Picolo recommends · Hotel near Franschhoek, South Africa
Babylonstoren
Walk past fruit trees, vegetable beds and herbs on your way to breakfast, then find the same produce on your plate at lunch.
Early in the morning the garden belongs to the guests. The paths run between fruit trees, vegetable beds and herbs, and the only sound is the gardeners at work before the gates open to the public.
Babylonstoren is a historic farm in the Cape Winelands, between Franschhoek and Paarl, and you stay in whitewashed cottages spread across the estate. The restaurant cooks with what comes out of the beds, which makes the menu a fair guide to the season.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Babylonstoren
We chose it because few places make food this central to a stay. The garden is not decoration: it feeds the kitchen, and walking it at first light is the best reason to sleep here rather than visit for the day.
The garden is a popular day trip, and at weekends it gets busy. Guests have areas of their own, but if you want total seclusion, remember that this is a working farm with an audience, not a remote lodge.
What you get
- Large kitchen garden with fruit and herbs
- Restaurant cooking from the garden
- Whitewashed farm cottages
- Early walks before day visitors arrive
- Short drive to Franschhoek and Paarl
A day at Babylonstoren
- Morning
- A walk through the garden before the gates open.
- Midday
- Lunch from the garden at the farm restaurant.
- Afternoon
- A drive to the wine farms around Franschhoek.
- Evening
- A glass on the veranda as the mountains darken.
Location
Simondium, Cape Winelands, South Africa
Open in MapsQuestions about Babylonstoren
Where is Babylonstoren?
It lies in the Cape Winelands between Franschhoek and Paarl, roughly an hour by car from Cape Town, which makes it an easy first or last stop on a trip.
Can you visit Babylonstoren without staying?
Yes, the garden welcomes day visitors, and it is busiest at weekends. Hotel guests have their own areas and can explore the beds early, before the public arrives.
Is Babylonstoren good for food lovers?
Very much so. The restaurant builds its menus around the farm’s own garden, so what you eat follows the season, and the food is the main reason most people come.
Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
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