Exploring Babylonstoren: A Food Experience
Every Capetonian knows that sunny days are made for spending on a wine farm. It’s often a mindful experience. Food for the soul, if you’ll allow me the pun.
A recent excursion to Babylonstoren met all of these requirements. A sunny spring day, good company, and, of course, interesting food experiences.
Why Is Babylonstoren a Foodie Destination?
Why Is Babylonstoren a Foodie Destination?
Set at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains, Babylonstoren is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in the Franschhoek Valley. While it may seem like a wine farm from the outside, it’s not. I’ve found it to be a place where food, nature, and history come together.
At the heart of Babylonstoren is its fruit and vegetable garden. Imagine 15 clusters of plants, everything from citrus and stone fruit to berries, herbs, nuts, water plants, and even ducks and chickens. However, the garden isn’t ornamental. Everything grown here has a purpose. Over 300 varieties of plants are edible or medicinal, and they all feed directly into the farm’s philosophy of “farm to fork”.
There’s something deeply calming about walking through this space. You notice the symmetrical layout, the neat and straight paths, and the sense that every plant has been placed with intention. It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and remember where food really comes from.
It’s this approach – growing with care, harvesting with purpose, and celebrating seasonal abundance – that makes Babylonstoren a true foodie destination.
You don’t just eat here.
You experience food in its freshest form.
The Greenhouse Restaurant
The Greenhouse Restaurant
After wandering the garden, you’ll eventually find yourself drawn to the Greenhouse, quite literally tucked between oak trees at the back of the grounds. It’s casual, it’s unpretentious, and it feels like the kind of place where you could happily spend an entire afternoon.
The menu reflects what Babylonstoren does best: fresh, seasonal ingredients presented simply but beautifully. Just look at what we had:
The first big win is that breakfast is available all day. We had to get the yoghurt bowl as it came highly recommended by a friend. None of us has had water buffalo yoghurt before, so we couldn’t let this chance go by. The verdict? Surprisingly light. I expected it to be creamier than what we buy from Checkers, but no. It’s fresh and has less of that “unsweetness”.
The salad also offered a few surprises. Served in a steaming basket, it looked HUGE. However, we were quickly relieved to see the plate inside that made up most of the volume. The salad absolutely embodied freshness. It was colourful and tasted like it had been harvested a few minutes ago. Delightfully, there was even a homemade pesto hidden between the leaves.
Finally, the boerewors roll. The bread-to-wors ratio leaned a little too heavily to the bread’s side, but the tomato and onion sauce was on the money. Plus, we had just returned from Soetmelksvlei, so after seeing the Chianina cattle in person, there was definitely more appreciation for the meal.
The Farm Shop
The Farm Shop
If the Greenhouse is where you taste Babylonstoren, then the Farm Shop is where you take it home. A veritable treasure trove of everything the farm creates: part pantry, part deli, part lifestyle store. It’s almost impossible to walk out empty-handed.
As a whole, ‘the farm shop’ is divided into various rooms and buildings. The Lekker Room around the corner can satisfy any sweet tooth with chocolates, candies, drinks, and various nuts. The main shop seduces you with smells of freshly baked sourdoughs and croissants still warm from the oven, then tightens its grip further with olive oils, preserves, sauces, curds, cordials…and plenty more that you need to discover for yourself.
The ‘abundance’ section has fresh fruits and veg, conveniently stocked with baskets and bags to take your bounty home. The Milk Room was probably where we lingered the longest. Say cheese, anyone? Finally, a butcher and coffee roaster round up the shop.
I left with a little haul of treats (because how could I not?). For me, that’s the joy of the Babylonstoren food experience: it doesn’t end when you leave the restaurant or the garden. You get to take a piece of it home, unwrap it later in your own kitchen, and relive a bit of the magic.
Babylonstoren Food Experience: A Lasting Impression
Babylonstoren Food Experience: A Lasting Impression
If you’re planning a visit, know this: a Babylonstoren food experience isn’t just about eating. It’s more like an exhale. Heading back to our car, I think I speak for the whole group that while our stomachs were full, our minds were lighter.
It’s the kind of outing that feeds all the senses. Whether you go for the food, the scenery, or just a break from the city, you’ll leave with a little piece of the farm to take home.
Babylonstoren isn’t just a destination. It’s a habit waiting to happen.