Artisan cocktails & live music served up with majestic Franschhoek views
Everyone’s favourite weekday has just perked up thanks to the exciting launch of #FestiveFriday at Franschhoek’s renowned, mountain-perched estate, La Petite Ferme.
Featuring a fresh selection of hand-crafted cocktails and arguably the best views across the valley, La Petite Ferme is now the place to be for sundowners this summer. #FestiveFriday takes place on selected Fridays from 9 December 2016 until 13 January 2017, when cocktails and delicious bites will be served from 4-6pm in the beautifully manicured gardens of La Petite Ferme to the dulcet tunes of live musicians.
The show-stopper is the backdrop for every event – the majestic, mountain-rimmed expanse of the beautiful Franschhoek valley.
Seeking to avoid run-of-the-mill and showcase the farm and its own produce, La Petite Ferme set about creating a menu of vibrant #FestiveFriday cocktails:
• The Pretty Lisa was inspired by a La Petit Ferme legend with service of three decades and who still shines. Made with vodka and amongst others strawberries, lime juice, lemonade and fresh basil, The Pretty Lisa is as vibrant and welcoming as the real Mona Lisa’s smile.
• The Mariano is La Petite Ferme’s very own exotic cocktail with Latin pizzazz. A vodka-spangled blitz of berries adorns this drink along with mango and lime juice and fresh mint.
• The Spa is the perfect cocktail to slow-sip while taking in nature’s most magical spectacle. Named for the restorative fresh cucumber juice that is its main ingredient, The Spa uses a base of gin along with lime juice, fresh mint and a just a touch of sugar for balance.
• The Garden breaks the cocktail mould. In addition to grapefruit and lime juice and mixed peppers, this beverage extravaganza includes coriander – fresh from the farm’s new herb garden. All you need to decide is: vodka or gin?
The new cocktails are the tip of the iceberg of changes that have swept across the famed wine estate situated at the head of the Franschhoek valley, on the eponymous mountain pass road. In addition to the tranquil deli area amidst towering trees, The Delicatess, the property also features a newly revamped restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week.
Refurbishments and upgrades have seen to it that the venue now offers even more for Franschhoek fans, foodies and wine lovers.
Now, an elegant yet unfussy simplicity prevails – a nod to both function and nostalgia. Lebanese interior designer Claudia Chahine oversaw décor and design. Talented Cape Town ceramicist Mervyn Gers handcrafted a collection of unique dinnerware specifically for the restaurant that reflects attributes of the farm and its sky-touching location.
Likewise, special recycled glassware was made especially for the restaurant by Ngwenya Glass.
La Petite Ferme’s new summer menu has been launched and remains true to form. It features a variety of polished dishes, earthy yet urbane, from small plates and light bites to hearty entrees and indulgent desserts, all inspired by the season and paired with fine local wines. Well-known for using local produce in creative dishes with a global twist, executive chef Neethling du Toit has headed the La Petite Ferme kitchen for eight years. He says guests can still look forward to the same heart-warming fare and elegant styling, but with fresh flair.
“Some of our dishes are so popular and ‘set in the history’ of the estate that we’ll always look to retain them in some shape or form,” he says. “The smoked trout and the aubergine-wrapped lamb are perennial favourites, for example, and we’ll never disappoint those customers who’ve come to savour these signature dishes.”
Promising artful presentations, brilliant flavour combinations and impeccable service, La Petite Ferme has built a solid reputation as a dining destination with beauty and elegance.
While the restaurant has always incorporated local and sustainable food, the addition of the new herb garden to the newly landscaped gardens is not only a nod to its historical past, but has also brought greater balance with nature.
La Petite Ferme is well-known for its premium boutique range of reds and whites that express their unique Franschhoek terroir. In addition to its restaurant and deli area, La Petite Ferme offers a range of accommodation with vineyard suites or luxuriously appointed rooms in its grand Manor House. It is also a very popular location for weddings, events and functions.
Experience La Petite Ferme any day of the week or join #FestiveFriday, which runs until middle January 2017.
#FestiveFriday Dates to diarise:
December 9, 16, and 30 and January 6 and 13.
For more information, visit www.lapetiteferme.co.za. For restaurant reservations, send e-mail to [email protected] or phone +27 (0)21 876 3016.
Facebook: La-Petite-Ferme-Franschhoek
Twitter: @la_petiteferme
Instagram: @la_petiteferme
Follow the hashtags #lovelapetite and #FestiveFriday on social media, and become part of the conversation.
