The House and Leisure magazine’s prestigious Best of SA awards, have announced the country’s top five hotels, spas, lodges and restaurants for 2009. We are immensely proud of Mariana and Peter for being selected Runners up in the Restaurant category.

“South Africa has some of the most exciting, luxurious and welcoming leisure destinations in the world, and it was a wonderful challenge having to choose just five in each category,” says Naomi Larkin, editor of House
and Leisure magazine. “Our shortlist includes destinations with a unique South African touch and a global appeal.”

The finalists were:
• Hartford House (Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal)
• La Colombe (Constantia, Western Cape)
• Marianas (Stanford, Western Cape)
• Ritrovo (Waterkloof Ridge, Gauteng)
• The Tasting Room (Franschhoek, Western Cape)

A lunch at Marianas is a delight to the senses. From the minute you walk into the quaint, unpretentious house and smell the mouth watering dish slowly roasting in the open country kitchen, you know you’re in for a treat. While you gaze out onto the vegetable patch and to the mountains in the distance, Peter will entice you with the daily specials on the blackboard, delighting you with his  wicked humour. Mariana builds seasonal flavours with a strong South African twist, harvesting vegetables from her garden. It’s all so fresh, so innovative, so pleasing - you won’t get closer to real, unprocessed food in a restaurant than at this country bistro.

Bookings essential:  028 341 0272. Thurs-Sun lunch. NB No credit cards
12 Du Toit Str, Stanford.

This weekend, Stanford proudly welcomes the well known chef, Marlene van der Westhuizen, to the Village. The delightful Domaine du Cap, our very own French inspired home decor store, has invited Marlene to launch her latest cookbook, Sumptuous, on Saturday 17th October between 1 - 4pm at the store in Queen Victoria Street.

Marlene is a celebrity chef, and shares her time between her kitchen at the Food Studio in Green Point, and her French home, Bagatelle,  in the medieval village of Charroux in the Auvergne. She describes her style of cooking as “brasserie luxe”.  Simple, real food that looks as good as it tastes. Marlene shares her passion for good food, good wine, and good living in the pages of this beautiful book, a journey through the heart of France and to the tip of Africa.