1 Café
Felix Café – Riebeek Kastel
Riebeek-Kastel is one of the oldest towns in South Africa and is situated 80 km northeast of Cape Town in the Riebeek Valley. Nestling on the slopes of its own mountain, the dramatic Kasteelberg, the surroundings are wheatlands, vineyards, and olive groves.
The town itself is full of small individual shops, - including art, local crafts, and wine shops!
We are here on Saturday and the place is buzzing - we have a mooch around the shops and then decide a snack for lunch is required. We have been to this town several times before and love to visit one of the local Cafés – Café Felix.
The restaurant building dates back to the mid-1800s and was fully renovated in 2005. It was named after Felix, the original owner’s cheeky black cat - sadly no longer with us but the name lives on!
There is a great atmosphere here and the food is lovely - we spent a relaxed lunch here before moving on to our next accommodation.
1 Place to stay
Grand Dédale is a real find - it nestles at the end of a long dirt road below the historic Bainskloof Pass, and is set within the Doolhof Wine Estate -offering sweeping views of the valley as well as the Groenberg, Limietberge and Hawekwa mountains. The town of Wellington is a short drive away and Cape Town can be reached within 50 minutes.
The Hotel is a Cape Dutch Manor House - formerly a private residence and now comprises six luxurious rooms and suites.
There is plenty to do here - a large outdoor swimming pool, a spa room, and for the more adventurous there are hiking and mountain bike trails as well as various walks. The Doolhof winery, situated next door, also offers a wine tasting experience.
This is our third trip here and it is great to see that, after 2 difficult years, the hotel hasn’t changed in standard and they manage to get the balance between exclusivity and friendly service 100% correct.
We are normally here in January when Wellington is always very hot and I must admit we tend to relax by the pool and do very little else. Therefore it is nice to be staying a little later in the year - we have a beautiful day weather-wise and so we decide to go on the riverwalk. It is a pleasant stroll along the river through trees and alongside vines - you can’t get lost as it is very well signposted. We really enjoyed the exercise and then went back to the pool to read and relax!
Evening meals are always an event here and the standard of cuisine is high - you always start with lovely canapes and a glass of a locally sourced MCC. This also is a lovely opportunity to meet other guests and have a chat before sitting down for your meal.
For us this is a definite place to stay whenever we are in the area