Our latest nominee for the Boschendal Style Award is no stranger to the limelight, but a recent redesign means its star is shining even brighter.

The Restaurant:

Although it consistently wins awards around the world, the team at The Tasting Room is not resting on their laurels. A recent facelift by Dutch designer Herbert Janse (who also happens to be Margot’s brother) brings the current global trend of fun dining to Franschhoek.

The food:

When we sent reviewer Andy Fenner to try out the new menu recently, he returned somewhat gobsmacked, but refused to tell us what he ate. The reason? The menu is a surprise: diners at the Tasting Room choose simply whether to have five courses or eight.

He did reveal that local ingredients like buchu, granadilla, waterblommetjies and venison make an appearance.

“It’s a night where you’ll shake your head in admiration and find yourself with a stupid smile on your face – more than once. A meal where you eat rocks, cigars and a bowl of cheese will do that to you,” says Andy.

The x-factor:

Designer Herbert Janse says he aimed for “more adventure, less 'table and chair' experience”, when tackling the redesign. Lighting is unusual and environmentally friendly, emanating from behind a wall of multi-coloured ropes, designed as a cross-section of an African-inspired mountain range.

Furniture is simple, elegant and very comfortable. New chairs, upholstered with a raw denim, together with oak and blackwood tables were made by Stuart Davies, with wood from trees that once grew where the new Franschhoek dam was built.

And the final touches? There is a massive chandelier made of over 2000 balls and 20 lights, “like fixed oxygen in the air”, explains Herbert, neon signage, Parisian candy-wrap paper on the entrance walls and 20 Dutch antique fair lamps sprinkled over the ceiling. All in all, a far-cry from the starchy fine dining experience one might expect at such a restaurant.

Does the Tasting Room have that it takes to win the Boschendal Style Award at the Eat Out DStv Food Network Restaurant Awards?