Vendôme Wine Estate — Hotel in Drakenstein Local Municipality

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of dining at the restaurant at Vendôme Wine Estate, situated in the heart of fruit and wine country in the Paarl. The wine estate features vineyards as well as peach, plum & apricot orchards. The restaurant itself has an historic South African farmhouse feel to it. One can sit outdoors - in the shade of the beautiful Oak trees and a view of the Klein Drakenstein mountains, or indoors - in the high-ceilinged dining area beneath the old-worlde chandeliers and ceiling beams. There is also plenty of space for weddings, parties and corporate events. The congenial host has recently taken over the operation of the restaurant and has created the scrumptious menu from scratch. Each item appearing is there on merit - and more delicious options are planned for the near future. All foods are made fresh on the premises... even the hamburger buns - a thing of beauty - are baked by the talented chef. Breakfast is served all day, so I ordered the eggs benedict and was extremely happy with them. The eggs were poached to perfection and I especially enjoyed the hollandaise sauce. One of my friends ordered the pizza, which was beautifully presented and chock-full of flavoursome toppings. I had a taste and I rate it as one of the best pizzas I've ever had: the crust was perfect - crisp, but with no sharp edges, and the toppings were fresh and tasty. The flavours worked extremely well together. Another friend ordered the beef burger, which was substantial and attractively presented. I tried it and can say, unequivocally, that this is the best hamburger I have ever tasted. The meat was perfect - with just the right amount of fat, and no breadcrumbs or other additives to take away from the experience. The homemade bun was the perfect complement to the juicy, flavourful patty. As far as liquid refreshments go, the cappucino was exquisite and hit the spot - velvety-smooth, yet strong enough to satisfy. The final surprise - and an extremely pleasant one at that - was the bill: it was far less than I would have expected to pay for such top-notch food. (It compares favourably against Mugg & Bean, Cafe Vida, etc.) Folks, this is seriously good value for money! And, given the proximity to Cape Town - especially the Northern Suburbs and West Coast - this is the ideal place to take your family (there is a lovely play area for the little ones) or for a romantic breakfast/brunch/lunch getaway for you and your significant other. From past experience, I know that the wines produced on the farm are excellent, and I look forward to seeing them available for consumption at the restaurant in the near future. I will definitely be coming back and I am telling all my friends to make a point of visiting this outstanding gem of a...

A new restaurant opened at Verdome - Bon Lois on 1 March and what an beautiful experience this was... The look and feel of this restaurant is french inspired and set between vinyards, trees and gardens - absolutely breath taking!!! In the evening they have all these lights outside and under te trees that makes you feel like you are in a different world of beauty! But most importantly the food is out of this world... You can see the love they put into the food they make. Presented beautifully and the taste is something you must experience! Go ahead... Try the duck burger... I dare you! They also have a beautiful kiddies area that is safe and secured from any danger... This place is a must!!!! I will be...

What a lovely place and willing staff to make this a wonderful place to be. We ordered burgers and the brioche buns used was old and broke while you cut it it hold it. The patties over grilled. The Kalahari burger sounds good when the waiter explained it but disappointing when served. The sweet potato chips was over cooked and soggy when cold. The price point has to compliment the food and they failed us today. The restaurant is quite and the manager did not check on her/his food. Our family joined us and had the creme brûlée, heated in a microwave oven, lumpy at the top and hot and runny...