Rivergate Guest Farm

We celebrated a birthday at the restaurant while staying on the farm, and the whole experience was great. The rooms, decor, and surroundings were excellent, and the accommodation itself was fantastic. Breakfast arrived in the morning with lots of choice and delicious farm fresh produce. We all left relaxed and well rested. I'd highly recommend both the stay and the restaurant.

The gardens and farm animals made it easy to forget everyday routines for a while. Breakfast was excellent, especially with a surprise visit from 'holly', the farm's golden retriever. We also followed a dinner recommendation and enjoyed La Trattoria. I travel quite a bit around the Western Cape, and Rivergate has impressed me more than anywhere I've stayed in recent years. The cottage / room was very comfortable, the food was farm fresh, and there was attention to detail everywhere.

The children had a great time with the animals and in the hot tub, and we loved having lunch at the farm café on arrival day. We stayed two nights in a cottage, and it was wonderful. The breakfast basket was generous, varied, and tasty, and the dinner we ordered was just as good. Everything is comfortable and tastefully designed, with nothing missing. A lovely hidden retreat, put together with a lot of care and surrounded by a beautiful garden.

We drove about 40 minutes from Hermanus for lunch after hearing such nice things, but left without eating. At the restaurant, we stood by reception and the woman there ignored us until I asked for help. She was unwelcoming, didn't engage, and offered no greeting or smile. I had to request menus. The prices seemed high, so I asked what vegan dishes were available, since I'd mentioned it when booking and had been told they could make anything vegan. She said they could make the sandwich vegan. Several ingredients weren't vegan, so I politely asked what the replacements would be. She just said, “vegan options.” When I asked what that meant, since it cost R178 and I wanted to know what I'd be ordering, she said I needed to ask the chef and seemed annoyed when I asked her to do that. Her manner felt rude, unhelpful, and disrespectful. Friends who'd been there said they'd had a similar rude experience and wouldn't return. Another friend emailed to ask about booking the farm for a 50th birthday and got an unfriendly reply too, so it seems like there's an issue. I wish I'd asked the woman's name. Such a waste of time. We ended up eating in Stanford.