil for the food of Peter Tempelhoff.

Does The Greenhouse have what it takes to win the Boschendal Style Award at this year's Eat Out Awards?