Get warm and fuzzy with Gabriëlskloof Restaurant's all-new menu

Local produce inspires super blackboard line-up for cosy winter season

It's back to the culinary "drawing board" for Gabriëlskloof Restaurant come the month of May when the popular Overberg destination switches its traditional à la carte offering to a hearty Blackboard Menu for winter delights.

This is the perfect time to join the throng of diners-in-the-know who make a beeline for the winelands eatery that's famous for generous country-style hospitality and all-round good fare.

The restaurant occupies a wing of the celebrated hilltop winery and has views of the surrounding valley and a large fireplace that's fired up on cold days.

The new winter menu runs until the end of August, curated in the delectable style for which chef Frans Groenewald is renowned for. The dishes will change daily, making sure that the offer stays interesting no matter how regularly you visit.

Inspiration of this latest incarnation came when Frans took a fresh look at the region.

"To me, the Overberg is about community and collaboration, natural beauty and harmony. I love coming to work and driving through a landscape that gives me peace and makes me curious at the same time," he says.

"Even a cursory visitor will see its charm. Within just a short drive, you can see sun, sea, mountains, sheep, gatherings of blue crane birds and sprawling fields."

Ingrained in the Overberg culture is an authentic generosity dispensed informally, which is the centre of the new menu's philosophy along with a focus on seasonal produce.

"We'll be punting plant-based dishes, not exclusively of course. But I'd like to show that vegetarian options can be wholesome and satisfying – even with the winter chill about," says Frans.

Think rustic flavour with French flair dispensed from the chef's pantry and pots, with a twist of the Overberg. Naturally, the weather plays a part in menu-planning too – on cold and rainy days, the menu might feature coq au vin; on milder afternoons in Autumn, it could be a more-some chicken salad.

Expect dishes such as crispy pork belly, roasts, chick pea-and-lentil salad or chick pea-and lentil-bolognese, big casseroles, soups, grilled trout, wheat risotto or curried wheat salad. On the sweeter side, diners can look forward to treats like chocolate fondant, chocolate mousse, the traditional decadence souskluitjies and milk tart tiramisu.

The foodie spectacle steps up a notch on Sundays when, in addition to the Blackboard Menu, the Gabriëlskloof Restaurant presents a set five-course menu. The latter will be available at only R385pp or R450pp with wine included.

To reserve your table, call 028 284 9865 or send email to restaurant@gabriëlskloof.co.za.

Gabriëlskloof Estate – a mere 80-minute drive from Cape Town – is situated just outside Bot River, on the Swartrivier Road, off the N2.