Franschhoek, a two-hour drive from Cape Town, is considered South Africa's culinary capital. It is one of the oldest and most picturesque of the country's towns, the mountain-encircled valley having first been settled in 1688 by a group of French Huguenots, protestant refugees fleeing religious persecution. Many of the farmhouses, built in the Cape Dutch style with thatched roofs and ornate white gables, remain and are surrounded by verdant gardens and vineyards.
Modern visitors could be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled upon a slice of heaven - a feeling that may well come to mind again when sampling the fine food and wine this epicurean haven has to offer.
We asked Reuben Riffel, a renowned South African chef and the talent behind one of Franschhoek's top dining hot spots, Reuben's, about his favourite local restaurants.
www.lqf.co.za
No foodie trip to this part of South Africa is complete without a visit to this boutique hotel and restaurant complex. Regularly voted one of the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants, The Tasting Room, helmed by Dutch-born chef Margot Janse, offers an exquisite culinary safari. The restrained decor, by set designer Herbert Janse - the chef's brother - and the artwork by artist Maud Sumner, provide an ideal backdrop for a meal that will excite and challenge in equal measure.
Janse's surprise tasting menu is the one gourmets should go for: its nine courses are African-inspired, balancing surprise with nostalgia, and use the freshest of seasonal ingredients, many of which have been grown in Le Quartier's garden or sourced from small local producers. The menu, served for dinner only, is paired with local wines.