Le Quartier Francais
Cape Winelands, Franschhoek, South Africa
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LE QUARTIER FRANCAIS
- FRANSCHHOEK (CAPE WINELANDS), SOUTH AFRICA
 A
little French, a little foreign, a little style they like to call
Cape Provencal. Of course, some call it an Auberge, others an exclusive
country inn. In any language, Le Quartier Francais
is a splash of style in the heart of the historic village of Franschhoek,
a quaint corner of the Cape winelands that is forever a little French.
Set behind a delightful Provencal façade
lined with a charming rose and lavender border, Le Quartier Francais
welcomes visitors from all over the globe who come here to dine in
fine style and spend the night in a room with a spectacular view.
A melange of French,
Malay and traditional South African dishes, Margot Janses’ menu
tempts with a modern twist of the old Cape and the new. The newly
refurbished, spacious suites are stylishly furnished with modern
fittings, refreshing colours and brilliant handpainted fabrics.
Discerning world travellers who stay in the loft and ground floor suites
relax around the large swimming pool in the Victorian courtyard by day.
Honeymoon couples retire to the intimacy of the exclusive house suite
set in a private garden courtyard with a natural Mediterranean pool.
The
highly trained staff are dedicated to spoiling you. Elegance made simple
is the art of living around here.
Located in the heart of the Cape
Winelands, Le Quartier Francais
is an ideal base from which to explore the Western Cape. Located in the
picturesque village of Franschhoek, approximately forty-five minutes
out of Cape Town. |
Accommodation  For
images of Le Quartier Francais, click Le
Quartier Images
Accommodation options vary at Le Quartier. In the main Auberge there are fifteen en-suite bedrooms surrounding the central courtyard garden and gated swimming pool. Each spacious room is individually decorated in vibrant colours and Designers guild patterns and offers the comfort of home with delightful daily surprises. There are also two suites, each with their own walled garden, plunge pool and child-friendly loft room. The Four Quarters offer four exclusive suites overlooking a central courtyard (serviced by full time butler). The Cottage offers 2 en-suite bedrooms (1 twin, 1 king), 2 lounges with fireplace and private pool.
Auberge
The Auberge offers 15 en-suite bedrooms, overlooking the central garden courtyard and heated swimming
pool,and 2 suites – each with their own private pool and garden.
Luxury Rooms: Out of the 15 luxury rooms, 6 have king sized beds and 9 have 2 ¾ beds. All of
the rooms have fireplaces and large sitting areas.
Suites: The Pool Suite has a king-size bed, 2 bathrooms, its own private garden with private
swimming pool and complimentary full bar.
The House Suite has 2 ¾ beds, its own private garden with swimming pool and complimentary
full bar. Both suites have loft rooms for 2 children up to the age of 12 sharing with their parents.
Four Quarters
Four ultra luxury suites with a pool and private lounge area serviced by a private
butler. Dinners and private barbeques can be arranged for clients staying at the Four Quarters.
Each of the modern and contemporary suites is over 140sq.m. Next door to the existing
hotel.
Each of the four suites offers the following:
• Total floor space of 110 square metres each
• Large bedroom with 2 three quarter beds or extra large kings.
• Bathroom with heated towel rails and floors
• Walk-in cupboard with dressing table
• Spacious lounge
• Air conditioning, under carpet heating, individual fireplaces
• Satellite TV, DVD / CD player
• Wireless internet access
• Complimentary fully stocked mini bar
• Tea / coffee making facilities
• Complimentary transfers within Franschhoek
Upstairs suites offer furnished rooftop balconies.
Downstairs suites offer access to the central swimming pool.
A central lounge opening onto the pool is available all day for:
• Breakfast
• Light lunches and afternoon tea
• Full complimentary bar featuring wines of the valley.
• Butler service
The following are included when served in the privacy of the Four Quarters:
• All drinks from the lounge in the Four Quarters and in room bars
• Breakfast
• Light meal served at the pool from 10 till 4
• Afternoon tea and pre-dinner snacks
• Laundry
A chef can be sent to the Four Quarters to prepare dinner on request.
Children under 14 are only welcome at the Four Quarters on an exclusive use basis.
The Cottage
Le Quartier Francais have added a more private option to the family: The Cottage.
Situated across the road from the award winning hotel and restaurant at Le Quartier Francais,
The Cottage offers the opportunity for guests to experience and explore Franschhoek on a more
intimate level. All of this, while still enjoying famous Le Quartier hospitality.
