Tucked away in the Stellenbosch Wine Route, along the famous R44, between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts, one finds a charming, new Cape Winelands café addition in Lievland Café.
Explore the Exciting Lievland Vineyards and Lievland Café
In 2017, MAN Family Wines, a partnership between Tyrrel Myburgh and José Conde, acquired this beautiful farm and set out to restore it to its former glory.
Safe to say, they, and the respective teams behind both the stylish tasting room and café at Lievland Vineyards (which translates to ‘loveland’ in English, a most fitting name!), have achieved that goal. And they have done so much more in the process!
Lievland oozes all the charm of yesteryear, with its peaceful Cape Dutch buildings, rolling green paddocks and distant vineyards.
Yet, it also now bears a fresh injection of modernity, effortlessly tasteful interiors and exciting new beginnings. Thanks to both its elegant tasting room and the still-new Lievland Café, which opened in September 2023.
Fall in Love with Lievland Café
As you amble down the well-maintained, tree-lined country road, you would never suspect the café gem that awaits you at Lievland Vineyards.
Situated directly across from Lievland Vineyards’ tasting room, Lievland Café is essentially the first thing you encounter once you’ve parked your car.
Its glass-fronted, modern façade somehow blends in well with the blooming agapanthus and bright succulents that adorn the new garden.
Layout-wise, the café sits almost side-by-side to the majestic Cape Dutch manor. And, like its secret accomplice, the café carefully oversees the peaceful paddocks, dams and rolling hills that rest beneath these two stunning buildings.
This beautiful, contemporary-style café, stylish with its leafy green foliage and soft neutral-meets-wood interior design scheme, serves glorious breakfasts and lunches.
Add to that, the most efficient, well-trained and warm team of staff, managed by affable Jana Bedford, as well as an impressive, diverse menu (offering everything from gourmet breakfasts to hearty lunches, excellent hot- and cold-beverages, wine) and of course, some truly tempting-sounding desserts – and you have a truly wonderful, quietly refined café to enjoy.
Lievland Café: A Soothing, Elegant Café and Intimate Function Venue
Lievland Cafe’s food offerings are carefully created and overseen by talented, local Head Chef Gareth Goliath. This fine food is suitably complemented by the excellent beverage- and wine-list that the café boasts.
All in all, Lievland Café is designed to provide guests with a soothing Stellenbosch Winelands experience. Something it does from the moment you set foot over its cool, calm threshold.
Best of all, with some successful function events already under their belt (even in such a short space of time), the café team has plans to host events, functions and workshops here. Meaning that guests can enjoy savouring Lievland Café in so many new and exciting ways going forwards!
It’s so easy to imagine an intimate wedding or special birthday celebration being hosted here. Especially given the immense care and love that the whole team puts into this special, new Winelands café.
A New Venture Uniting an Esteemed Team of Foodies
I had been keeping a close eye on the cafe’s developments on Instagram. So I was especially delighted and honoured to be invited to visit Lievland Café in November 2023, to sample its breakfast offerings.
A small family crisis on our end delayed my visit by a few months. But, as the expression goes, all the best things in life are worth waiting for.
Thankfully, though, I’m happy to say I am no stranger to the culinary prowess and artistic, foodie brains that have united to bring Lievland Café to life.
Susan and Christophe Dehosse, along with Chef Garth Bedford, have been tantalising my taste buds ever since I first visited The Kraal at Joostenberg in May 2019, before I also experienced The Vine Bistro at Glenelly in 2022, which Christophe Dehosse heads as chef patron.
Beyond this, the team has also been creating countryside- and culinary-magic at Klein Joostenberg for many years now.
I was, however, excited to sample Chef Gareth Goliath’s cuisine for the first time at Lievland Café. Suffice to say, Chef Goliath certainly wowed our culinary senses from start to finish, with everything from his gorgeous plating to the high quality, excellent food we enjoyed.
When a team works together, amassing such rich knowledge and quality experience in the hospitality industry, it always shows. Anyone encountering Lievland Café should be able to sense this.
There’s such a strong sense of innate expertise and consummate professionalism here that is hard to find in most cafes these days. It’s rare and it’s magical, all in one.
Discover Lievland Cafe’s Culinary Treasures
Honestly, for me, the hardest part about visiting Lievland Café was deciding what to order.
I looked over the menu, which offers the most generous mix of breakfasts, lunch starters and mains and desserts, and still felt conflicted. So I asked restaurant manager Jana Bedford for her breakfast recommendation.
And it turns out that the understandably popular Smoked trout and crème fraîche milk bread roll, with pickled red onion and fresh herbs, was the perfect breakfast experience to kickstart my 2024 culinary adventures.
Paired with a delightful, flawless red cappuccino, it was one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
My partner, meanwhile, opted for a standard cappuccino and the Farmers Liev breakfast. This came with two free range eggs, streaky bacon, mushrooms, pork-and-fennel sausage, tomato smoor and divine farm toast (or bread).
Like me, he loved every bite of the breakfast and we left Lievland Café raving about the incredible food, drinks and perhaps most of all, impeccable, quietly efficient service.
(For context, I accidentally knocked my knife and fork off the table, shortly before our meals arrived. Within seconds, a waiter had quietly and swiftly replaced it with a fresh pair, almost scarcely before I could notice.)
I can’t wait to return to Lievland Café and sample not only their lunch- and dessert-options but to properly sip my way through the tasting room’s lovely wines too.
Enjoy Views for Days
One of the most special things about Lievland Café is the view while you dine, especially if you sit at the indoor patio-style seating like we did.
While all of the cafe’s indoor seating offers either a cosy, intimate experience or a truly scenic one, there’s nothing quite like watching the proud Egyptian geese and other birdlife and horses peacefully exploring their grassy surroundings.
It’s the perfect slice of country life you need to invigorate your soul after the frenetic pace of Mother City living.
The lawn and nearby dam add an extra element of tranquillity. Especially on a summer’s day when a gentle, cool breeze greets you.
In winter, the cafe’s glass doors may be closed to keep out the cold. But, with its stylish setting and cosy fireplaces, the café is well-equipped to keep you entirely oblivious to the elements raging outside.
Most of all, when dining at this café, there’s little to disturb your companionable chatter, barring the occasional shrill cries of a peacock and the sweet, gentle sounds of birdsong in the distance.
So, if by some strange occurrence the food and drink don’t immediately steal your heart, the setting and views at Lievland Café will definitely seal the deal, once and for all.
For good measure – before or after your meal, be sure to pop into the Lievland tasting room and sample their great wines.
As a bonus, just like the café, the tasting room is exquisitely decked out and offers the same glorious farm views.
How Lievland Café Rated Overall
Honestly, in terms of food, drinks and service, I cannot fault Lievland Café.
It is honestly one of the most beautiful, well-rounded cafes I have ever visited.
I highly recommend visiting and experiencing Lievland Café for yourself.
A Word of Thanks
I would like to extend my special thanks to Susan Dehosse, Jana Bedford, Chef Goliath and the whole team at Lievland Café for hosting us for this special visit.
We loved every minute and cannot wait to return again soon for a special occasion or another lovely Winelands meal!
Lievland Café is open daily from 8:00 am – 17:00 pm, for breakfast and lunch.
For more information on Lievland Café and its offerings or to book, please contact: +27 (021) 879 7892, email them at: cafe@lievland.co.za or
book directly via Dineplan.
You can also visit their website or find Lievland Café for yourself at: Lievland Café, Lievland Vineyards, R44, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Lievland Café is also on leading social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, so be sure to connect with and follow them online too.
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