A quiet revelation in the Winelands…

I felt a deep sense of respect for the generations who had walked the floors before me. Imagine entering a 330-year-old barn, yet now a beautifully appointed modern, fine dining restaurant on a working wine farm. Located on the Vergenoegd Löw wine estate just outside Stellenbosch, it is one of South Africa’s oldest working farms, dating back to 1696 and is just 30 minutes from Cape Town.

Clara’s Barn is not just a restaurant; it’s an experience that encapsulates the essence of South African culinary tradition. The restaurant is named after Clara, the wife of estate owner Prof. Dr Dr Peter Löw. The barn predates even the historic 1773 homestead on the farm and has been a working barn for over a century. It has been beautifully refurbished with a focus on both preserving its history and creating a contemporary dining space.

Emotional Architecture and Fine Dining

Inside, the whitewashed walls, original floors and exposed beams, thatched and vaulted ceilings are contrasted by contemporary design elements, from the brushed black hanging stemware shelving to the slick and clean-lined bar counter. It’s a constant flux between old and new, the familiar and unfamiliar, heritage and the present.

Do not be misled by the rustic name – this is indeed a centuries-old Cape Dutch barn, complete with weathered rafters, big barn doors and dormer windows in the thatched roof, but it’s also an elegant fine-dining venue on Vergenoegd Löw wine estate.

A welcoming bar-lounge area leads into a spacious restaurant with two fireplaces and a carving station, and tables flowing outside onto the veranda. Clara’s Barn showcases modern decor with a clean, white interior, minimalistic furniture, and a black and brown colour scheme. Walls are adorned with faithful reproductions of 18th-century watercolours by Dutch artist Jan Brandes, who once lived on the farm and captured its landscapes and people in exquisite detail. The originals now hang in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum; the spirit of his work lingers here. Original animal troughs and cobbled floors speak of its agricultural past, while curated art and contemporary finesse reveal its transformation. The ability to produce a refreshing and distinct ambience that goes beyond the conventional restaurant designs is noteworthy.

Visionary Chefs

The dedicated and celebrated restaurateur and chef Bertus Basson has been involved with Vergenoegd Löw wine estate since 2019 and says that one of the major drawcards of the restaurant is that it is in an old barn. The renovation of the sadly neglected building was a long, drawn-out project, he worked closely with the wine estate to transform the barn into a restaurant. The building, expertly designed to preserve its heritage, has been renovated to match the estate’s Cape Dutch-styled manor house while retaining the original cobbled-floored stables and barn from which the restaurant gets its name.

Co-owner and head chef of Clara’s Barn is the young and talented chef Dirkus Brink, trained under the Bertus Basson group of restaurants. He grew up on a farm and now brings those nostalgic flavours of his childhood to life through fine, yet traditional food. This fitting combination is mirrored by the multi-course offering created by these two men.

A Feast for the Senses

The restaurant prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients to create dishes that reflect the rich flavours and diversity of South African cuisine. From succulent grilled meats to vibrant vegetarian options, each meal is crafted with care and attention to detail, ensuring an unforgettable dining experience. The set menu for lunch was not only a feast for the eyes with every course, a work of art, but also an exceptionally delicious food experience for the palate. Ingredients are either grown on the estate or sourced locally, ensuring that each bite reflects the rhythms of the season and the terroir of the Cape.

“Nothing brings people together like good food”

I had friends join me for this luxurious experience to celebrate the art of eating and the pleasure of shared elegance. Food is more than just sustenance; it is a language that speaks to our senses and brings people together. The quality and design of the table and stoneware to complement the ambience of each course evoked a sense of aesthetic pleasure. We had dainty floral, fine bone China teacups housing souffles, round rough stone wells showcasing venison tartare and wide edged, deep white bowls with delicate poached guavas. So creative were these serving dishes that not only did we savour the food, but felt the need to touch the vessels that they were served in.

Take a seat

The restaurant concept is rooted in a “farm kitchen” approach with a twist, with the food offering being refined three- and five-course menu options.

The ambience is one of relaxed sophistication, with the space elegantly and tastefully restored and complemented by attentive service, creating a unique blend of heritage charm and contemporary finesse.

