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Ashleigh recently stayed at Eendracht Hotel in Stellenbosch. She had a lovely time relaxing at this beautiful hotel on Dorp Street and exploring the Eikestad.
We recently spent two glorious, relaxed days in the beautiful town of Stellenbosch, just 40 minutes from Cape Town. I've always loved Stellenbosch, but have never had the chance to stay there overnight. I longed to walk through the tree-lined avenues in the centre of town, have lunch at a café on the sidewalk, stroll through the art galleries and visit the beautiful local wine farms, without having to worry about a long drive home afterwards. The Eendracht Hotel, located right in the centre of town on the beautiful and historic Dorp Street provided the perfect base for an incredible weekend.
We arrived quite early in the morning - too early to check in - so despite the drizzly weather we went for a walk through the town. We had a lovely breakfast at a little café called Greengate, tucked away in De Wet Square. There are so many lovely shops and galleries in Stellenbosch, so after breakfast we decided to explore. One of my favourite stops was the cosy little bookshop Verbatim, on the corner of Dorp and Andringa streets, filled to the ceiling with new and second-hand books from every possible genre.
We ended up strolling through the streets until we found ourselves at Basic Bistro on Church Street, an amazing little café packed with atmosphere. We had a delicious meal and were so impressed by the friendly and warm service. After lunch, we were able to check in at what would be our home for the next two nights: the Eendracht hotel. We were warmly welcomed and shown to our room. I was immediately impressed by the high standard of service and the attention to detail shown. It seemed far above what the 3-star rating had led me to expect. Our cosy room was on the second floor and overlooked Dorp Street. I was so excited to be right in the centre of town and be able to walk everywhere, especially since parking in Stellenbosch can be a bit chaotic at times.
The hotel has fascinating history, as it is built on part of the land upon which Simon van der Stel camped when he first arrived in the town which he humbly named after himself. The original building was demolished, but the hotel has been rebuilt to look virtually identical and the old Cape Dutch style of architecture adds to the charm of this beautiful hotel.
We relaxed for little while and then decided to head to Gino's for some dinner, which was only a 10 minute walk down the road. Gino's is a landmark in Stellenbosch; a stalwart for the last 20 years. The family-run restaurant was full of students, families and couples, and it's clear why it's such a popular spot. They have some of the most delicious (and affordable) pizzas that I have ever tasted. After dessert, we strolled back to the hotel and settled in for the night.
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast in the hotel dining room and the amazing cheeses on offer at the table kept me happy. We decided to explore a bit further afield and walked to the other side of town. My husband studied at Stellenbosch, so it was wonderful for me to be able to stroll through the town and hear stories of his student days. We stopped for ice-cream at a little café and, sitting at a table on the sidewalk eating our sorbet under the dappled shade of an oak tree, was almost idyllic. Jazz was overflowing from nearby restaurant and, just for a moment, it felt like I was in a film!
We strolled back to the hotel to get our car, then headed off to Anura Wine Estate near Klapmuts, which is just a short drive from Stellenbosch on the N1. There we had an incredible lunch out in the garden surrounded by huge trees and beautiful birds, and ended up buying a few bottles of their wonderful Chardonnay to take home with us. Anura produce their own cheese, wine and beer, and is definitely worth a visit. We lingered in the garden at Anura, soaking up the warm weather and blissful atmosphere, before heading back to the hotel for the evening where we watched a movie and relaxed.
The next day after breakfast we sadly checked out of our lovely hotel, and headed home via Franschhoek, where we stopped for lunch at Solms Delta Wine Estate. This farm has a unique ethos that seeks to address the inequalities that many wine farms were built on. They have a museum that honours the slaves that lived and worked on the farm throughout its history, and a music project that builds into the local farming communities. The Fyndraai restaurant honours the Malay heritage of many of the local people by building their menu on a number of local specialities. We had an incredible meal at the restaurant and tasted some of their brilliant wines before finally accepting that our perfect little holiday was over, and heading back to Cape Town.
To find out more about Eendracht Hotel and to book a weekend away in Stellenbosch, click here.
