Choose a location

Or use your current location

Select
Real-time

Clara's Barn

Reservations Collection Delivery
Contemporary Fine Dining South African
1 Faure Village Rd, Stellenbosch Farms, Cape Town, 7131, South Africa
(26 reviews)
RRR

Attributes

  • Wine Estate
  • Gourmet Guide Plated

New Bertus Basson restaurant at Vergenoegd

Gourmet Guide Description

Award-winning Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate in Stellenbosch is where
well-known chef Bertus Basson has two restaurants. Geuwels is casual,
family-style and relaxed. Clara’s Barn, named after the wife of the
owner, is the smarter sister, housed in the oldest barn in the country
that has been respectfully and tastefully restored with contemporary,
understated decor.

The menu at Clara’s ‘farm kitchen’ is sophisticated, with three and fivecourse options based on local and seasonal produce. The meats and
roasts on the menu remind the diner that the estate was originally a
cattle farm. Drikus Brink, formerly chef at Overture for seven years,
heads the team.

Edible childhood memoirs are rewritten with dishes like fish paste on
toast in a Lucky Star tin. With it, a Bovril tart and Huguenot cheese with
‘mosbolletjies’, homemade butter, figs and ‘moskonfyt’. The ‘let’s look
back’ button has been pressed and there is no stopping. Provenance
and lineage are evident on each plate. Dishes demand attention – like
the raw yellowtail with pumpkin, coconut cream, chilli, cashew and
coriander. The Hoekkraaltjie quail with liver parfait, sweetcorn and
barley is scrumptious, the barley resting in a delicate, crispy tart case
alongside the quail.

Vergenoegd Löw wines are an obvious companion to the fervently
flavoured dishes. The sides too require an honourable mention –
expect the ‘pampoenkoekies’ to be served in a hollowed out pumpkin.
Desserts have modern twists on the classics, the sago pudding with a
soft meringue topping and Ideal milk ice cream being a prime example.
The dessert trolley is a triumph.

Service is slick yet friendly. The final treat after a three-course odyssey
of mouth-watering memories is being invited to open the dresser
bulging with homemade treats and departing with a Clara’s Barn
bag of goodies, yet another unbridled show of attention to detail and
abundance

Reviews (26)

4.7 out of 5.0
Food 4.8
Value 4.5
Service 4.8
Ambience 4.6
  • Nic T. Dined: 3 days ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Wed 01 Feb 23
    Perfect from A-Z. Food, service, Ambiente all top. Have a go, you will not be disappointed.

  • Cory B. Dined: 6 days ago
    3.5
    Food 4.0
    Value 2.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 3.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 30 Jan 23
    I dined at three other BB restaurants and was very impressed each time. Obviously I very much looked forward to lunch at Clara’s expecting a similar experience. The personal reception and seating us was perfect. The decor may seem a little bland, but I enjoy minimalism. Service was pretty good too. Each of the menu items were beautifully presented and tasted good. In comparison to the three other restaurants, the food is relatively on par. However, this is exceptionally expensive. The wine list is expansive but ridiculously overpriced. Pity.

  • Roland M. Dined: 1 week ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Sat 28 Jan 23
    The food and service were excellent

  • Giuliano M. Dined: 2 weeks ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Carlyn R. Dined: 1 month ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 4.0

    Reviewed on: Mon 09 Jan 23
    We had our end of year function at Clara’s Barn. What an amazing food experience. Will definitely go back again and again.

  • Susanne R. Dined: 2 months ago
    4.5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 3.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 27 Nov 22
    Food top class !!! Absolutely fantastic!!

  • Olaf H. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 27 Nov 22
    Fantastic experience

  • Frank B. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0

    Reviewed on: Sun 27 Nov 22
    The dining experience was outstanding. We will definitely come back.

  • Manfred B. Dined: 2 months ago
    5
    Food 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
  • Ulrich C. Dined: 5 months ago
    4.8
    Food 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Service 5.0
    Ambience 5.0
Show More

Book a table

Favourite

Opening Hours

  • Monday CLOSED
  • Tuesday 12h00 - 16h00
  • Wednesday 12h00 - 16h00
  • Thursday 12h00 - 16h00
  • Friday 12h00 - 16h00 - 18h00 - 22h00
  • Saturday 12h00 - 16h00 - 18h00 - 22h00
  • Sunday 12h00 - 16h00