For Clara’s chefs, authentic, family recipes, seasonal, fresh, creative, indigenous produce is the starting point. They infuse it with the rich variety of food cultures within South Africa, including the food of labourers and slaves, and imported influences from countries intertwined with South Africa’s history. Each dish is rooted in the traditions of local farm kitchens but refined with global techniques and an eye for detail. Staying true to the cattle farm roots of the wine estate, Clara’s Barn serves meaty dishes in an ode to its heritage.

On the ever-changing menu, you will find indigenous local produce, specially selected for quality, seasonal and optimal ripeness.

Embracing the symphony of tastes

Tasting menu and wine pairing

Our multilayered taste experience was about to begin with an intriguing and refined five-course menu with wine pairing. The dining adventure was further enhanced by the knowledgeable sommelier, who played a crucial role in the dining experience. So too did our experienced and professionally trained fine dining waitress, who ensured we had a memorable afternoon savouring the enthusiasm of the passionate chef and his team.

The menu began with “Southappies” or salty bites, they are diminutive, savoury bites, but they set the scene for what is to come.

Next was the bread appetiser, which was a mini honey and oat loaf served with brown butter and fynbos honey. We learned that the butter is caramelised, then whipped, giving it a velvety smooth texture.

When the trio of starters arrived, it was an exercise in restraint for us all.

Twice-baked Dalewood cheese souffle was rich, savoury and comforting, all these feelings intensified by the glorious addition of earthy Jerusalem artichoke and roasted walnuts.

Earthy venison tartare was served in rustic stone bowls, a crunchy dish served together with brioche, macadamia, horseradish, mustard and pickled onions.

The favourite starter for us all was the Vergenoegd Marino farm lamb barbequed and served with smoked aubergine, courgette and gremolata oil, perfectly succulent, tasty and tender.

The pièce de résistance was a choice of either beef rump steak or the South African fish called kabeljou.

As the meat dish was presented, it was stunning in its simplicity, the four slices of perfectly cooked grass-fed beef rump, with tiny cubes of pickled ox tongue, celeriac, mushrooms and parsley. comforting, all these feelings exacerbated by the glorious addition of earthy, well-cooked celeriac.

It was a clever dish, which not only showcased the farm’s produce but also the complexity of flavours.

An outstanding choice for the fish dish was a dry-aged kabeljou, a variety of pumpkin and a Cape Malay curry sauce. The dish had so much flavour with just a few well-chosen ingredients and worked so well together.

A surprise cheese bite plate arrived with slivers a soft and local cheeses, quince membrillo and Huguenot Cremieux, to probably tempt for the buildup to deserts.

Then, as a transition to the final course, a surprise pre-desert course was presented. This was sublime with guavas poached in lemongrass syrup, tonka bean spoon and lime zest.

Finally, it is dessert, and I am comforted by the idea of the baked Cape brandy pudding, delicate scoops of ideal milk ice cream, hazelnut and roasted buckwheat and a drizzle of boerenkaas sauce. For me, it was a dish that hearkened back to childhood winters.

So enjoyable was the occasion that we friends lingered for three hours enjoying the meal that comes with a story and came to an end with a petit four of tiny hertzoggie cookie macarons.

Our gastronomic adventure was fine dining without being stuffy, where it was playful with a purpose and above all, it delivered punchy flavours through refined and elegant dishes along with doses of nostalgia too.

Stay longer and experience more

Food lovers, take it slow in a place where history whispers and the vineyards are shaped by the sea breezes. Take your time, dine at your own pace and savour every moment. Pair your meals with local wines and let the stories behind each dish unfold.

At Clara’s Barn, you will feed your curiosity about local ingredients as well as celebrate Cape Heritage flavours. This is not simply a restaurant, it is an experience shaped by the land, by time and by a deep respect for originality.

Everyone should experience fine dining at least once in their lifetime because the exceptional memories shared are priceless.

Discover Clara’s Barn and the tranquillity of Vergenoegd Löw. Book your table or stay here.

Written by Diane McLeish for Luxuria Lifestyle International

.