Some of the best places to stay during a visit to the Mother City are minutes from the city centre, yet feel miles from the world. Just twenty minutes from Cape Town, Steenberg Farm is the complete luxury destination, where a hearty and homely visit to an iconic mountainside winery feels like the ultimate indulgence.
Not only is the property bordered by the area's rugged mountain range; it's also punctuated by historic oak trees, which frame the farm's swathes of vineyards. Since Steenberg's establishment by Catharina Ras in 1682, the golden thread of female-led hospitality has created a team who are custodians of time well spent.
While it's no secret that a visit to the Cape's famed wineries is always on one's summer itinerary, a visit to Steenberg Farm during the winter season makes for a cordial home-away-from-home experience. Thanks to the two fine restaurants, world-famous winery, championship golf course and generous private suites flanked by a recently refurbished spa, guests are spoiled for choice.
'There is a lot of heart in what we do. A lot of us have a romance with Steenberg, says Catherine Schulze, Managing Director of Beck Family Hospitality, which oversees the hotel, spa and two restaurants on Steenberg Farm. 'We will hand-pick and even drive for hours to find the right thing."
As the long Cape Town winter nights roll in, many guests stay indoors - perhaps that's why so much care and attention has been taken in decorating the hotel's 24 rooms, bringing a boutique feel to a world-class property. From exquisite villas to quaint suites, every room is individually decorated, and the texture of a single object in each sets the tone for a sense of calm that is pursued through neutral hues.
Stepping into one of Steenberg's villas, you're greeted by shades of blushing pink, olive and ochre, which take their cue from the contemporary art laced throughout. Amid textural notes of linen, rattan arm chairs and freshly cut flowers, guests often note that everything has been considered: every piece of furniture is comfortable, the lighting is right, and the decor complements it all for a holistic experience. The grounds of Steenberg are so idyllic, you'll forget it's winter - but isn't that the point?
The mission of any hotel is to provide either that home-away-from-home feeling, or a hedonistic fantasy that whisks us away from a life devoid of grandeur. Somehow, Steenberg Farm does both. The rooms are beautifully decorated - no matter what the weather is like outside, you won't struggle to look at beautiful things, says Catherine. 'It's a space to kick off your shoes, where you're delighted by people who want to - and have the time to - look after you?
Two restaurants are on offer, Bistro Sixteen82 and Tryn.
Headed by Executive Chef Kerry Kilpin, they plate up unexpected dishes that still manage to taste of home, using ingredients such as Saldanha oysters and pork belly, and herbs freshly cut from the gardens outside.
There's nothing too ostentatious about the beautifully-decorated restaurants or the dishes on the menu. In fact, Steenberg Farm's food, quite like its hospitality, is a hearty and homely affair that pairs perfectly with its flight of the finest wines, which have become some of South Africa's favourites. Guests and visitors are treated to ice buckets nesting bottles of the bright, elegant, and fruit-forward Cap Classique, or fireside tables with the sound of clinking glasses of Merlot, all made possible by Steenberg Cellarmaster Elunda Basson.
Through design, flavour and generosity, Steenberg Farm paints a stunning portrait of a region: beautiful properties hugged by fynbos-covered mountains and bound by the Indian Ocean, where time and space allow visitors to exhale and take a pause from the busyness of life outside of Cape Town, creating guests for life.
