The Culinary Delights of South Africa’s Beautiful Cape

One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is home to people from diverse cultures and ethnic groups, each contributing to the array of tastes and smells a visitor can expect to enjoy when dining in one of Cape Town’s many restaurants. 

Typically a good Cape Town restaurant will be reasonably priced and serve well prepared dishes that will linger in your memories long after you have left the city. This article will highlight some of the great flavors, places and influences which give Cape Town restaurants their unique character. To truly experience Cape Town you should try to include dishes from various Cape Town restaurants influenced by different cultures.

Probably the biggest cultural influence on Cape Town’s traditional food comes from Cape Malay cooking traditions. Truly South African dishes like Bobotie, Breyani, Samoosas and Koeksisters are all brought to us by the Cape Malay culture. 

Bobotie is made from minced meat and raisins, with a creamy crust for a covering made from egg. The dish has a sweet taste and is a South African favorite. Breyani is a dish made from rice and lentils, with fish, chicken or other meat. This is a tasty, yet spicy meal, which is popular in Cape Town. The samoosa is a very popular snack in Cape Town and South Africa, made by wrapping mince-meat or vegetables in pastry and then deep frying it. For the sweet tooth there is the legendary koeksister, a sweet pastry often enjoyed with a cup of tea. The Cape Malay version has a more cake-like consistency, while the Afrikaner adaption comes in the form of a twisted pastry glazed in syrup, making for a very sweet treat.

Visitors to Cape Town can chose from a variety of African fusion restaurants which will give you an unforgettable taste experience as traditional African ingredients are combined in adventurous dishes that will tantalize your taste buds. The menus typically offer a tremendous range, catering to diverse tastes and satisfying your palate, no matter how particular it may be.

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a development which has grown around a working harbor, where you can shop till you drop, then visit museums and galleries, see weird and wonderful sea life in the famous Two Oceans Aquarium, and dine in one of the fabulous restaurants looking out over the harbor. This is one of Cape Town’s big tourist draw cards, and after visiting you will know exactly why the Waterfront is such a popular spot.

Camps Bay beach is a popular spot for the young and trendy.  Enjoy the beautiful white sand and warm sunshine, but remember to protect yourself with a good sun block. The water is known to be a bit on the chilly side, but it does serve to provide refreshing relief from the midsummer heat.  Here you can expect to find Cape Town restaurants offering top caliber seaside dining.

Taking a walk around the Castle in the city center or browsing the stalls on Greenmarket Square can work up an appetite, which one of the Cape Town City Centre restaurants will satisfy with style.  There are a variety of good restaurants to be found on Shortmarket Street, New Church Street, Castle Street, Long Street, Loop Street and the likes.

False Bay offers some stunning seaside restaurants, notably those in Kalk Bay, where you can enjoy the best of Cape Town’s more casual dining locations, with the cry of gulls over breaking waves lending a charming character to the setting.

Green Point has a lively nightlife with old style disco clubs and music for the liberal tourist to enjoy a night out. There are a variety of restaurants where you can enjoy anything from sophisticated cocktails to imported Belgian beers with your meal.

Sea Point’s Beach Road has a couple of good restaurants offering a view of the promenade where rollerblading, jogging and dog walking are popular activities under the summer sun. Enjoy a hearty meal here and sip on a drink as the sunsets and Cape Town’s nightlife awakens.

Southern Suburbs restaurants range from sports pubs to the finest French cuisine restaurants on beautiful Constantia wine estates. Newlands hosts Cape Town’s cricket and rugby stadiums, where international events are common place, resulting in a frenzy of patriotism and a great atmosphere for visitors to the city to enjoy.

The Winelands are just a short drive outside of the city, where wine tasting is the order of the day. Enjoy a wide variety of restaurants on the various wine farms offering wine tasting and great dishes for the hungry tourist. The beauty of Stellenbosch and Franschoek make for a breathtaking escape from city life where you can enjoy the best food, wine and hospitality.

Come visit the Cape and enjoy a rich diversity of scenery, people and tastes.  Road Travel Africa is passionate about South Africa and specialize in culinary packages and tours, so get in touch with us to make sure you know which restaurants and establishments will make your taste buds happy 😉

Special De-Stress Packages in the Winelands of South Africa

Last Sunday we were reading the paper, and lo and behold, the first of the Christmas Special Editions found its way in there already!  I don’t know if its just me… but I get tired just looking at all the Christmas adds and specials…  A lot of us might need a little bit of a break before the big break.  Some much needed “me time” before we all go on holiday and get together with the family and friends.  Here I’d like to share two great options for you to consider.  This would also fit in perfectly with a Cape Town and Safari Tour.  Rejuvenate before we celebrate, and then we’ll look at detox next year 😉

Rosendal Winery and Wellness Lodge is a wine estate that was established in 1805, and offers beautiful scenery, a spa with treatment facilities, a great country restaurant, a small intimate wine cellar and game drives close by.  You can choose from lovely exclusive rooms in the guesthouse and grape based treatments in the spa.  The Guesthouse is a haven of serenity, each en-suite room is tastefully furnished with colonial furniture and every room overlooks the vineyards, pond or the beautiful gardens.  At the on-site spa and wellness center you can shed your cares and surrender yourself to the quality of personal service, unique to a small luxury establishment.  The Spa and Wellness Center offer qualified therapists offering traditional treatments using products from wine grapes, enriched with antioxidants.  The Spa also offer the option of outdoor treatments, a swimming pool, an outdoor cooling tank and an outdoor Jacuzzi.

