The Restaurant at Grande Provence in Franschhoek offers the best of old and new, from the modern food and décor to the classic wines and the estate’s 300-year history.

Farm egg, foraged mushrooms, smoked pork belly, forest nest, pine and Zinfandel smoke dome. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Food

Darren Badenhorst is a talented young chef who creates modern fine-dining food drawing inspiration from many other cuisines. His food is beautifully presented without sacrificing taste, and his harmonious approach to texture and flavour means he knows exactly when to stop.
Lunch and dinner offer a three-course menu option, and for dinner little surprise tastings are served between courses. The menu follows the seasons, but you can expect delectable dishes such as ocean risotto with barrel-smoked langoustine, white mussels, seaweed brittle, turmeric confit patagonica and crab. Salt-cured duck dim sum in a ginger-flavoured umami-rich broth is just the thing to warm up a winter’s evening. The menu offers a variety of meat, game and vegetarian dishes.
Dessert is a highlight: you may find honey bavarois or spheres of chocolate mousse on the menu. If there is a comment to be made on this almost faultless menu offering, it is a request for more emphasis on local products, sensitivity towards Sassi green-listed fish and fewer imported ingredients.

Drinks

Wine recommendations accompany all dishes. The wine list draws exclusively from the Grande Provence portfolio, at a 100% mark-up on the cellar door price.

Service

Service is attentive, warm and friendly. Staff members are knowledgeable about the menu and wine.

The Restaurant at Grande Provence. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

Ambience

The beautiful outside area, shaded with trees and decorated with exquisite art and water features, is perfect for lunch or a sultry evening meal. The restaurant features a modern style, with comfortable high-back chairs, and dark, smoky hues of grey and blue contrasted by crisp white. It is an elegant space, a mixture of modern chic blended with industrial touches.

Honey bavarois spiced honey pot, hazelnut meringue, wild rose apple, almonds, vanilla crumble. Photo courtesy of the restaurant

And…

Get family and friends together and book a traditional French-inspired rustic picnic lunch during the summer months (from November to April) to soak up the exquisite beauty of Grande Provence and the Franschhoek Valley.

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