Frank Mannion stays at the Leeu House in Franschhoek, the culinary and wine capital of South Africa.
Franschhoek has been called the gastronomic and wine capital of South Africa and was recently recognised by TIME magazine as one of the top 50 places to visit in the world. With a pedigree like that, I made sure that it was my first stop on arriving at the end of June in Cape Town. It is a beautiful 45-minute journey from the airport. Franschhoek is an elegant old French Huguenot town with lots of character, a flourishing artist colony, stylish art galleries, award-winning vineyards and an old fashioned wine tram.
My home for the night is the marvelous LEEU House, perfectly positioned on the High Street. I stay in the Leeu House Suite. It is 59sqm with a wonderful mountain view and a terrace overlooking an enticing 15m pool with a fun martini seat in the shallow end of the pool (sadly the weather is too cold and rainy to enjoy it). This is a hotel for art lovers and a dramatic black Leopard sculpture stands sentry nearby.
This is winter time in South Africa so the wood fire glowing in the suite is a welcome edition while the expansive bathroom features an enticing freestanding bathtub. Products are from the Healing Co including a luxuriant lemon and verbena and argan oil body wash. Black cosmetic towels are a nice touch to ensure make-up does not ruin it. A cashmere hot water bottle lying in the king-sized bed and underfloor heating add to the peacefulness of the suite. The linen in the bedroom feels luxurious to the touch and the artworks give the room the sense of being home.
This is one of the finest boutique hotels in South Africa, with 12 rooms and a suite. Owned by the successful South African businessman Analjit Singh, the Leeu Hotel started off as one property but Singh expanded it by buying the two neighbouring buildings to ensure the privacy of its guests.
Most rooms have beautiful and dramatic mountain views and since the Singh family also own the nearby Leeu Estates winery, there is some amazing wine available. There are some quirky features such as an intriguing life-sized sculpture in the hotel entrance of what appears at first to be a guest talking to himself.
The picturesque front garden has a wonderful sculpture of Nelson Mandela next to a chair as if beckoning to guests to sit down and enjoy the views. The staff are so friendly and the wooden fire in the hotel entrance provides the perfect excuse to sit down and chat with some of the other international clientele who are enjoying the chic homeliness of the hotel.
This includes an Irish couple on their honeymoon and their stay at the Leeu House has been their highlight after a week travelling across the Western Cape.
Breakfast is served in a sunny conservatory overlooking the pool with the freshest fruit, granola and eggs benedict (with Three Streams trout) of the highest standards. It is the picture-perfect start to the day and gives me the energy to explore the charming High Street. I admire the huge Hugenot Memorial and the architecture of the white painted Dutch Reformed Church. The concierge arranges a ticket to the legendary Franschhoek hop on hop off Wine Tram. This surely has to be one of the most fun ways to explore the winelands.
The sister property is the magnificent Leeu Estates, home to one of the best restaurants in South Africa, La Petite Colombe. A complimentary shuttle whisks guests straight there. Its Full Chef’s Experience is sensational, a mouthwatering 7 course menu featuring inventive dishes paired with local wine including Vin de Constance, a fabled wine that Jane Austen wrote in Pride and Prejudice would mend a broken heart. Karoo Wagyu, petit pois and truffle and crayfish, Thai curry and Danya are all courses that will live long in the memory.
The Leeu House is the perfect place to stay in Franschhoek. Visiting in the South African winter will naturally involve some rain and an autumnal feel, but the region maintains its natural charms and beauty. I felt safe travelling in Ubers and my drivers were friendly emigrants from Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The natural beauty of the Franschhoek valley, dotted with vineyards, has attracted many famous celebrity admirers including Elton John, Richard Branson and Adrien Brody. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner even celebrated their honeymoon in the valley. I look forward to returning in summer when it will be finally warm enough to enjoy that martini seat in the Leeu House pool!
Frank Mannion is a film director and travel writer and his new film A Sip of Irish is available on digital platforms.
Tell me more about Leeu House Hotel in Franschhoek.
Leeu House, 12 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek, Western Cape, 7690, South Africa
E: reservations@leeucollection.com T: +27 21 492 5988
Rooms start at £265 including breakfast
