BABYLONSTOREN: HIDDEN GEM IN SOUTH AFRICA

I had been dreaming of Babylonstoren before I got there and I’ve been dreaming of it since I got back. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to pack up your life and move to the countryside, buy some chickens and grow all your own food. Everything at this place is special to say in the Cape Winelands – from the gardens to the hotel rooms to the food on its plates – is it presented with an impeccable style.

The Cape Winelands are brimming with vineyards and farm stays, but Babylonstoren stands out for its style that plugs into the current hipster zeitgeist for all things homemade and natural. The original farm buildings date back to the 18th Century and have now been transformed into a hotel, restaurant, and spa, as well as a working vineyard and farm. The current owner used to be the editor of an interior design magazine so it’s no wonder it’s all so beautifully designed.

Dating back to 1692, Babylonstoren is a historic Cape Dutch farm that boasts one of the best-preserved farmyards in the Cape. Set within 3,5 hectares (8 acres) of cultivated fruit and vegetables, the big garden at Babylonstoren is at the blooming heart of the farm. Divided into 15 sections that comprise fruit, vegetables, berries, bees for pollinating, indigenous plants, fragrant lawns, a prickly pear maze, ducks and chickens, and more. A secluded path runs along the stream where thousands of Clivias flower in spring. The garden also boasts a plethora of trees of historical and botanical import.

Bean roots are transformed into golden swords of sunlight breaking through the soil. Clivias are not humble flowers, but jazz trumpets. Spekboom, an unassuming local succulent, is given red carpet status for its carbon footprint reducing abilities. At Babylonstoren, they plant stories, the best and most exciting of which you will be treated to during a must-do garden tour. (More on that below). We recommend a two-night stay to full immerse in the Babylonstoren experience.

As we parked the car we were greeted by Warren, a smiling concierge, who gave us a brief overview of the area while walking us to our Farmhouse suite, which looked like a very well kept old Dutch manor from the outside. As we stepped in, however, we encountered an astonishing interior; the open-plan living area tastefully blurs the line between old and new, high ceilings, lots of light, marble bathroom flooring and an enormous fireplace to keep us cozy after nightfall. All finished with incredible attention to detail and style. The farmhouse, offer an outdoor swimming pool and spa area with a salt room and sauna.

BABYLONSTOREN GARDENS

The 8-acre gardens are the heart of the farm and exploring them and all their produce was a highlight of our stay at Babylonstoren. Guests at the hotel are invited to pick whatever they like from the garden throughout their stay so you can create a handpicked feast. There’s a garden tour at 10 am every day which we highly recommended.

Babylonstoren’s gardens which cover 8 acres of land of cultivated fruit and vegetables, while walking through the various parts, it honestly felt like the gardens were never-ending. Just as you thought you had got to the end, it only continued. Each direction you turn you are amazed at the different varieties of plants, not to mention the backdrops that went along with it.

There is so much to see, smell and taste in the garden that a formal tour is really worth doing. The garden has created a botanical wonderland that is bursting with history, fragrance and heirloom varieties. All the gardeners are very knowledgeable and regularly visit historic gardens in France to learn more about advances in horticulture.

But summoned by the allure of exploring a secret garden-like environment, we made our way out, where our gardener showed us a little bit of magic with her tour. Pausing between each section, she’d choose a seemingly plain area and explain its importance, plucking leaves, tiny blossoms, sour Kumquats, and even Waterblommetjies from the their homes in the ponds; encouraging us to crush, sniff, taste and enjoy the natural bounty of the garden, her focus on local fauna and flora, so much of which is abundant in naturally healing properties.

We passed through avenues of ancient, gnarled Guava trees, under towering rose pergolas, strolled through the vast garden of Clivias, payed homage to the grandmother of the garden (a 400-year-old Mulberry tree), emerged in the giant Prickly Pear maze, removed our shoes to stamp on the soft and fragrant carpets of chamomile, and touched the delicate pink blooms of the plum trees. Poems were recited, Shakespeare invoked as we gazed in wonder at the Medlar tree (where he sent Romeo to dream of Juliette), recreated in the garden by the splicing together of apple, pear and quince trees. Newton himself, makes an appearance, apple trees born out of cuttings from the very same one he slept under, growing unassumingly next to the human-sized ‘weaver nests’ where one can curl up inside.

