While I’ve had my fair share of scones and lemonade under the old oaks at Babylonstoren’s Greenhouse (and will forever recommend them), this visit was all about finally experiencing Babel – their more refined, farm-to-fork affair housed in a beautifully reimagined old cowshed. And let me just say: what a treat.
The space itself is everything you’d expect from Babylonstoren – clean lines, Cape Dutch charm, big glass windows that let the garden in.
Lunch starts with a few slices of sourdough and salted farm butter – simple and so good. From there, you choose between a two- or three-course menu (we, of course, went all in).
We kicked off with heirloom tomatoes and water buffalo mozzarella, which comes from the farm’s own herd (yes, you can also buy it from the Milk Room). Fresh spring onions, oregano, silky cheese – if you’re a dairy devotee like me, it’s a dreamy starter. The beef tartare with raw hen’s egg and garden radish was equally impressive.
For mains, the line fish of the day came with a brown onion sauce so deeply delicious I’d have happily taken a jar home. Waterblommetjies and curried aubergine rounded it out. My partner had the free-range chicken with garden turmeric and cauliflower. We added a side of roast potatoes, and they were exactly what you want roast potatoes to be: crisp on the outside, fluffy inside, and just salty enough.
Then came dessert… The cheese board was lovely, all marmalade and honeycomb and generous wedges. But the star? The baked sticky toffee sponge with cider caramel and buffalo milk gelato. Warm, soft, lightly spiced – and hands down the best sticky toffee pudding I’ve had.
Drinks-wise, they’ve got everything from local wines to house-made lemonades and ginger beer.
After lunch, we explored the rest of what Babylonstoren has to offer, and it’s a lot more than just a pretty garden and good food. There’s a working farm with donkeys and free-roaming chickens, a Milk Room where you can buy cheese and dairy made from their own herd, a Meat Room, a Coffee Roastery, and even a gelato shop. Their farm stores are stocked with everything from seasonal produce, bread and honey to teas, preserves and wine – all beautifully curated and made with care. You could easily spend a full day here, with more than enough to see, taste, and take home.
Now that I’ve eaten at both Babel and the Greenhouse, I can confidently say: they’re different experiences, but both are worth every bite.
ALSO SEE: Babylonstoren’s new 19th century experience, Soetmelksvlei
Feature image: Babylonstoren/Facebook
