Luxury found at Brookdale Manor House
A week ago I spent a lovely 24 hours at the beautiful Brookdale Manor House in Paarl. This former private home owned by the Rudd family has been transformed into a boutique Guest House. With breathtaking views of the Klein Drakenstein Mountains behind the house and the Paarl Valley in the front, you have arrived at a place of great beauty.
This is a world-class Winelands retreat where the guest’s stay is completely bespoke. Seasoned hoteliers Yvonne Coetzee (General Manager), and Gary Coetzee (Executive Chef) come with extensive hospitality experience and work around your itinerary. I loved that I could walk into the homely kitchen and ask Gary and his assistant Azriel ‘so what’s for dinner?’ You really do feel totally at home at Brookdale.
Your meals, wine tastings, leisure activities, and any other need are effortlessly tailored around you. The Manor House can accommodate 12 adults (and two children under the age of 12 sharing with parents), catered for in five en-suite bedrooms in the main house, and a sixth en-suite bedroom in the building adjacent. I imagined how lovely it would be to take over the whole house for a special celebration.
Our room was a luxurious haven with the most incredibly comfortable bed and feather pillows. There is a pillow menu should you prefer something different. The blinds and curtains ensure the room totally blacks out at a touch of a button, and for me, this is pure heaven. We didn’t get a chance to watch TV from the screen that rises up from a box at the base of the bed, nor enjoy the well-stocked mini-bar with tea and coffee station.
The house is spacious with so many nooks and crannies to escape to. There are two roomy lounges inside plus a library should you need a private room for work. Four additional terrace seating areas and a pool room next to a long black pool offer additional areas to relax.
Your dinner is set up in one of these spaces offering total privacy. We enjoyed a delicious five-course meal next to the fire in one of them. The food was unpretentious and inspiring, with all the delicious elements cooked to perfection. Chef Gary has an ingredient-forward approach and seeks out the best from the area. Brookdale has its own kitchen garden which inspires the menu.
To start was a dainty cup of delectable tomato water and a parmesan tuille, followed by home-cured trout with beetroot, lime cream, and crisp onion. Next up was roasted tandoori cauliflower with red onion, hummus, and dukkah. In keeping with the North African-themed flavour profile, our main was a Morrocan spiced lamb cutlet with tomato fondue, Dauphinoise potato, and lamb jus. Dessert was lime and nut nougat with lemongrass curd and passion fruit sorbet.
The Rudd family, originally from the United Kingdom, recognized the potential of the property which was overgrown and underused and acquired the 67-hectare estate in 2015. They had the vision to create a world-class country estate offering exceptional hospitality and producing fine wines under the stewardship of talented young winemaker, Kiara Scott.
We tasted their range of wines under the Brookdale and Mason Road ranges which are already starting to garner awards. Our tasting was conducted by Alessio Ballerini, assistant winemaker to Kiara and we tasted the: Chenin Blanc, Serendipity Rosé, and Syrah from the Mason Road range, and the flagship Chenin Blanc of which the older vintages are now sold out. During October, for breast cancer awareness, Brookdale has partnered with Getwine with a special offer to raise funds for Project Flamingo. You can read all about it here.
Guests can relax in privacy, soak up the tranquil atmosphere and explore the natural beauty of the estate and surrounds. The Paarl Winelands – home to some of the country’s most awarded wines, cuisine, and wellness experiences are at your doorstep to experience. The area also provides access to some of the Western Cape’s best nature trails, exceptional golfing, and interesting cultural and historical monuments.
Breakfast was generous and delicious with an array of fresh fruit, homemade muesli, yoghurt, and pastries, followed up with a selection of hot egg dishes such as Benedict or shakshuka.
I’m looking forward to the new 80-seater restaurant which is due to open later this year or in early 2023 adjacent to the cellar and wine-tasting room.
I can highly recommend Brookdale Manor House where you arrive as a stranger and leave as a friend. The service is incredibly warm and efficient and the accommodation is superb. Staying at this gem is the best Paarl has to offer.
I have added a few images below as the setting was just so lovely to end here.
*Disclaimer – I was invited as a guest of Brookdale
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