Review of the Grand Roche Hotel - for Travel Intelligence

I was in the historical town of Paarl to experience the wine route, so staying at the 5-star Grande Roche Hotel, with its heritage dating back to 1717, seemed a fitting choice.

Service was impeccable – professional yet friendly. On arrival, we were met at the gate with a smile, and escorted to reception, where we were offered drinks while checking in.

On entering our terrace suite, which overlooked the vineyards, we were met with a pleasant surprise: a bottle of local wine, and a tiered cake stand, adorned with pink-frosted cup cakes, as well as a welcome letter and congratulations on our anniversary. Special touches such as these continued for our stay. The turn-down service included candles in the bathroom, bottled water next to the bed, and a forecast of the next day's weather.

The rooms are spacious and tastefully furnished, the smell of the thatch roof evoking a sense of holiday, and emphasised the feel of the historic building. Although the hotel is a national monument, modern conveniences have not been spared, and are carefully incorporated into the restored buildings.




Our evening started with drinks complimented by a selection of tasty bar snacks, in the cosy and stylish bar lounge, complete with fireplace, before we moved on to the hotel's award-winning Bosman's restaurant.

We decided to experience the full range of the chef Roland Gorgosilich's talents, by selecting two of the set menus – Harmony of the South and the Vegetarian option. Each menu offers 5-7 flavour-intense courses. The Harmony of the South choice includes trio of ostrich, shellfish broth, kingklip in biltong dust and a nut-crusted springbok loin. Each course was presented as an art piece, with flavours to match the presentation. Our table sampled three desserts; namely the trio of chocolate with raspberries – which would satisfy the most ardent chocoholic, the classic Crêpes Suzette, flambéed at the table for dramatic effect, and the Amarula tart, for an African twist. The wine list offered an impressive selection to accompany the meal, and the choice of cigars would impress Fidel Castro.




Breakfast is a rather grand affair. Indulge in champagne and oysters under the chandeliers of the elegant restaurant, or select from the abundant buffet, with every breakfast choice imaginable. I chose to savour a flaky butter croissant with Fairview cheeses and local preserves, as I soaked up the sun on the patio overlooking the vineyard; the Paarl Valley in the distance. As I sipped my morning coffee, I reflected on my Paarl wine lands gastronomic experience, and these wise words by Ernest Hemingway came to mind: "In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well-being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobism, nor a sign of sophistication, nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me, as necessary."