La Motte Artisanal Bakery & Garden Café: Seriously Delicious Bread + More in Franschhoek

Artisanal breads form the basis of a relaxed café menu.

Our foodie radar is abuzz! Franschhoek’s newest addition is La Motte Artisanal Bakery & Garden Café, conceptualised by the owners in cooperation with two foodie legends: baker extraordinaire Markus Färbinger (founder of Knysna’s Île de Pain) and renowned chef-forager Chris Erasmus (ex Foliage). It promises to be a wonderfully relaxed dining experience, with a menu that is approachable, delicious, informal.

The wine estate has been in the throes of a complete overhaul for the past two years with the aim of creating a relaxed family-friendly vibe. Located in the wine estate’s historic Jonkershuis (built in 1752), the bakery-café is the first new permanent food instalment (Jan’s cottage pop-up is, for now, a temporary affair). With indoor and outdoor tables opening onto shaded gardens, lawns, ancient oaks, and a farmyard-inspired playground, the café is designed to appeal to the whole family.

Knead to know

The scents of classic croissants, harvest-time mosbolletjies, sourdough bread, crustique (the baguette’s predecessor), flatbreads, and a loaf created specially for La Motte, fill the air, as they emerge from the wood-fired oven. Buy them to take home, or sit for a while and enjoy breakfast, lunch or a coffee date.
Expect the likes of mieliepap, granola (including a special take on eggs Benny), open sandwiches, summer salads, and plankie steak. Pastry chef Marisa Botes adds an array of patisseries and sweet treats to enjoy with freshly brewed coffee.

Renovations are continuing on the estate until early next year, when the flagship farm restaurant is set to re-open with a totally new look and feel. For now, we will be diving into the flavours of the café bakery the minute doors open.

Opens 22 February 2023
Opening times Wednesday – Sunday, 8am – 4pm
Contact 021 876 8825, bakery@la-motte.co.za
Where to find it La Motte Wine Estate, Franschhoek

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