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING IN BABYLONSTOREN

The gardens are the source of all Babylonstoren’s food and its restaurants excel at farm-to-table dining.

We had breakfast in the BABEL, a restaurant that’s worth visiting even if you don’t stay at Babylonstoren, and later enjoyed lunches at GREENHOUSE (surrounded by the produce that made up our plates) and BABEL again (Second Day). In the evening, it was pizza night at THE BAKERY and we shared a communal meal with fellow guests in a barn – it looked like something from the pages of Kinfolk.

At Babel, the focus is on simplicity. Unlike other fine dining establishments, where food is pureed, ground or cut into tiny pieces, Babel likes to keep food as close to its original form as possible. This means that at breakfast, your fruit salad may consist of whole fruits with the skin on, instead of the chopped selection we are used to- a nice change.

The layout of the restaurant and the views it provides are jawdropping. The interior is a mixture of white and glass, enhanced with a few interesting features- kraal tools found on the premises are propped up on the wall. Housed in an old cow shed, the white interior is an edgy mix of contemporary glass and Cape Dutch architecture – a blank canvas upon which the bright, farm-fresh ingredients burst with color.

As the menu is always guided by what’s available in the garden, it changes with each season. While salads, vibrant with gooseberries, might dominate the summer menu, our wintery day called for something with a little more heft. Meals are wholesome and hearty, infused with well-rounded flavors and enhanced with Babylonstoren’s own cold-pressed olive oil, made on the premises. Nibbling on the oven warm bread, drizzled with the spekboom-infused pesto and olive oil, a tray of just-out-the-soil fruits and veggies were soon presented to us for selection, the “pick, clean and serve” approach made evident in the array of beets, blood oranges, and carrots in rainbow colors – a visual feast.

GREENHOUSE

The second eatery, the Greenhouse Restaurant, is located at the back of the Babylonstoren garden. This lovely spot has freshly baked cakes, coffee, tea, and juice made from the fruits of the garden.

South Africa’s hot summers will make the homemade infused drinks and cordials at this spot taste that is much sweeter (winter calls for hot chocolate or freshly brewed coffee). Your thirst quenched, decide what you fancy from the menu: the kitchen here does unpretentious but flavorsome artisanal sandwiches, fresh salads, and cheeses created on the premises. As much of the produce as possible comes from the gardens and the rest is locally sourced from responsible producers in the Winelands.

You won’t find any ingredients out of season, and you certainly will not be eating anything that has been transported from the other side of the world. This means that every bite is perfectly ripe.

DINNER AT BAKERY

By day, the Bakery supplies our Farm Shop and restaurants with freshly baked bread but by night, this space is transformed into a true celebration of La Dolce Vita! For dinners in the Bakery, we serve our food family style – guests dish up for themselves from wooden boards placed on their table while sipping on wine and enjoying the lively atmosphere. This cozy bakery is a great place for a casual supper – on Monday and Friday evenings the theme is Italy. The four-course set menu starts with antipasti and salad offering, homemade pasta followed by moreish wood-fired pizza, to be enjoyed to your heart’s content.

THE WINE & THE CELLAR TOUR

The farm lies in spectacular wine country so it’s no wonder their Viognier, Shiraz, and Mourvedre rose are eminently drinkable. Babylonstoren’s modern winery, designed by renowned Cape cellar architect Gerard de Villiers. Producing 13 grape varieties under 88 hectares, Babylon might be a relative newcomer to the winemaking scene but are quickly making waves both locally and internationally, their winemaking approach led by their natural approach, aided by their gravity-fed production. Then it was out into the vineyards themselves, and down into the olive oil production plant, where they bottle their hand-harvested, cold-pressed gold. The room offers daily tastings; each sampling includes five different wines. The cellar master will take you on the journey of wine, which even teetotallers will find fascinating.

By now we had worked up a thirst and the atmospheric Tasting Room is a great place to have both a refreshing drink and respite from the midday sun. The Tasting Room itself sits adjacent to the Wine Cellar, offering views of the conical Babylonstoren Hill, Simonsberg, and the Banghoek Mountains – the glassy structure a link between the Cape Dutch cellars. Despite its innovative appearance, the inside is made cozy with a fireplace, and intimate tables from where to taste one’s way through their selection. If you’re still peckish, order a tasting platter to accompany the vino.

