Beguiled by glorious mountain and vineyard vistas on all sides, the dilemma on arriving at La Motte in Franschhoek is where to begin… For the past couple of years, we’ve headed straight along the enchanting woodland path to the artisanal bakery, but now that the meticulous renovation and redesign of the main courtyard complex is complete, there’s a cornucopia of riches to explore.
An airy glass-walled foyer draws the eye through to the soaring spaces of the art-lined Ateljee, an enticing path winds through to the oak-shaded lawn in front of L’Ami Family Brasserie. There are delightful shops to browse and, above a landscaped pond, the wine centre beckons.
The historic family-owned farm has long been known for a next-level experience to match its internationally acclaimed wines. This thoughtful new incarnation under the same majestic oak trees is also consciously family-friendly, curated but informal, with space to gather, linger and simply enjoy life with family and friends of all ages.
Lunch at L’Ami Family Brasserie
The welcoming ambience here is all about feasting with friends, as the name L’Ami (French for friend) suggests. Immensely chic but with an informal farm vibe, the long wraparound stoep opens onto the grassy central lawns, and there’s an accessible à la carte menu inspired by seasonal farm ingredients and open-fire cooking. Expect a Mediterranean-meets-South-Africa combination of flavours, with a simple but spectacular result: perfectly prepared fresh cob with a seriously addictive vin blanc sauce; beef tartare on superb sourdough from the estate bakery; beetroot and fig salad; plus steaks, lamb and venison cooked on the Spanish open-coal grill.
Breakfast and breads at the Artisanal Bakery and Garden Café
Alongside the historic Jonkershuis, with glass walls opening onto a terrace looking over shaded lawns, ancient oaks and an enchanting farmyard-inspired playground, the bakery and café appeals to the whole family. Baker extraordinaire Markus Farbinger (founder of Knysna’s Île de Pain) and resident baker Ricardo Slawers have devised a stunning wood-fired bread offering using carefully sourced flours, slow-fermented doughs and old-school artisanal methods. Shop for beautifully chewy ciabatta, crusty sourdough loaves, crustique, rye bread and the fabulous “Motte” organic sourdough (plus divine mosbolletjies in harvest season)...
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