Drizzle and Dip Drizzle and Dip

I fell in love with Bartholomeus Klip 8 years ago when I stayed for the first time, and it was love all over again when I visited last week. It’s a beautiful old farmhouse on a working farm and private game reserve in the Riebeek Valley. At just over an hours drive from Cape Town, this gem of a property is nestled below a mountain range and offers guests a unique experience. It’s as casual as it is luxurious and staff are always on hand to tend to your every need without ever being in the way.

Bartholomeus Klip, Riebeek Valley, South Africa

You feel right at home from the minute you arrive, with roaring fires and high tea to welcome you. It feels like you could be staying in a family home. The main house has five en suite bedrooms filled with charm.

The cuisine is country fine dining – if such a thing exists, and everything is made in-house from ingredients sourced locally. The food has as much character as the house itself, and I was bowled over by it. Breakfast or brunch is a sight to behold. Tables laden with all manner of fresh, dried and preserved fruit, granola, cereals, cheese, charcuterie and hot dishes from the kitchen. Each day the menu varies, so no boredom or repetition here.

Dinner is a 4-course affair, and our two delicious menus looked like this:

Ravioli:

Braised springbok, pickled red cabbage, toasted seeds, jus, parsley butter, mire pox of vegetables

Paardebosch Pinotage

By bottle only

*******

Soup:

Smoked tomato soup, confit garlic, parmesan foam, basil powder

*******

Lamb:

36 hour lamb neck, sweetcorn sauce, rosemary jus, confit potatoes, semi-dried tomatoes, dukkah

*******

Fable Syrah

By Bottle Only

*******

Chocolate:

38% dark, fennel ice cream, honeycomb powder, milk chips

*******

Monday 15^th August 2016

Green Salsa Salad:

Green aioli, chilli, fine shallots, nasturtiums, spekboom, lime, leeks

Kloovenburg Sauvignon Blanc

By bottle only

*******

Chowder:

Haddock, fresh parsley, sour cream, potato crumbs, prawn oil

*******

Ostrich:

Pan-fried ostrich fillet, savoury oats, apple butter, cep oil, mushroom powder, shitake jus

*******

Snowy Mountain Pinot Noir

By Bottle Only

*******

Apple:

Granita, roast apple pure, crumble ice cream, apple chips

There are so many activities to do on the farm, from various walks in and out of the reserve to game drives, paddling on the lake and mountain biking. This is a perfect place to get away from life and escape into tranquillity. They have the Wild Olive House and cottage which is available to rent on a self-catering or full board basis too. Perfect for families or a group of friends wanting privacy.

Elandsberg Nature Reserve is 10,000 acres big with a number of wild animals, abundant birdlife and unique flora, and they are busy with a tortoise rehabilitation programme after the fires of 2012 destroyed a big part of the population. Morning and afternoon nature drives are a pleasure with an experienced game ranger as a guide.

The Riebeek Valley and Wellington have so many things to offer any visitor to the area should you wish it leave the haven of Bartholomeus Klip. Or you can just visit on your way in and out of the farm.

Riebeek Kasteel is a stunning town, and I can highly recommend a stroll through the village. Kloovenburg is a great place to pop into for a wine, olive, and olive oil tasting, too. It’s on the main road just before you get into Riebeek Kasteel.