The Harts Honeymoon in South Africa: Babylonstoren

An evening at Babylonstoren is more than a meal, it is an experience. The site of one of the original Cape Dutch farms (from 1692), this spot was at the top of our “must see” list. But you see, we didn’t do it quite right. We had made a reservation well in advance for the onsite restaurant Babel, as is basically required to get a table. From there, we planned to arrive early to do some wine tasting and explore the vast gardens before dinner.

What I didn’t realize was that everything closes at least an hour before the restaurant opens for the evening, at least in the winter. And it is really far from everything else. We even had a bit of trouble getting transportation back to our hotel after our meal, but thankfully the restaurant host found us a (not inexpensive) option that prevented us from being stranded for the evening. Although this was the only time a meal at Babel worked in our schedule, if you have a choice I would recommend one of two things. Option 1 would be to book a night at the onsite hotel. Everything about this property is lovely and I would have been happy with even more time to explore. And to enjoy the gorgeous spa (seriously, check out these pictures). With rooms starting at R6600 ($463) in the low season when we were there, this is definitely a splurge, but it is hard to imagine a more beautiful and relaxing place to spend the night. Option 2 would be to make lunch reservations at Babel, coming to the vineyard and gardens during the day when everything is open. Regardless, if we return, I would be comfortable renting a car to explore Cape Town and the surrounding areas, which would make access easier. But also make wine drinking more limited. Anyway, that’s just my two cents.

One might think that with wine tasting and literally everything else closed for the day, we had nothing to do for the hour or so until dinner. That would be incorrect. When we first arrived, we made a beeline for the wine tasting room, marveling at its beautiful simplicity, before learning they were already closed.

From there, we wandered toward the gardens. Technically, these were also closed, but no one stopped us as we wandered. The quiet gardens were bathed in the magical light that can only be found before sunset, beautiful even in winter. Words are inadequate, so I’ll just share many, many pictures.

As darkness fell, we waited in the hotel “lobby” until we could be seated in the restaurant. The room was cozy and the warm fire was welcome.

Then it was time for the main event. I would never have guessed that the restaurant, which felt bright even at night, was once a cow shed. Babel is the epitome of farm to table, with a commitment to seasonal ingredients, many of which are harvested directly from the gardens.

We were greeted with glasses of Babylonstoren’s Sprankel - a bubbly, aged chardonnay - to celebrate our honeymoon. As we were sipping that and reviewing the menu, a selection of current produce, including several varieties of delicious winter citrus, was brought to our table to enjoy.

It was difficult to decide what to order. The first course, called Introduction, was divided by color. I settled on Yellow - a root vegetable and citrus carpaccio to which I added spicy fried calamari.

Brandon chose Green - a savory miso and yuzu broth with greens and seared tiger prawns.

To choose among the main courses was even more difficult. I, of course, chose the lamb Cape Malay curry, which I paired with a glass of shiraz. Brandon’s choice was the beef filet. All main courses are served with sides for the table from that day’s harvest.

The meal was incredible. In fact, in what might be a first, we did not even save room for dessert. Babylonstoren is a special place. Whether you go for a meal at Babel (or for lunch at the Greenhouse or Bakery), to taste some wine, or simply to check out the gardens, this is a spot anyone visiting Cape Town or the Cape Winelands should add to their list.