Wine tours start every hour on the hour from 11 am to 3 pm and, for a nominal fee, include tasting five of Babylonstoren's roster of wines.

I highly recommend ordering one (or two!) of their platters of charcuterie, cheese, and the fruits and veggies that are grown in the Babylonstoren garden available—they’re SO beautiful and delicious. The cost of tasting & tour is included for guests staying at Babylon.

HEALING GARDEN

Tucked away behind the Greenhouse, the medicinal Healing Garden layout follows the form of the human body with herbs to heal head, heart, lungs, digestive system, organs, skin, bones, and feet. Here you can unwind with a blend of herbal teas created by the resident gardener, Gundula. With amazing blends of sweet and savory flavors, these infusions are unlike anything you’ve ever tried.

THE SCENTED ROOM

Right opposite the Tasting room, located in the barn is the SCENT room which is a quiet oasis where we were mesmerized by the lingering scents of waterblommetjies, roses, fynbos, and many more.

The images and scents of the garden are captured in our soaps, candles, bath oils, and linen cloth. You can even make your own scrub and mask or learn the process of making essential oils. The Scented Room which offers a wide variety product including Lavender soaps and oil which are also grown on the farm.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Some of our favorite activities that are only offered to the inhouse guest were 8 am Farm Walk – a magical morning walk with our gardener Liesl to see the succulent collection, around the farm & trying out delicious fruits straight from the tree. Along with the walk, we encountered an unusual traffic jam by yours truly ducks. (Pictured below) They are part of Babylonstoren’s 100 slug-eating ducks (part of their green agricultural practices.)

MOUNTAIN DRIVE

Since we had booked a 2-night stayed we opted for the guided mountain drive. The drive begins in the late afternoon to immerse ourselves in the tranquillity of the farm and hear more about Babylonstoren’s history, the vineyards and orchards, and the fynbos and trees.

Simply to say, this was one of our favorite activities as the drive which takes you on the top of the mountain overlooking the entire farm – along with the best pairing of wine & nibbles to go along with it.

BREAD MAKING

In-house guests can also enjoy some delicious bread-making at 10 am in the Bakery – which we opted for. We created a Pear blue cheese bread along with a garlic sourdough (goes great when paired with Babylon olive oil)

There are other activities including fishing & rowing at the dam which the guest can enjoy. You can collect your picnic basket and head for a quiet and scenic spot on the farm. We opted for the mountain-bike to the dam while enjoying the views of the craggy Franschhoek mountains. There are three canoes (with lifejackets) at the dam if you feel like an afternoon paddle; the views are spectacular.

THE GARDEN SPA

The Garden Spa on the property has an amazing selection of treatments, from hydrating body wraps to bespoke facials and even a Hammam experience. They pick fresh herbs from their gardens such as rosemary, lavender, and lemon thyme daily, and use them in the Spa’s daily rituals and as a part of their cleansing spa food menu!

The treatment rooms are housed in a bamboo pavilion, which holds the hammam, a relaxation room, and a gym. We opted for a full body massage just before check out to be fully relaxed for the day ahead.

THE FARM SHOP

The Farm Shop is the main gift shop at Babylonstoren, located very close to the main parking area. Here you’ll find a wide variety of things to bring back home – whether for friends or all for yourself. Books and calendars with photos from the farm, sun hats, and glassware, fresh jams and preserves, linens and aprons in all kinds of fabrics. Get lost perusing the aisles of farm meats, cheeses, bread, tins of olive oil, fine linens, scented candles and soaps, preserves, and other perfect gifts you’ll want to keep for yourself. Besides all the things you can buy and bring home, you can also take something tasty with you!

The Meat and Cheese shop at Babylonstoren has everything from dried meats to freshly made cheese and dried fruits and nuts. You can buy a lot of things in bulk, or purchase them in a pre-packaged amount. We bought some dried peaches to snack on, and the prices were pretty acceptable. Maybe buy things for a picnic at the next winery you visit?

We highly recommend booking a 2-night stay at Babylonstoren while visiting the Winelands in cape town. It is unlike anything you have experienced before.