Key Features

Location – wonderful setting with views over Franschhoek
Spa and beauty salon. Good food and wine. Set in a beautiful vineyard. Overall comment: La Couronne is an excellent base for a few days in pretty Franschhoek

USP: The location

Franchhoek owes its name to the French Huguenots who arrived there in 1686 and their influence are still apparent today. The steep drive down into the valley affords a panoramic vista of the vineyards and the pretty town which is perhaps the culinary capital of South Africa. La Couronne – perched on a hilltop overlooking the valley with the dramatic backdrop of the mountains – is a beautiful vineyard and hotel with a sister winery – Mont Rochelle – one of the oldest in the area. The bedrooms are tastefully furnished – all with wonderful views and diplomatically named after various wine varietals (rather than the more obvious – superior, deluxe and executive labels often used) and the toiletries are similarly themed so you get to bathe and shower in Merlot, Cabernet and Shiraz! The hotel boasts a healthy lunch and dinner clientele and the Swiss chef Roger Clement works hard to keep the menu interesting. The Degustation Menu for dinner offers a five-course menu paired with different wines. And while the food was more traditional that we would have hoped it was well presented and planned. We romped through some interesting wines over the course of the meal– the Mont Rochelle Alchemy 2002 and the Beaumont Chenin Blanc being the more drinkable although the Graham Beck Rhona Muscadel N/V was a pleasant accompaniment to the apple tartatin. Although it’s a drive away from the main thoroughfare of Franshhoek, La Couronne’s beautiful location sets it apart from some of the other high-end hotels.

La Couronne,

Dassenberg Road,

Franshhoek, Cape Winelands,

South Africa.

Telephone +27 21 876 3000;

web: www.montrochelle.co.za; email: info@montrochelle.co.za.