Last week I was invited to visit the Grande Roche Hotel. Situated just 40 minutes from Cape Town CBD in the picturesque town of Paarl. Recently acquired by entrepreneurs Hansie and Theresa Britz who have given the grande old dame a breath of fresh air. The hotel was closed for a month, while painters, decorators, designers and landscapers set to work refurbishing the suites, buildings, and public areas. A much-needed love punch for this majestic establishment.
The refreshed look has seen each of the 18 luxurious Terrace Suites completely refurbished. Striking fynbos-inspired wallpapers celebrate the local flora and provide a flash of colour on arrival, while the sash windows, wooden beams, and exposed thatch neatly encapsulate the farm’s Wineland's heritage.
The restaurant housed the previously known Bosmans. Newly reimagined by the legendary mastermind Peter Goffe-Wood (kitchen Cowboys) and interior designer Francois du Plessis, the new space has been modernized with elegance and has a sleek new feel to it. Viande means ‘meat’ in French, and with elegant nose to tale dining. Goffe-Wood and his capable kitchen crew are already hard at work curing, smoking new delicacies, with selected cuts dry-aged on-site in imported German meat-fridges. Brandy will be the star of the brand-new Viande Bar, stylish new addition to the restaurant space. Here cozy couches and a brass bar counter cry out for pre-dinner cocktails and after-dinner digestifs.
We dined on a four-course meal beautifully paired with Under Oak wines. The crispy pork and lamb being the stars of the show. The dessert was decadent and the coffee a perfect pairing with its bitterness to counter the sugar hit of creamy chocolate.
I am excited for the new chapter of the Grande Roche as well as wishing all the best to Goffe-wood and his team at Viande. The future is looking or bright or as some might say - pretty grande!
For more information about Grande Roche Hotel and Viande Restaurant, and to read more about the property’s two-night stay special from 1 September to 31 October 2019; click: https://bit.ly/2PXLit5
-Melissa