• 2 en-suite bedrooms, 1 twin bedded and 1 king
• 2 lounges with fireplaces
• Fully equipped open plan kitchen and dining area
• All rooms open up onto a walled garden and private swimming pool
• Laundry room with washing machine and drier
• Guests toilet
• TVs – DSTV
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary Pinehurst wines on arrival
• Newspaper, milk, fresh juice and pastries delivered every morning!
Guest Facilities
• Swimming pool – is enclosed securely so children can’t enter the pool area unattended.
• Library in reception with comfortable seating area is available to guests.
• Private massage and aromatherapy as well as various bath menus are on offer for the guests and can be enjoyed in the comfort of their rooms.
• Picnic lunches, gift shop.
• The Treatment Room, offering Decleor treatments for guests.
Dining
PLEASE NOTE ALL RESTAURANTS AT LE QUARTIER ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND
NOT SOLELY FOR GUESTS. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE TASTING ROOM, DURING THE PEAK SEASON.
The Tasting Room
Replacing the concept of traditional à la carte dining, ‘The Tasting Room’ at Le Quartier Français
explores the exhilarating world of Tasting Menus. Masterfully created by Margot Janse, menus
offer 4 and 6 course menus and tasting portions of up to eight beguiling courses with the option
of appropriate wine pairing. Open evenings only. Bookings essential (NB credit card details are
needed to make a reservation).
iCi
Here, café society mingles with the famous on the street side terrace, bar and restaurant. Vibrant
food from South Africa’s Top Chef and a wine list that extends with award winning wines to
Franschhoek creations ensures casual dining with a local edge.
iCi takes care of lunch, casual dinners and anything in between from an illy cappuccino to a
strawberry daiquiri. Open seven days a week from noon until 10pm.
Bread and Wine
Situated on the Moreson Wine farm on the outskirts of the village but still in the picturesque
valley of Franschhoek. Offering superb country style lunches amidst vineyards and lemon
groves this is an exceptionally popular spot in the Valley. An ideal venue for weddings.
Chef Margot
Janse takes Chef of the Year 2002
Chef Margot
Janse of Le Quartier Francais added
yet another string to her impressive bow of culinary achievements
when she was awarded Chef of the Year at the EAT OUT Restaurant Awards
held
in Cape Town recently.
The first ever recipient of this
special new award, Chef Margot was lauded by Eat Out editor Lannice
Snyman as a ‘mega-talented chef
heading a meticulous kitchen at the seductive Cape Winelands restaurant
Le Quartier Francais.’
Le Quartier Francais also received
the most sought-after accolade in the restaurant industry - The Editor’s
Top Ten - for the sixth time, while Margot Janse was included in
this Top Ten selection for the fourth year running.
In addition Le Quartier Francais
also received its first star in the newly introduced Eat Out Star
Ratings, an honour given to only 50 restaurants countrywide. This
praise for the team of Le Quartier Français follows shortly
on the heels of the acclaimed British publication, Restaurant, rating
it as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.
Is it the signature double-baked
beetroot and rocket soufflé,
the olive oil poached salmon trout cleverly paired with its smoked
version in a fritter with cucumber and seaweed or the classic caramalised
lemon tart? According to Lannice Snyman, she has been following Margot’s
culinary journey for many years. “Margot never ceases to surprise
me. Her food is layered with textures and flavours and only the best
and freshest ingredients will do. She knows when to break the boundaries
and when to stay safe. For this she is respected not only by diners
who keep on coming back for more, but also her peers.”
South Africa ’s leading chef always dreamt of becoming an actress.
When she did not make it to the Amsterdam Theatre School she was advised
to “go see the world”. And that she did by coming to the
Southern Tip of Africa, at the age of 23. Here she learnt a new art
which would bring her international recognition in the years to come.
For the spirited and ego-less Margot the secret lies in boundless love
for what she does. “It is not about achievements, but the joy
of making a living by doing what I love best. I am happy to go to work,
arriving in my kitchen with a smile on my face. I work with a fantastic
team headed by Linda Coltart, our general manager, and I have wonderful
suppliers. My work allows me to express myself and offers the best
of all – to be appreciated.”
Margot loves working with local
ingredients for their freshness and variety. “Franschhoek
has amazing produce. I love it when women from the village arrive
at my doorstep with a
colander full of black
figs, berries or nettles. My food style is about being creative. I
never stop thinking about food. Certain things are logical. Before
starting anything you must know what you want to achieve. This applies
to food as well. I know in my head what a dish will taste like - call
it culinary logic if you like.”
