It’s not hard to ignore Swellendam. Whizzing past on the N2 from Cape Town to the Garden Route – a well-worn tourist trail trodden by thousands each year – the grey silos and factories on the outskirts of town do little to inspire you to pull off and explore.
But, oh my, what a treat you’re missing in this corner of the Overberg. From quaint country restaurants to farm-stalls brimming with all things epicurean, there is history and gastronomy galore. And just when you think you’ve had your fill, a short drive over the Tradouw Pass transforms time and climate; transporting you into the Little Karoo to a time when lunches were long and afternoons were made for siestas.
So if it’s a long weekend with fine food and a warm welcome you’re after, shift into second as Swellendam hoves into view, hang a left and get ready to explore the historic heart of the Overberg…
A treasure indeed…
Your first destination lies a short way outside of town, along a winding road through lush pastures – dotted with grazing Jerseys – to what was recorded as a freehold farm in 1723 as Jan Harmans schat; ‘Jan Harman’s treasure’.
And a more apt name is hard to think of. Dating back nearly three hundred years, the farm is a peaceful spot that’s home to one of the loveliest guesthouses in the Cape. Rooms are dotted across three buildings, but the best are in the restored slave quarters where four spacious en-suite rooms are wonderfully furnished with period furniture to transport you back to a time when elephant roamed these hills.
It’s a scene hard to imagine while gazing out at the pastoral pecan and olive orchards that surround the main building. Previously the farm’s wine cellar it’s been lovingly restored and is where you’ll find yourself each evening, stomach already rumbling in anticipation of the magic Lena Vergotine will weave on your plate. Lena started off as a farm worker, making simple jams and preserves, but has grown into one of the most promising chefs in the Overberg, turning out gourmet four-course dinners each evening.
No doubt the feast will end off with a platter of cheeses made on the farm by resident cheese maker Paul Wade. The piquant Langeberger, unpasteurised and matured for 3 months, is delicious!
Spend time in gaol
In the olive orchards above Jan Harmsgat lies the grave of one Hermanus Steyn, who was famous in the district for declaring Swellendam an independent republic after getting fed up with the Dutch authorities at the Cape.
It was a short-lived burst of rebellion that is just one aspect of the region’s fascinating history to be discovered in Swellendam’s delightful Drostdy Museum.
The coffee shop that used to be housed in the Old Gaol has since wandered down the road to Church Square, but is still certainly worth a visit come lunchtime. Apart from a host of daily specials the traditional roosterkoek is the highlight here, cooked the traditional way over an open fire and filled with anything from smoked salmon trout to springbok carpaccio. And don’t dare leave without trying a slice of the old-fashioned ‘melktert’, baked over the coals in a traditional copper pan.
From the terrace of the restaurant you’ll just be able to see the Georgian frontage of Schoone Oordt, one of the town’s most delightful guesthouses and a perfect base for the night.
Apart from eight beautifully decorated suites and a spacious honeymoon cottage, the warm welcome from Alison and Richard Walker (and their extended family of children and pets) makes this historic guesthouse feel more like a second home.
Spend the night
And you’ll want to spend a night or two in town. During the day there’s the
Wildebraam Berry Farm (famous for their Youngberry liqueur) in the Hermitage Valley to explore, or work up an appetite with a walk in Marloth Nature Reserve. Tread quietly in the patches of indigenous forest and you may spot grey rhebuck and duiker, or any of the 114 recorded bird species. If you feel a second childhood coming on, Sulina’s Faerie Sanctuary has been drawing faerie folk large and small for over 17 years.
Come evening Swellendam has a range of restaurants to enjoy, but there are two that certainly shouldn’t be missed.
La Sosta, at the far end of Voortrek Street, is run by the wonderful Gianni and Cristiana Minori, and this tiny Italian eatery certainly has more to offer than a boring old margherita. This friendly couple from Milan host a handful of tables each night, with Cristiana conjuring up a homely spread of Italian dishes including delightfully soft homemade gnocchi. Book ahead to make sure you get a table.
A few steops from Schoone Oordt you’ll find the town’s other culinary highlight; Koornlands Restaurant.
Offering ‘cuisine du Cap’ the emphasis here is on local flavours, from warthog samoosas to wafer-thin kudu carpaccio. Set in a charming thatched cottage that's a declared National Monument, Koornlands offers a delicious mix of European-style dishes jazzed up with African ingredients. The Springbok Fillet stuffed with Gorgonzola and Figs is unmissable.
Over the Tradouw
Drag yourself away from Swellendam the next day and head over the dramatic Tradouw Pass and down to the quaint village of Barrydale, a popular watering hole on Route 62.
The road through town is lined with craft and décor shops worth a browse, but come lunchtime make sure you end up at the windmill on the far end of town; home to Clarke of the Karoo.
Chances are Mike Clarke will greet you himself as you walk in to his laid-back eatery to be met by a mouth-watering menu of Karoo specialities.
“Our Karoo Lamb Curry is one of our most popular dishes,” says Mike of the generous portion of fragrant curry, served with a wide selection of sambals. “But our Moroccan lamb pie and Cape Malay Bobotie are pretty popular too!”
With a number of cellars in the area Mike only serves Karoo wines, and there’s a small yet well-chosen list to complement your meal. The Joubert-Tradauw Chardonnay and Herold Pinot Noir are outstanding, but even the ‘Virgin Earth’ house wine does nicely on a wet wintry day.
Mike also runs a well-stocked deli from the restaurant, so fill up the boot on the way out. If you have time, take a turn past the deliciously named ‘The Jam Tarts’ across the road for a few jars of their homemade fruit jams. There’s also a wood-fired pizza oven for the best thin-based pizzas in town.
Ronnie’s Sex Shop
Lastly, you simply can’t come all this way without saying hello to Ronnie.
What was meant to be a farm stall has become the Klein Karoo's most famous pub, 26-kilometres east of town, and the quirky ‘Ronnie’s Sex Shop’ is popular any day of the week. The Road Kill Café next door will cater for those attacks of the munchies and, as Ronnie says, “Patrons are always welcome to buy me a drink!”
Pull straws for a designated driver, take it slow, indulge a little and you’ll discover there’s a world of fine food to be discovered on this road less travelled.
IF YOU GO
Published in Food & Home Entertaining, September 2009
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