I recently took a trip to my most favorite city in the world, aka Cape Town, for a quick but memorable trip. Cape Town always bring out the best in me and I love visiting it as often as I can, but of course with the recent water crisis, I have tired to keep very mindful of how and when I visit. If you do happen to be visiting Cape Town please, please keep in mind the water restrictions as much as you can! Only take 2-minute showers, flush only when necessary and do not waste a single drop of water unnecessarily.
But back to today’s post, which is all about one of the most awesome discoveries that I made lately while in Cape Town- the Spice Route! Just a 45 minute ride out of Cape Town(which for the Cape Town people seems like a lot but for me its an everyday drive ;)) right on the slopes of the scenic Paarl Mountains, we found this gem which came highly recommended to us from Lorinda. Spice Route is a collection of restaurants, shops and lifestyle activities, all situated on one beautiful estate. This one place holds everything that you need for a fabulous Saturday and here I complied my 10 reasons as to why you should visit the Spice Route on your next visit to the Mother City!
Side note, we got to the Spice Route at about 9am and only left after three in the afternoon. There is just so much to do and to see, that you can easily spend your whole day here, eating yummy food, admiring the views and drinking delicious wine. We were given what is called the “Spice Route Passport” which is R180 and offers five different tasting in it, but even besides the five tastings, there was so much more to do there!
Wine tasting at Spice Route Wines
The thing that I enjoy doing the most when I am in Cape Town is going wine tasting, and so I highly enjoyed our tasting at Spice Route Wines. We did something called the Swartland Wine Journey, which is a daily selection of five wines and is R50 per person, or included in the Spice Route passport if you get one. The Rose was divine, and I really enjoyed the Chakalaka wine(which is a blend of 6 different grapes). You can also do a Wine and Charcuterie Journey tasting (which is R85 per person) which is a daily selection of four wines served with four Richard Bosman’s cured meats, fresh seasonal fruits and accompaniments. I really enjoyed the wine tasting and would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the Spice Route!
Gin Tasting at Wilderer Distillery
If you are a fan of gin then you definitely must visit the Wilderer Distillery that is situated along the Spice Route! We did the Craft Gin Tasting (which is R30 per person or included in the passport) which includes neat tasters of any three available spirits: Grappa, Schnapps and Gin. I didn’t enjoy doing it neat so much, and would have prefer a tonic to go with it, but I guess this is the purest way to taste the spirits! You can also do a Grappa Tasting (R50 per person) or the Fynbos Gin Tasting (R80 per person) but I do suggest grabbing something to eat beforehand so you don’t get too tipsy from doing all of the shots! Erm, I mean tastings 😉
All the chocolate at De Villiers
This was easily my favorite tasting at the Spice Route, because hello, chocolate! De Villiers chocolate is made directly from the cocoa bean which allows it to develop its own unique flavor profiles as De Villiers controls all of the critical processes from bean selection to roasting, grinding, refining and conching. We did the Chocolate and Confectionery Tasting (R25 per person or included in the passport) which is a large selection of chocolate and confections, I must have tasted about 10 different chocolates along the way. Everything from pure dark chocolate, to lime and ginger chocolate (which I brought home), raspberry and vanilla almond chocolate, to sea salt and caramel, this was one divine tasting! My favourite was the “Delicious Dark” chocolate from the Treats collections, which I brought home as well and cannot wait to indulge in it!
Spa time at Beautiful Life
Besides many yummy food destinations, Spice Route also houses a couple of lifestyle treats- such as Pilates at Pilates for Life and spa treatments at Beautiful Life. We were treated to a divine back, neck and shoulder massage and it was just what we needed to start the day! Join in for a fun Pilate’s class and then pop over next door for a massage before starting the food journey at Spice Route!
Delicious lunch at Barley and Biltong
After we were done feasting on chocolate at De Villiers and having straight up shots at Wilderer Distillery, I suggested that we stop for lunch at Barley and Biltong. Boasting one of the best views of Table Mountain and the Paarl wine lands, Barley & Biltong Emporium is a beer garden with a Cape twist. Craft beer and biltong lovers can look forward to enjoying an ice-cold pint of their favorite CBC beer together with the carefully selected range of Beef, Kudu, Eland and Springbok biltong. They also offer satisfying gourmet burgers and hand cut double-fried chips.
