Bosjes hotel review - Cape Town, South Africa

The old Bosjesman’s Valley Farm – a lush Eden of vineyards, olive and fruit trees, and proteas just an hour’s drive along the R43 from Cape Town – has been owned by the Botha and Sofberg families since the 1830s, though the property’s original Cape Dutch manor house dates back to 1790.

TV3 Architects and Town Planners, and interior designer Liam Mooney have converted an outbuilding, an 18th-century barn, a 19th-century shed and a 1930s stables into a grand five-bedroom guesthouse swathed in sandy hues, chartreuse and copper.

The guesthouse makes the most of its bucolic setting – diversions range from swooping white curls of the chapel designed by Steyn Studio to rambling walks through gardens vibrant with plants and trees specifically mentioned in the Bible, such as myrtle, African Wormwood, white mulberries, and Eureka lemons.

The kitchen is a particular treat, its chef Pete Goffe-Wood turning out a rustic menu of grilled trout and pickled fennel, and lamb shank slow cooked in red wine and pancetta.