Food for the soul: Babylonstoren

The Glass House (photo by Tazzer)

By far my greatest inspiration in South Africa was a visit to the wine farm Babylonstoren in Franschoek. It has everything that I love: Gardens, old buildings, bakery, good food, wine, refreshing style and a beautiful setting.

It is the life's work of Koos Bekker and Karen Roos, and is to wine farms what chic bush lodges like Singita and Londilozi are to safari style.

The Garden: Photo by Babylonstoren

We went on a garden tour of the several acres of organic kitchen gardens and it is amazing to see what has been achieved in just 4 years. I'm most encouraged to try a few herbs here again on the island, sorely needed for the bakery's sandwiches and new salad range.

 

 

The farm has two restaurants - The Greenhouse for light lunches - where we ate and Babel - a proper restaurant where I chatted to the chef and had a look at the menu - all seasonal and using local produce and from the garden. 'Babel' has had mixed reviews and is apparently hard to get into, but we'll certainly try the next time we're in Cape Town, for the visual feast alone!

 

 

Beautifully presented using the organic produce from the garden & charcuterie

 

 



 

If this isn't enough the farm also has a stunning bakery, a charcuterie, a wine shop (with the wine it makes on the farm) a deli with delicious things like olive oils and Weck jars and a cheesery - with lots of gorgeous local cheeses (Dalesford is next door).

 

 

 

 

Last photos by Tazzer. Blurry ones are mine



We visited in Winter, so we asked our garden guide which was the best time for the garden and he said this month, September, as it is spectacular in Spring with all the fruit blossoms and the flowering indigenous clivias - see below.

 

Clivias (photo by Babylonstoren)

 

 Babylonstoren really is food for the soul in every way and I've brought back a lot of fresh ideas to use in the bakery. It really is worth a visit the next time you are in Cape Town or a virtual one online.