The Rosendal is offering a De-Stress Spa Formula, with which you will be invited to relax and get in touch with yourself in the most tranquil surroundings.  The treatments in the package focus on the complete feeling of wellness, with an African Wood massage, and a Theravine Balancing or Hydrating Facial.  The therapist will evaluate your skin and recommend a facial suitable for you.  The gentleman will also have an African Wood massage and a purifying back treatment.

You will be met on arrival with a refreshing drink, then you can dip into the pool, go for a walk or just un-wind with sundowners and enjoy the spectacular views of the valley.  On the first evening you will taste the awarded Rosendal Range and let the staff tell you all about the wine before dinner a-la carte at Rosendal Restaurant by Michelin chef David Godin, followed by coffee.  The next morning you can go for an early morning walk.  It’s the best time to get some exercise, and you could also take a look at the wine orchards.  Enjoy a cold and/or hot breakfast from the kitchen, with Rosendal sparkling wine.  After breakfast meet up at the Spa for your African Wood Massage.  Relax by the pool, at the room or at the Spa.  Lunch will be enjoyed with a glass at Rosendal’s restaurant.  This afternoon after lunch you will meet up again for your second Spa Treatment, which is a Theravine Hydrating or Balancing Facial for the lady and a Purifying back treatment for the gentleman.   After your treatments you can take some time to relax with sundowners on the patio whilst watching the sun set.

This evening you will enjoy a choice of three course a-la-carte dinner as well as coffee from David’s restaurant again.  On your last morning, you will relax on the stoep with freshly brewed coffee, and then enjoy a breakfast menu with eggs of your choice, fresh fruits and a number of creative breakfast dishes served in the restaurant.  To make this awesome experience complete, you may choose your favorite Rosendal wine from the Rosendal Range to take home with you.

The Franschhoek Country House & Villas is a five star hotel in the heart of the Franschhoek valley, and is complimented by the well-known Monneaux Restaurant.  Situated on the outskirts of the Franschoek Village, it is a great base to indulge your tastes for fine wines and world-class cuisine.  The luxurious Villa Suites offer you opulence and space in a relaxed country setting. The spacious lounge includes comfortable seating arrangements, an in-room dining facility, mini-bar, entertainment system with satellite TV, fireplace, air-conditioned, DVD player and music throughout the suite.  The separate bedroom is luxuriously appointed with all the expected amenities and facilities, lush duvets, quality percale linen and a choice of pillows to make you feel at home.

The Monneaux Restaurant serves an inspired contemporary take on classic dishes.  Lunch is enjoyed on the fountain terrace under a spreading pepper tree while dinner is enjoyed in the elegant but relaxed dinning room in the original manor house.  You can pamper yourself with a range of treatments including massages, reflexology, facials, manicures, pedicures and signature treatments.  This is the perfect way to relax and unwind.  The qualified and very professional staff all look forward to spoiling you at the welcoming and intimate treatment room.

We are delighted to offer a Two Night Villa Suite Dinner & Spa Package at The Franschhoek Country House & Villas.  This package for two includes your stay in the luxurious Villa Suite, with a three-course dinner on one of the evenings and a generous R500 Spa voucher per couple.  This special is valid from 5 November to 20 December 2012 and again 3 to 31 January 2013.  Contact us at Road Travel to book your pamper package in Franschhoek today!

Spring Special at Sante

Spring has sprung and the spa is waiting 🙂  Shake off the winter woolies and indulge in a wickedly indulgent spa break at the lovely Sante Hotel, Resort & Spa.  Road Travel is delighted to offer the Sante Spring Special, valid until 30 Nov.’11.  If you are in the mood for a fabulous mini-break to recover from winter or prepare for summer then head to the gorgeous Cape Winelands and the Sante Hotel, Resort & Spa for an offer you cant refuse.  Contact Road Travel today to book your amazing stay @ Only ZAR 975.00 Per Person Sharing Per Night, which will include Luxury Accommodation, Breakfast, Two Course Dinner, Access tot he Hydrotherapy facilities including indoor heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, experience showers and relaxation areas, welcome drink, welcome foot soak & scrub, 10 minute signature Dr Fish Treatment, 30 minute Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage with Grapeseed Back Exfoliation and a 30 minute Chardonnay Facial.

Flanked by the majestic Simonsberg mountain range, Santé Hotel Resort & Spa combines a luxury hotel with conference facilities and an award-winning wellness centre, in the heart of the winelands in ‘the Fairest Cape’.  With its breathtaking position on a 160 hectare working wine estate in the picturesque Paarl / Franschhoek Valley just 40 minutes from Cape Town International airport, Santé Hotel Resort & Spa is dedicated to a health and wellness lifestyle.

The hotel’s fine dining restaurant presents a gourmet menu following international trends and drawing on local delicacies.  All dishes are prepared using only the freshest ingredients, sourced locally as well as from their own organic fruit, vegetable and herb gardens.  Openness and beauty is key – and all windows and French doors overlook the mountains and lake.  The rooms are stylish and luxurious, with marble finishes, deluxe bathrooms, full cupboards, and writing desks.  Each room is equipped with a butler station, and 24-hour in-room dining service is offered.  Satellite TV channels and DVD’s are also available.  Beds are turned down in the evening and rooms are serviced daily.

The bathrooms are complete with separate showers and baths.  Marble vanities include a personal hidden hairdryer and a full range of internationally acclaimed cosmetics and toiletries are provided for guests to pamper themselves with.  Make-up mirrors, Mediterranean-style bathrobes and slippers complete the luxurious feel of the rooms.  At Santé Wellness Centre and Spa, they offer traditional esthetic services such as face, body, hand and foot care, along with specialty treatments including the world renowned Guinot Hydradermie that gives you a ‘non-surgical facelift’, Stone Therapy Massage, world class sport rehabilitation and homeopathics.  Contact us at Road Travel to share in the magic that is Sante.