i had a lovely time with my girlfriend at the Art Hotel , The staff were wonderful, the Sheff Derek was lovely and came to chat to us , We had Pork chops that were the very tasty and with crackling and veggies that were crispy, My girlfriend had the Chickpea burger with lots of nice Avo on the side that she was very impressed with, The Local wine was well priced per glass and the total cost of our dinner came to less than R400 Including a tip and Nicole had two glasses of wine , I atmosphere was homely with a roaring fire and beautiful artworks on the walls around us , The hotel itself has lots of charm and has a pool and a pool table and a movie house that shows free movies with popcorn on Fridays , I look forward to my next meal at the Hotel, Graham and Nicole

We spent yet another sunny weekend off the best and track at the Barrydale Karoo Art Hotel. Our room was truly beautiful, with its own balcony and views over the vineyards towards the mountains beyond. Apart from over indulging in much food and drinking a tad to much bubbly, we had a fantastic time. For dinner the chef suggested the fig phyllo pastry which got my mouth watering - so delicious! That was followed by the fillet which was perfected grilled with a fresh side salad. We loved the Joubert Tradouw Syrah - a well known locally produced wine. The following morning I had a tough time deciding what to have for breakfast from the wide variety of options. I was tempted to have the kippers - but in the end I opted for the omelette with the works, which was an excellent choice. The fresh fruit and muesli offered a good dose of vitamins. We will be back for more.

I have stayed at the Karoo Art Hotel on various occasions over the last few years, with Barrydale being a quiet place to spend a relaxing weekend. An important consideration in choosing the hotel has been the consistently good dining offering. My most recent visit, this past weekend, once again confirmed why the restaurant experience is an important part of staying at the hotel. The restaurant menu generally offers a good choice of meat main dishes, including steak and Karoo lamb chops, so I am inclined to select one of those. However, having found that it has become increasingly difficult to find pan-fried trout on restaurant menus, I was thrilled to see this as an option. I was even more pleased when the trout arrived and proved to have been perfectly prepared. Enjoyed with one of the excellent local wines (Joubert-Tradauw Chardonnay), the choice confirmed why I will try even harder to find this offering on menus when selecting restaurants. The informative and award-winning wine list is worth special mention. It includes premium wines from throughout the Winelands, but the selection of a good number of wines from the Klein Karoo makes this an enjoyable alternative. One of the pleasures of spending a weekend at the hotel has always been the leisurely breakfasts, this being an important reason I try to arrive on Friday nights rather than during the day on Saturday. When I go away for weekends I usually treat myself to Eggs Benedict as this is something I’ve never mastered at home. The hotel’s version, served on specially prepared muffins, continues to please, making it (for me) an obvious choice even though there is a wide and enticing range of breakfast options.

What an awesome evening. The restaurant certainly lends itself to slightly larger but intimate gatherings, a feat that few restaurants actually manage. My partner and i were there to celebrate a good friends birthday along with 30 other people and by the end of the evening there was a definite connection, so thats ambience and atmosphere properly taken care of. I had a beef filet and my partner had a Karoo lamb curry. We have a habit of always sampling each others choices so i can only speak for 2 dishes but they were both so tasty that we went back the next day for breakfast, which was equally top class. I will definitely be returning there. The best food and the friendliest and most efficient service. You would be hard pushed to find anything to equal it even in a big city like Cape Town. Highly recommended.

On Saturday evening I enjoyed what I consider to be the best ever pan fried trout I ever enjoyed in a South African restaurant. The trout was reared high up in the mountains above the village of Montagu. Dusted with maize meal mixed with almond flour an covered with flaked almonds, the inside filed with slices of lemon and dill. Panfried in butter with a few capers and a hint of dill. Served with the first baby potatoes of the season and wonderful broad beans. Simple and honest. In Michelin terms: worth the journey from Cape Town. Breakfast included Farmer Angus beef cippolatas and incredibly surprising sliced sun ripe tomatoes. I stayed in the garden suite -altogether a wonderful dinner, a refreshing breakfast and a jovial and entertaining chef. I will be back.