“We are thrilled and terribly
proud,” says Susan Huxter,
owner of Le Quartier Francais. “The awards are the result
of a dedicated team doing what they all love. They believe in change
and innovation, but also take responsibility. Most of all, they are
successful because they respect their profession and have fun at it.”
Le Quartier
on culinary A-list (May 2002)
Le Quartier Francais Restaurant
has also been named one of the World's 50
Best Restaurants
in authoritative ratings published by Restaurant, a leading
food magazine published in London.
Winning a highly-prized place, Le Quartier
Francais was the only South African restaurant to make the top 50
list that includes the world's
most renowned restaurants from New York and Paris to Hong Kong and
Sydney.
A panel of top chefs, restaurateurs
and gourmet writers were asked to find "the greatest places to eat in the world - serving simply
the best food in the world".
Bread & Wine Restaurant on Môreson
Wine Farm
The grapevine is singing about
the inspired new menu at Bread & Wine
on Môreson Wine Farm in Franschhoek. A regional showcase for
the freshest seasonal fare, the enchanted restaurant in the lemon
orchard has come of age as the home of a new genre of Cape country
cuisine. Creating light gourmet cuisine from the finest locally sourced
ingredients; it offers visitors from around the world a taste of
the winelands on a plate.
Reflecting the global return to cuisine du terroir, the innovative
menu tempts palates with the delectable aromas and flavours of home-baked
breads, sublime soups, country terrines, imaginative salads and highly
original dishes.
Breaking away from the traditional
formula of set courses, Bread & Wine
encourages guests to take a more informal approach to dining. Why restrict
yourself to starters and mains? A refreshingly different menu invites
you to explore a range of tastes and textures by sharing a selection
of affordable dishes. The menu offers unbeatable value for fine country
cuisine.
Served at country tables with
pastel chairs scattered around the courtyard, the al fresco setting
has the charming ambience
of a Monet painting.
Visitors linger over lunch in the country, savouring Môreson's
fine wines grown in the vineyards, served by the glass or bottle. Signature
dishes like shrimp cake with tomato salsa, clay-baked asparagus with
red pesto and balsamic jelly and pan-fried wild mushrooms with marrow
butter are bound to whet an appetite for more. One of the most popular
dishes offers a delicious combination of home-smoked salmon served
with warm potato and avocado salad.
Newly renovated for the season,
Bread & Wine has a chic new look
with an enclosed terrace that is the ideal venue for a grand country
wedding or special functions. Featuring a dance-floor, the elegant
100-seater dining room has a high ceiling draped in provençal
fabrics and giant picture windows that afford an outlook of mountains
and vineyards as far as the eye can see. The indoor area leads onto
the al fresco courtyard shaded by trellised vines and lemon trees.
Designer menus are tailor-made for weddings and special events.
Chefs Neil and Christina Jewell,
partners in the kitchen and at home, joined Bread & Wine in 1999 after working in the celebrated British
kitchens of Conrad International, The Avenue and Stephen Bull in London – Time
Out's top Modern European Restaurant. The popular anti-pasta platter
showcases the specialist meats cured in Neil’s own charcuterie
- the cardamom salami, home-cured hams, red-wine cured meats and farm-smoked
salmon. He 's famous throughout the Franschhoek Valley for his spicy
Toulouse sausage - and plans to lead sausage-making classes at Bread & Wine
in 2003.
Christina Jewell, the renowned
baker and manager, makes the scrumptious foccacia, ciabatta, sour
dough and beetroot
breads served at Bread & Wine
with savoury dips and oils. She also holds popular monthly bread-baking
classes on Saturday mornings for the novice bakers who come back to
learn how to make their own gourmet breads - filled with kitchen dried
tomatoes, feta and green garlic.
At Bread & Wine, they're looking forward to the next big event
of the season on the annual calendar - the blessing of the harvest
events at Môreson Wine Farm in early February. These events
attract hundreds of visitors who celebrate the first fruits of the
new vintage at a foot-stomping party where they press the grapes the
old way - underfoot.
Getaways
at Le Quartier Francais
So, life in the fast track is hectic. You seriously need time out.
Yet the weekend arrives before you've even had time to organise a rendezvous
in the country where you can chill out. There's no need to despair.
