Cuisine - Culinary Delights

Knowing that our guests have enjoyed an active day in the fresh air and coastal surroundings is the encouragement we need at Grootbos to motivate our five-star dining experience. We aim to provide the best possible relaxation and most enjoyable experiences for guests at our two restaurants set in the peace and tranquillity of Grootbos Nature Reserve. You will experience a fusion of culinary delights as well as an unforgettable combination of hospitality, friendship and professionalism while marvelling at the ever changing views over Walker Bay.

Spa Treatments @ Grootbos Bloom Salon

As the day draws to a close, your head is swimming with new and exciting thoughts of the day’s adventures. Your limbs are heavy and weary. It is time to tip-toe into a slower world where the mind can drift away on the vapors of luxurious scents such as sandalwood, arnica and buchu, while your body melts under the soothing touch of our fully qualified beauty therapist. Pampering takes place in the comfort of your own suite or in our recently opened Bloom Salon. For the tired body, a therapeutic full body massage is a definite must, leaving you in a state of absolute calmness. For the weary feet, reflexology, including a footbath, will most certainly do the trick. Manicures, pedicures, facials and a host of other treatments are available as well.

Conferences

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in Gansbaai offers the perfect venue for conferencing and events. We specialize in conference groups from 10-60 delegates and are not open to non-resident guests. The tranquil environment away from the hectic city lends itself to a creative and productive getaway. The 1700-hectare reserve is situated on the hills overlooking Walker Bay with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the distant Cape of Good Hope and Overberg.

Activities

Guided walks and 4x4 drives through the reserve

• 1-2 hour guided walks through the ancient Milkwood Forests.
• 1-2 hour guided horse rides through the reserve
• Guided excursions to the Klipgat Cave, one of the most important archaeological sites in South Africa
• Guided trip along the nearby coast to view the whales and other marine life(June to December)
• Opportunities to explore sandy beaches, swim in sheltered bays and picnic on the beach
• Bird-watching; experience a great variety of bird species on the reserve

Not-included Activities

• Boat-trips to Dyer Island to watch about 60.000 Cape Fur Seals, penguins, seabirds, the Great White Shark, dolphins and the Southern Right Whales (June to December)
• Shark cage diving
• Scenic Flights

Every mouthful. Every drop. Every glance at every view. Dining at Grootbos is an experience in its own right, with its unique combination of fresh organic produce, a world-class natural setting and our hugely experienced culinary team.

Culinary Experiences
Flavours that reflect this pristine wilderness.

Taste the spray of the sea in every forkful of your delectable fish fillet. Bite into a homemade tortellini as the flavour bursts into your mouth. Delight as you nibble on a whisky infused chocolate torte with salted caramel. Every meal at Grootbos is an exceptional dining experience packed with texture, flavour and colour.

Wine Experiences
Award-winning wines. Warm welcomes.
Tantalise your tastebuds during a food and wine pairing, enjoy dinner with wines specially selected by our highly trained sommeliers or quench your curiosity by discovering more about wine-makers on a guided farm tour. Until you see the tremendous hand-picked collection of wines in our cellar, it is difficult to understand our passion for good wine.

Our Wine Collection
“We attend the Cape Winemakers Guild and Nederburg wine auctions every year, buying limited and special edition wines”

We aim to support the local economy in everything we do and luckily we happen to be situated in an area rich in wine production, which is also the Pinot Noir capital of South Africa.

Our primary sourcing area is the Overberg, which extends from the Elgin Valley across Bot River, Hermanus, Stanford and Elim, ending at Malgas near Swellendam. We also stock wines from further afield and a few sparkling wines and champagnes from France, but otherwise our collection is proudly local.

Whether it’s the bright green of our freshly grown micro herbs or the sunshine yellow of the egg yolk from our very own chickens, every meal at Grootbos is an explosion of colour, texture and taste. In fact, nearly half of all the ingredients we use are sourced from our Growing the Future food production and social upliftment project, based right here, on the reserve.

Whatever dish you choose, you’ll get to experience the tastes of this unique landscape and its people, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel instantly at home.

• Every meal bursts with colour, flavour and texture
• The freshest ingredients, sourced locally
• A unforgettable culinary and sensory experience 
• Enjoy award-winning wines from our cellar