Babylonstoren
Babylonstoren occupies one of the oldest farms in the Cape, dating to 1692, set in the Drakenstein Valley between Franschhoek and Paarl at the foot of the Simonsberg. Karen Roos, a former magazine editor, restored the farm to its current form in the early 2000s. The result is a property built almost entirely around its garden. An eight-acre, organically managed plot holds more than 300 edible or medicinal plant varieties, laid out in a formal grid. It nods to the historic Company’s Garden in Cape Town and its original role supplying ships rounding the Cape.
The Garden and Dining
That garden is genuinely the centre of the experience, rather than a backdrop to it. Guests can join guided walks through it each morning, take part in seasonal harvesting, pruning and planting, or simply wander its three-kilometre network of paths independently. A spice garden, housed in a domed conservatory, pays homage to the Cape’s role in the historic spice trade. Produce from the garden, in addition, supplies all three of the farm’s restaurants directly, a genuine farm-to-fork model rather than a marketing description of one.
Babel, the farm’s flagship restaurant, occupies a converted cowshed. It has built a reputation that extends well beyond the property’s own guests, drawing day visitors specifically for lunch. Its “pick, clean and serve” approach means menus shift with the season, and with what the garden is actually producing that week, rather than running to a fixed format. The Greenhouse offers a lighter, café-style alternative for breakfast and lunch. The Old Bakery, meanwhile, hosts Italian-themed evenings with handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza. A working cellar and tasting room sit alongside the restaurants, with Babylonstoren’s own wines available to sample and purchase.
Accommodation
Accommodation spans roughly 22 rooms, cottages and suites across several categories. Farmhouse Suites offer one-bedroom accommodation near the farm shop, with access to a communal pool and hot spa area reserved for that category. Fynbos Cottages sit in a more private position beyond the farm’s dam, available in one and two-bedroom configurations, each with its own pool. The restored Manor House holds five bedrooms for up to ten guests sharing. The Fynbos Family House, added in 2021, is a separate exclusive-use home for up to ten guests with its own private pool. Interiors throughout favour thick whitewashed walls, exposed beams and a deliberately understated, farmhouse-simple style, rather than maximalist luxury.
A Note on Overnight Stays
It’s worth being direct about one point, since balanced advice matters more than enthusiasm. Babylonstoren’s reputation as a destination is built substantially on the day-visitor experience: the garden, Babel, the farm shop. Some guests who’ve stayed overnight have found the hotel itself, at its price point, less consistently impressive than the surrounding estate. A handful of reviews note older finishes in some rooms relative to comparable Winelands properties. None of that diminishes what the farm and its gardens offer. It simply means a half-day or full-day visit may be the most reliable way to experience Babylonstoren. This applies especially for travellers undecided on an overnight stay, particularly if comparing directly against newer-renovated properties in the same price bracket.
The Garden Spa, set in a glade of bamboo, uses herbs picked from the garden each morning. A steam room, sauna, heated jet pool and cold plunge pool sit alongside it. Activities beyond the garden include cycling, rowing on the farm’s dam, fishing, and a drive up the slopes of the Simonsberg. The farm shop and bakery, in addition, are popular stops for guests wanting to take something home. Cape Town sits roughly 45 minutes away by road. This makes Babylonstoren a workable base for the wider Winelands, or a single, considered day trip from the city.
Why Stay Here
- An eight-acre organic edible garden at the centre of the entire property, with guided walks and seasonal harvesting
- Babel, the farm’s flagship restaurant, with a genuine reputation independent of the hotel itself
- A genuine 1692 Cape Dutch farm setting, restored rather than recreated
- A range of accommodation styles, from Farmhouse Suites to the exclusive-use Fynbos Family House
- The Garden Spa, using herbs picked fresh from the estate each morning
Accommodation
Roughly 22 rooms, cottages and suites are spread across several categories: Farmhouse Suites near the farm shop, Fynbos Cottages in a more private position beyond the dam, the five-bedroom Manor House, and the exclusive-use Fynbos Family House for up to ten guests. Interiors favour thick whitewashed walls and an understated farmhouse style over maximalist decoration.
Dining
Babel, housed in a converted cowshed, serves seasonal, farm-to-fork menus built around what the garden is producing that week, and draws day visitors as well as hotel guests. The Greenhouse offers a lighter café-style menu for breakfast and lunch, and the Old Bakery hosts Italian-themed evenings with handmade pasta and pizza.
Experiences
Guided garden walks run each morning, with opportunities to join seasonal harvesting, pruning and planting. The Garden Spa uses herbs picked from the estate that day in its treatments. Cycling, rowing on the farm’s dam, fishing and a mountain drive up the Simonsberg are all available, alongside wine tasting in the farm’s own cellar.
Best For
Garden and food enthusiasts, travellers wanting a genuine working-farm experience, and visitors planning either a considered day trip or a multi-night stay built around the estate’s grounds and restaurants.