Whether you're looking for a little romance, a quiet spot to go fly-fishing
or the soothing aroma of lavender and roses, there is a place for you.
There is a sanctuary in the Cape winelands
where you will be pampered beyond your wildest dreams. A renowned guesthouse, restaurant and retreat,
the luxurious Auberge in Franschhoek will plan your whole weekend -
then leave you in complete privacy to romance the weekend away. All
you have to do is bring the right partner along.
If you simply want time out,
Le Quartier Francais will tempt
you to book a "veg out" weekend that leaves the two of you
alone on luxurious linen with your favourite movies in front of a romantic
fireplace. (The sweet dreams are on the house.)
For guests who need to get a
little more active to unwind, Le Quartier Francais also
now offers fly-fishing weekends. If you want to cast a rod in the
idyllic setting of Dewdale trout farm in Franschhoek
while your partner takes forty winks on the riverbank, they'll organise
that too. If you come back to Le Quartier Français with a tall
tale about the one that got away, they'll even serve you fish and chips
at the bar to cheer you up.
At Le Quartier Francais,
the dedicated staff will go to the ends of the earth to make sure
your great getaway
in the country is
simply perfect this weekend. If you need a break with a touch of class,
take a look at our four innovative weekend packages - and pick exactly
what you're looking for. A veg out or fly-fishing weekend. It's all
up to you. They'll do the rest.
Activities
Môreson Wine Farm - Môreson’s
quality wine will take you on a journey of the senses and an unforgetable
experience.
Bordeaux Street Art
Gallery - Suppliers of divine artworks and gifts
Butterfly World – Thousands of species
Animal Zone - New and exciting concept of interaction
with rare, exotic species
Wine Estate Visits - Bellingham, Cabriére Estate, Landau du
Val and Môreson
are just a few of the 20 wine estates in the surrounding area that
offer wine sales and tasting , cellar and vineyard tours.
Cycle Hire – Inquiries at Reception
Franschhoek Mountain Trail – Scenic walks
Franschhoek
Museum – Learn about Hranschhoek's historical background.
Open everyday between 9h00 - 16h00
Golf – A choice of 4 golf courses within a 45km Radius – contact
Reception for more information.
Health and Skincare Clinic – Pamper yourself
Kei Carpets – Beautiful hand–made carpets
Mont Rochelle Equestrian Centre – Trail riding
and cellar tours on horseback
Over 20 local restaurants to choose from ranging Cape Provincial Cuisine
to Bistro’s, Coffee Shops, Deli’s and family restaurants
Tennis Club - Inquiries at Reception
Trout fishing on Dewdale - For lovers of outdoors,
with hiking and mountain biking trails, tackle shop and picnic hampers
Wine and Cheese Farm – Fairview
Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm
The Vonds Snake Centre – Fascinating collection
of crawling reptiles
Winelands Ballooning – Balloon flights over
the vineyards
Wine Route Ostrich Farm – Tours, bushman crafts
and restaurant
Origins
The
origins of Le Quartier Francais are steeped in the history
of the Cape Winelands, the original buildings were labourers’ cottages
which were upgraded and used as different forms of accommodation
until Michael and Cheryl Trull opened the first restaurant on this
site;
known as “1688”, it was a simple country restaurant.
Adre and Arthur MacWilliam Smith took it over in 1984, they changed
the
name to Le Quartier Francais and put it on the map with
its outstanding cuisine.
Susan Huxter bought the already popular
restaurant in 1989 and extended the scope considerably by building
the Auberge, which opened in 1991
with a total of 14 rooms. Later Susan converted her house into the
luxury suites with their own private pools. The
project architect, Tom Darlington, designed an intimate, cloistered
Cape Victorian
setting for the Auberge Du Quartier Francais.
Set in tranquil surroundings, the reception,
lounge, library and 15 double rooms plus the Pool Suite and a House
Suite are set against
the mystic backdrop of the Franschhoek mountains and overlook a central
landscaped garden with a natural pool.
The private courtyard, with its “broekie
lace” and old
fashioned street lamps recreates the charm of a village square in
a bygone era. Le Quartier Francais offers something for
everyone.
The main restaurant offers diners
innovative Cape Provencal
cuisine in a beautiful setting. The Bar and streetside Terrace offers
light meals throughout the day and a variety of drinks. It is the place
to go to relax in a stunning setting and be assured of good food, wonderful
local wines and warm friendly service.
In December 2000, Le Quartier
Francais became
a member of Relais et Châteaux.
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