A serene slice of heaven above Paarl.
Brookdale Estate is a world apart: a secret valley in a fold of the mountains above Paarl, its restaurant perfectly placed to soak up serene vineyard views. There’s a delightful sense of discovery as you dip steeply down to a little bridge over a mountain stream past indigenous gardens and vines new and old, then follow the brick road up past the Cape Dutch Manor House (now a six-suite boutique guest house) to the comfortably chic bistro, tasting room and wine cellar.
Harmoniously built of stone, the Bistro at Brookdale Estate is unostentatious but elegant. A canvas wall mural reaching to the high peaked ceiling depicts tall pine trees and woodland, echoing the view from the wide verandah, over a slope of vines backed by a steep bush-clad escarpment topped with pines. It only opened in February 2023, but has already claimed seventh spot on the Dineplan reviewers choice awards, the country setting all part of its charm. All you hear is birdsong, and perhaps a tractor in the distance – this is a working wine farm after all.
Meet the chef
Chef Gary Coetzee and his wife, Yvonne (the GM), are warmly welcoming, and have been immersed in the life of the farm since they joined owner Tim Rudd here in 2020. Cooking for guests in the Manor House, it wasn’t long before Gary had bigger ideas.
He has a wealth of experience in intuiting the food people want to eat (having spent 10 years at Singita Sabi Sands, and 10 years as private chef to the Kerzner family. Serving beautifully presented, unpretentious dishes that you could happily eat day after day, he calls his approach “chic bistro”, and says “I’m curious. I want to be on a food journey with my guests: changing the menu often and reflecting the farm setting.”
A new summer menu
Gary’s mastery of full-on flavour makes the ingredients sing on the summer menu, your only dilemma being how to decide… perhaps a starter of fresh gazpacho, or rabbit galantine with apricots, pistachio and citrus Mesclun salad; a trout tartare; charcoal-fired prawns or a mushroom risotto. On the main menu are equally hard choices: tandoori lamb rump with baba ganoush, cumin curd and tomato sambal; venison loin with braised red cabbage and saffron-poached pear; seared linefish with fat-cut fries; or a firm plant-based favourite, the chargrilled miso-glazed aubergine with sorghum salad, gingered cashew-and-carrot purée and homemade kimchi. There isn’t a separate kids’ menu, but the kitchen is happy to adapt any dishes on the menu to suit children.
View the menu
Just desserts
Pastry chef, Marinèsha Moore, balances sweetness and acidity beautifully… on the new menu she plays with Cape Malay koesisters with kulfi ice cream and pistachio crémeux. Then there’s the Brookdale Snicker bar of chocolate mousse with peanut honeycomb and peanut butter gelato. Or the irresistible Basque cheesecake with roast chenin grapes and vine leaf gelato.
Linger longer
With the beautiful vineyard views from the terrace and roaring fires in winter, it’s tempting to settle in for the whole day at Brookdale Estate. Make the most of your visit with a leisurely session in the wine-tasting room before (or after) lunch. Or spoil yourself thoroughly by booking into one of the luxury suites of the Manor House for a tranquil and restoring break (it’s also available as an exclusive-use villa, sleeping 12 adults and 2 children).
A delightful discovery brimming with satisfying flavours.
Good to know No cash payments.
Opening times Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 3.30pm
Thursday – Saturday, 6pm – 9pm
Contact 087 183 3919, bistro@brookdale-estate.com
Where to find it Brookdale Estate, Hawequa Bos Pad, Klein Drakenstein, Paarl
Book through DinePlan
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