We are late visitors to Babel at Babylonstoren; we have seen so many glowing reports about the beautiful gardens and gorgeous food  for the past year.  A visit by The Navigator’s sister from the Free State was the perfect excuse to finally go see what the fuss is all about.

You do get greeted with a R10 per person admission fee to the farm – feels a bit cheeky, but then again, the place is simply breathtakingly beautiful.  Feels a bit tourist-trappy at times (especially the gift shop) but then again, this is a business and they have to make money, right?

Back to Babel: Light, clean and open plan interior that must feel like an oasis in the Paarl summer heat.  The service is super friendly and attentive.  Nothing is too much trouble (a main as a starter? Of course. A taste of our own Chardonnay? Why not?) and we had a lovely time.  If there is one thing we can critisize, is the portion size: Almost Mugg & Bean-esque in its abundance.  These guys must be feeding their cute donkeys a lot of leftovers…

The presentation of every dish is only surpassed by the actual taste of the food.  Even the complimentary nibble before the meal is special:  A whole, salted pear for the table to share and the bread is simply heavenly.  The wine list has the inevitable local feel and Babylonstoren wines (let’s rather not comment on those) but we were very happy to indulge in a Vuurberg White 2013 at the reasonable price of R240.  The cost of the meal was also reasonable, given the quality and surroundings (R297  per person excluding tip and wine per person for 2 courses and coffee).  We even received a complimentary glass off their blood orange mampoer – delicious stuff!

A meander through the gardens is a must after a meal like that – I cannot wait to go back in spring to walk among the blossoms; it will be heaven.  Not as hedonistic as Babel , but enormous fun, nonetheless.  Food for the soul.  This on its own, is worth the trip; the food at Babel is a bonus.

http://www.babylonstoren.com/ – booking is a must.  If you are allergic to large groups or noisy children, I recommend visiting during the middle of the week outside school holidays.

Note: We visited Babylonstoren out of our own accord, not by invitation.  All purchases were paid for in full.

[Category: Restaurants, Babel, Babylonstoren, Babylonstoren Chardonnay, Cape Town, garden walks, Paarl, restaurants, South Africa, Vuurberg]