Nestled between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape Wine lands lies the magnificent Franschhoek Valley. This is the gastronaut capital of South Africa, where delectable wines are made and top chefs create world class cuisine and fine dining experiences. Known as the 'French Corner', breath-taking scenery, warm hospitality, amazing food and the finest wines all combine to create lasting memories.
If you are visiting South Africa, you are spoilt for choice with staying in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Constantia and Paarl as the main hot spots in the Cape Wine lands. For us, Franschhoek is something super special and we choose it time and time again, on each annual visit to South Africa. Besides it's breathtaking location, it hosts a plethora of offerings including boutique hotels, culinary delights, an amazing selection of wine, and of course wine tasting experiences. It's just an hour from Cape Town and is steeped in history. We usually transfer from the airport via a car hire. As the name suggests, the town has a huge French and Dutch influence. You might ask, how this wine tasting town can be family friendly. Well, the trick is to find a family friendly hotel that offers a luxurious stay and adult activities on site, whilst catering for children perfectly too. We certainly did find that on the stunning and most breathtakingly amazing La Petite Ferme, a wonderful boutique hotel with the most immaculate views of Franschhoek.
We stayed in their flagship suite, the Leman Suite, which is just absolutely gorgeous. From the interior design, to immaculately chosen furniture pieces, gorgeous layout and thoughtful touches, the suite was just amazing. We had a separate bedroom; living room with a super cosy fireplace and bar; the most stunning bathroom with a view of the mountains, which included a stand alone bath and rain forest shower; and a dressing area. The space was massive so it felt like being in a huge apartment. For us the main highlight was the amazing terrace with a swing, pool beds and private pool. It featured a view of the Franschhoek Valley that could quite simply take your breathe away.
From the moment we arrived, we witnessed the special attention paid to children. Our son, Alexander, was welcomed with tons of smiles and chats. We were taken on a tour of the grounds and our room. Alexander was gifted a gorgeous set of organic bath and body products to use during the stay and to also take home, and a cute little towelling robe with slippers to wear during our stay. Aside from this, the room was provided with a cot for him and time was taken to prepare the mini bar with a complimentary bottle of an amazing Sauvignon Wine from the estate from us, together with lots of amazing snacks, but also 'free from preservatives' snacks for Alexander.. The staff gave him extra special hugs and smiles which kept him super happy throughout our stay.
The beauty of this hotel is that the breakfast was seriously delectable. It makes a holiday extra special if you are able to start the day with champagne and the most fabulous view. Their was a careful selection of artisan breads, cereals, meats, and a gorgeous a la carte menu of hot breakfast meals. I enjoyed the shakshuka so much, I ordered it at every breakfast.
As a hotel resident, there many options to make your stay comfortable and fun. Wine tasting was offered at three different times during the day. The wine expert and sommerlier was incredibly knowledge about the wine produced on La Petite Ferme and also gave us fantastic tips of which foods specifically complimented each wine. Besides the wine tasting, a complimentary afternoon tea with delicious petit fours or cake of the day, and a delicious beverage is served to guests at 3.30 pm daily. La Petite Ferme also offers in room massages and beauty therapy which we didn't get a chance to try on this stay.
We had the privilege of dining at their famous restaurant which on our previous trips to Franschhoek was always booked out when we tried to reserve. The meal was exquisite! We chose the mozzarella starter, trout & lamb main, and pecan pie as dessert. I can't rave about the food enough. Paired with my favourite La Petite Ferme Sauvignon Blanc, the meal was just decadent.
First and Last Image Credit: La Petite Ferme
Beyond La Petire Ferme, we visited Reuben's in Franschhoek for dinner on one of the evenings. The town has an amazing selection of restaurants and top of my list are also other The Chef's Warehouse, Grande Provence and La Columbe. For wine tasting, the options are endless. As a first timer, a good idea is to take the Franscchoek wine train to visit a few of the estates. If you are a wine connoisseur, do your research in advance of visiting the wine estates.. There's plenty of art to see in the town and definitely settle for coffee and cake on the main road in one of the many coffee shops to people watch.
For us La Petite Ferme was the ultimate space offering relaxation, amazing culinary and wine experiences, luxury and pure natural beauty, all with a child friendly attitude and caring staff. If you are looking for somewhere to relax, recharge and enjoy amazing food and wine in the Cape Winelands, La Petite Ferme is a fabulous choice in Franschhoek and we will certainly be visiting again.
I hope you enjoyed this review of La Petite Ferme & Franschhoek. If you have any questions, do reach out to me.
Much love
Shanti | The Kensington Diary
DISCLAIMER: This is an honest review. Our stay at La Petite Ferme was hosted.
TRIP DETAILS
Flights
British Airways flies direct to Cape Town and costs upwards of £1500 per person in April. The flight is 11 hours 30 minutes long.
Transfers
Transfers from Cape Town to Franschhoek are 1.5 hours long and can be done via car rental, taxi or shuttle.
Hotel Bookings
Bookings can be made online or by contacting La Petite Ferme on accommodation@lapetiteferme.co.za or +27 (0) 21 876 3016
Address: Franschhoek Pass Road, PO Box 683, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa
The Leman Suite, the flagship suite, costs £605 per night but is currently available less 15% with the launch offer for stays until the end of April 2019.