Tuesday, April 09, 2024

In MENU This Issue, London Bistro at The Hyde, Overberg Weekend, Agulhas Triangle Festival


This time, most of our stories are part of one big story – a visit to the Agulhas Triangle area of the Western Cape Overberg and they are all connected with the Agulhas Triangle Wine Festival. The Triangle is, undoubtedly, the coolest area in our wine country. As Strandveld winemaker Conrad Vlok said, “Winter starts early here”. This gives the cool climate varietals which thrive there a special quality. See our story about the Festival to read more about it. Look at the places where we ate and slept… and think about visiting there yourself

Supper in The Hyde Hotel's London Road Bistro


Hyperli is an on-line site selling vouchers for bargain meals for two people. They sell other things which might be contentious, but we stick to the meals and accommodation! The deals are in and around the big cities in SA. We have tried a few meals and accommodation deals over the years and have not been disappointed. Lynne had bought one to try as the Hyde Hotel is local (London Road, in Sea Point) and it sounded good

We were there recently for the launch of Bruce Jack's Jack at SKYE Rooftop Bar on the roof. They have off-street parking in their underground garage, useful as parking in the street is limited Read on…

Lunch at Fick's Pool, Hermanus

Friends from the Netherlands have been visiting for several weeks. We wanted to take them to the Triangle Wine Festival in Elim, so we planned a great weekend for them and another couple. We drove down on Friday and had a reasonably good trip to Hermanus until a huge boat, called Shangri-La, slipped off its trailer in Somerset West, causing absolute traffic chaos. We planned to stop for lunch en route in Hermanus. A place, recommended by locals, which was totally new to us, despite our many visits to the area

It is a great find. Fick's Pool is tidal, and was apparently dynamited out of the rocks by a local farmer named Fick. It opens at 1pm and you have to get there promptly as they do not take bookings. Read on…

Doornbosch Guest Farm

Searching on line for good out of town accommodation can be arduous; after many searches, Lynne had almost given up. We needed a place for 3 couples and, at our age, we all want our own bathrooms, a view and space. We were planning to go to the Triangle Wine Festival in Elim for the weekend and she found this marvellous place at the last moment; almost every other affordable place was already booked

It is called Doornbosch and is between Baardskeerderbos and Elim. Read on…

Supper at Marietjie's Pub & Grill, Baardskeerdersbos

We have been to Marietjie's Pub and Grill in Baardskeerdersbos a few times. This time, it was just 7 kilometres from our accommodation, so that sorted out supper on our first night in the area. At weekends, you'll need to book; it's a popular place. Read on...

The Agulhas Triangle wine festival at Black Oystercatcher

We had attended the previous Triangle Wine Festival which showcased the excellent wines of the area so well and were very keen to attend this one. The venue had changed to Black Oystercatcher Wine Farm. Elim is quite a distance from Cape Town so we had arranged good accommodation just 9 kilometres away and drove down on Friday and visited the festival on Saturday. Read on…

Elim, in the heart of the Agulhas Triangle

Our route to the Agulhas Festival took us through the historic village called Elim. It has its roots in wine production, something we believe that too few people know. it is appropriate that the Agulhas Wine Festival took place on an Elim estate. Read on…

This story and all previous stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Posted by MENU at 11:56 am 0 comments

Elim, in the heart of the Agulhas Triangle

Our route to the Agulhas Festival took us through the historic village called Elim
It has its roots in wine production, something we believe that too few people know
it is appropriate that the Agulhas Wine Festival took place on an Elim estate

We can do no better than to quote Wikipedia to tell you the basic facts about it:

"Elim is a village on the Agulhas Plain in the Western Cape of South Africa. It was established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station. When selecting the location, the missionaries placed a high priority on the proximity of water and on terrain that was suitable for planting vines so that wine for communion could be produced. As well as preaching the Gospel, the missionaries taught the villagers a variety of trades and skills. Elim's thatchers continue to be renowned for their craftsmanship

The village is picturesque and has changed little over the years. It is filled with whitewashed cottages, fruit trees and fynbos. All the roads in the village lead to the thatch roofed church. The community, still mainly Moravian, consists of farmers, farm workers and artisans.

Elim is becoming known for the export of fynbos, and as an emerging area in the production of wine"

These photographs were taken on a miserable, damp Saturday; there were very few people out braving the weather

The quality of the thatching on this bus stop gives a good indication of the craftsmanship in the community 

a farm with horses at the edge of the village


The village as one sees it when entering from the Bredasdorp end

Brightly coloured thatched cottages line the main road

A row of immaculate thatched cottages

A rare tin roof

A neighbourly chat



This cottage could be 200 years old, but still in great condition

The immaculate state of most of these houses is a testament to the pride of their inhabitants
A wonderful example for so many other villages and townships in South Africa to follow

The Moravian church is the heart of the village and stands at the top of the main road through the village

These photographs were taken as we drove through and reflect only a few of the lovely local cottages
A better opportunity to see the village will happen in August when they celebrate their 200th anniversary
We could not find a web link, but more information may be found on their Facebook page


All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Posted by MENU at 10:33 am 0 comments
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