Babel at Babylonstoren is a highly sought-after dining experience, known for its exceptional staff and seasonal menu. This is foremost among the wave of trendsetting farm-to-table restaurants in the Cape, and although getting here requires a short drive into the countryside, the visit will feel like a holiday all its own. Located virtually equidistant from the Winelands triumvirate of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl, Babel is especially convenient for those touring wine cellars in any of those towns. The restaurant offers a delightful array of dishes made with fresh ingredients from the garden. Guests rave about the delicious food, generous portions, and friendly service. The picturesque setting adds to the overall charm of the place, making it an ideal spot for a memorable meal. Whether it's breakfast or lunch, visitors can expect an epic culinary adventure that exceeds expectations in both quality and value.
Babel Restaurant has been named Africa's Best Farm-to-Table Restaurant at the 2024 World Culinary Awards.
Why you should go:
- Indulge in exquisite farm-to-table cuisine made from fresh ingredients grown on-site.
- Experience top-notch service from knowledgeable and friendly staff members.
- Enjoy a beautiful ambiance with a modern farm feel in a picturesque location.
Know before you go:
- Make reservations in advance to secure your spot at this popular restaurant.
- Try out the homemade cordials paired with fine Babylonstoren wines for a unique dining experience.
- Consider visiting during lunchtime to enjoy both the delicious food and breathtaking views of the surrounding Franschhoek Valley.
Also to note is that Babel is a mere 37 miles from Cape Town-the only problem is that you won't want to leave.
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Babylonstoren, Walk Through the Gardens
The Essence of Babel: Farm-to-Fork Philosophy
They have a proud farm-to-fork philosophy. Since opening in 2010, Babel has adhered to a simple yet profound principle: celebrating the freshest, seasonal fare from the farm, reflecting its “pick, clean and serve” approach. Produce is freshly harvested daily, and the chefs only work with what is in season, allowing nature to write the menu.
The ever-changing tapestry and rich bounty of the garden at Babylonstoren inform everything - from the facilities and activities on offer to the themes of their functions, which range from weddings to private celebrations.
Babel executive chef, Schalk Vlok, explains:
“You learn to think differently about dishes when following a farm-to-fork philosophy. Our point of departure isn’t a list of set recipes. When Alta Eybers the cheesemaker delivers fresh burrata in the morning, Didi Brink picks aromatic basil in the garden, Jaco Koeglenberg the butcher keeps a beautifully aged cut aside, and Elzé Bresler our tunnel farmer informs me that her Oxheart tomatoes are at their most delicious this week, then most of the thinking has been done for me.”
With innovation chef Ailene de Villiers contributing to the kitchen dynamic, Babel’s culinary team ensures that each dish reflects the essence of South African farm life and flavours. Ingredients are often served in their most natural state, with roots and leaves still attached, preserving a direct link between the farm and the table.
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“I believe in a richer experience, a rediscovery of the essence of different types of food,” explains Schalk. “We don’t try to be clever by meddling with ingredients. Guests must know what they’re eating, and where it comes from.”
Besides, the historic farm on which it's situated is itself adorned with craggy hills and mountains and undulating vineyards. The estate is perhaps best known for what is certainly Africa's most prestigious edible garden, an incredible living project that is entirely pesticide-free (managed by a team of ducks), supplying a good deal of what ends up on the table here (a guided walking tour of the gardens is a great way to round off your meal, or build up an appetite).
Despite the emphasis on fresh, seasonal, and local (first-rate meat is sourced from neighboring farms), one glance at the menu tells you it's all about innovation here, with memorable ideas about how food can be presented in novel and unusual ways.
You will never forget it.
Babel Restaurant interior.
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A Seasonal Culinary Journey
Babel’s menu is seasonal and is always guided by what is available in the garden. Seasonal winter favourites include blood oranges, guavas from the Fan Retief Lane, and a limited harvest of Japanese yuzu, used to create delicacies like kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste), vinegar and yuzu salt. Each autumn, the farm’s rice paddy fields produces Carnaroli rice, the star ingredient of risotto, finished with the finest olive oil from the farm’s groves. Spring brings the much-anticipated waterblommetjie harvest, with chefs wading into ponds to prepare this heritage delicacy over an open flame, celebrating South Africa’s rich culinary traditions.
For groups of 11 to 25 guests, a set menu is available. In line with our farm philosophy, our menu is always seasonal and guided by what's currently available from the garden. Expect creatively styled platters served family-style, so everyone can help themselves. Our group menu always boasts freshly baked bread from our traditional wood-fired oven, showstopping salads and hearty mains served with all the trimmings. A delightful dessert of farm-made favourites seals the deal.
A 50% deposit secures your reservation.
Ambiance and Architecture
Housed in the old cowshed, Babel Restaurant is a wonderful mix of Cape Dutch architecture and contemporary glass walls that makes for a simple yet edgy environment in which to try their tasty combinations.
Babel Restaurant exterior.
Awards and Recognition
World Culinary Awards director, Rina van Staden, says, “Our winners are the visionaries whose creativity and craftsmanship bring joy to millions of people every day. Their hard work, commitment and unwavering passion for the culinary arts inspire us all.”
This award follows another recent achievement for Babylonstoren. The Babylonstoren Farm Hotel was named South Africa’s top hotel in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 (US) and ranked second in the Southern and Eastern Africa category of the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 (UK).
Workshops and Events
Only once every season, Babylonstoren gathers guests around one long table, hidden deep within the farm. Each gathering is a celebration of earth, abundance, and sensory immersion. From the scent of herbs in the air to the texture of hand-harvested ingredients from the kitchen gardens, every detail honours seasonality, creativity, and connection. The feast - served generously, straight from the garden - is more than a meal. It is a gathering that feeds more than appetite. A celebration of harvest moments and shared stories. A table that nourishes, inspires, and connects.
A workshop at Babylonstoren or Soetmelksvlei makes the perfect gift - and can be purchased online. With options ranging from gardening and birding to blacksmithing, heritage baking, leathercraft, carpentry and crocheting, there’s truly something for everyone. Celebrate the artisan spirit of a 19th century farmyard. Guests can immerse themselves in the immaculately recreated interiors of the Farmhouse and Gardener’s Cottage, take in the sights, tools and techniques of a bygone era in the Old Cellar, Distillery, Mill and Workshop, or attend one of the hands-on workshops. After working up an appetite, indulge in hearty farm fare in the Old Stables Restaurant. Bookings for excursions to Soetmelksvlei are essential.
Our Daily Garden Tour starts at 10h00 in front of the Farm Shop. Come on the daily guided walk from Monday to Friday at 11h30, to discover our collections and meet our expert gardeners. On Mondays & Fridays guests will be taken to see the succulent collection and the cycads next to the stream. On Tuesdays we go for a walk through the Healing Garden.
Babylonstoren is an authentic, versatile venue with one of the country’s best preserved Cape Dutch farmyards, offering a historic yet contemporary farm stay. This is followed by a behind-the-scenes look at how Babylonstoren’s table olives are made in our olive production plant and sample the varieties on offer. After the tasting, the process of transforming olives into golden olive oil in our cold press process is explained in the olive press. Finally, it’s time to taste our olive oils.
A tale as old as time, told in vivid sensory detail in our wine museum, The Story of Wine. Visit the museum at the entrance to our Tasting Room, to your right.
We hold regular workshops at Babylonstoren as we see it as an ideal opportunity to share what we’ve learned and to also learn from our community. Experts in their fields host these workshops in collaboration with our team. They’re quite hands-on so you will get to try out the skills, technique or discipline that we’re learning about.
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