We opted to try the Pate Trio(delicious creamy snoek pâté, biltong pâté & a white bean and artichoke pâté served with fresh farm bread) and the Barley Palette for two(Knackwurst, Bockwurst and a cheese griller served with cured meats, biltong, fresh pickles, condiments & freshly baked bread). It was simply delicious, and I liked the laid-back feel of the restaurant-it felt like a home-y get together with friends! Of course this view doesn’t hurt either, and with very reasonable prices, I recommend visiting Barley and Biltong for a relaxed Saturday lunch.
Beer lover’s heaven at CBC Brewery
This one’s for the real beer lovers- I did not do the beer tasting (I am personally not a fan of the beverage), but if you like beer then this will be heaven for you! The Cape Brewing Company, also known as CBC, produces and offers a wide range of beers using only the finest ingredients, state of the art equipment and is made by the highly skilled brew master, Wolfgang Koedel. You can do the Standard Tasting (R35 pp) which is a tasting of four craft beers or the Master Tasting (R45 pp) which is a tasting of seven craft beers. But I’m sure that if you are a beer lover, you will stay here for much longer than the tastings and enjoy some of the best brews that South Africa has to offer 🙂
Picnic outside with some amazing views
While we were busy with our Spice Route Journey (which is all done on foot by the way, the distance between the different tastings is not far at all), I saw some lovely picnics set up outside. Next time I go to Cape Town, I will definitely be booking myself one of these picnic spots with these gorgeous views!
Divine meats at Richards Bosman’s
While we were enjoying the delicious wine at Spice Route Wines, we were also served the Richards Bosman’s Cured Meats Tasting (R35 per person or included in the passport). I love cured meats so I was in heaven when we were served five different tastings of it! Richard Bosman produces exceptional Italian and Spanish style charcuterie using traditional methods of salting and drying. With a philosophy of interfering as little as possible with the meat, Bosman and his team rely on quality and time to make the magic happen. The meat is hand-salted, hung and cured for 2 – 12 months, resulting in delicious, artisanal fare that is well worth the wait. I honestly loved the selection that we tasted, and if I wasn’t starting my fast (aka lent) the following week I would have brought a few packs of the yummy meat home with me!
Sweet Treats at DV Cottage Café
Even after I devoured all of the chocolate at De Villiers, I still wanted a sweet treat after lunch, so we headed off to the DV Cottage café, known for its ice creams and fresh cakes. The cottage cafe roasts their own small batches of coffee from single origins and single estates around the world. To accompany the coffee they have some mouth-watering selection of freshly baked cakes, tarts, brownies and muffins, which are entirely gluten free! Then there is the natural homemade ice cream and sorbets, made in the DV kitchen using their own chocolate, coffee, and local produce like fresh strawberries. I enjoyed a scoop of strawberry ice cream but next time I go I am making headways for their Pecan Tart or the full on ice-cream tasting (R60 per person).
Shop it up at The Trading Company
Having had five different tasting, a big lunch AND an ice-cream, I was pretty much rolling myself out of the Spice Route, when I spotted the Trading Company. The Trading Company is an eclectic décor store filled with a mélange of old and new, trendy and colorful and fresh and artistic. The key philosophy of the shop is to collate local creative talent and make it available for all in one unified space. You will find everything from beautiful hats, carefully selected bespoke homeware, , and handpicked local jewelry – the Trading Company is a celebration of local design. It is the perfect place to end your Spice Route journey, with something or remember this wonderful journey by.
Also a quick note on my outfit(because I am a fashion blogger after all ;)) because I was really feeling it on the day. I bought this jumpsuit at the Cotton On Online store(which I mentioned in my previous outfit post), and its just the perfect look for a fun summer afternoon! You can shop it right here, this is a great investment piece for holidays as well. 🙂
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