My hubby and I celebrated our 13th year anniversary this weekend and decided to commemorate by spending Saturday evening at the gorgeous Cellars Hohenort in the Constantia Valley in Cape Town. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this grand dame of Cape Town, it’s situated on 9.5 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, has 48 super luxurious rooms and is home to one of the best restaurants in Cape Town; the Greenhouse.
What I love most about the Hohenort is its exceptional gardens – awarded the prestigious 2010 Relais & Châteaux Garden Award. They really highlight the history and heritage of this spectacular property. Trees dating back to Simon van der Stel’s time still have pride of place on the property.
We walked through the magical forest on the property
We then scoped out terraced herb garden, wishing that someday we’d have a similar one.
The rose garden was my favourite though – we strolled through in the afternoon, when the roses were bathed in the most beautiful light. Walking through, one can smell their delicate perfume.
I wish I could describe the magnificent scent of the pink rose above.
Saturday was a scorcher in Cape Town, so I donned this ‘gently worn’ silk maxi dress by the American label, ‘Johnny Was’. I purchased it recently at Stock Exchange on Kloof street in Cape Town.
The highlight of our stay was dinner at The Greenhouse. Here, chef Peter Tempelhoff and his team create true food art. The tasting menus are inspired by the Cape’s bountiful local produce and diverse cultures and playfully combine international techniques and styles with local flavours. We had the Spring tasting menu that was expertly paired with the most incredible wines, from the surrounding wine lands. For more on The Greenhouse, click here.
The presentation of the food at The Greenhouse is mind-blowing. How gorgeous does the pot-bread served in a nest look? To the right is a deep fried piece of fish skin, served on kelp and finished off with the most delicious sauces. The peach looking dish is actually a naartjie cheesecake – the best I’ve EVER tasted.
Because fragrance has the power to evoke memories, I decided on Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere R1325 for a 50ml EDP. It’s a fresher and brighter interpretation of the original No. 5 with notes of white flowers, soapy musks and creamy woods.
The Cellars Hohenort forms part of the magnificent McGrath Collection of hotels. For more details, check out The Collection by Liz McGrath.
