La Petite Ferme Accommodation Review
Shawn with his wife and three children Aiden, Olivia and Harvey at La Petite Ferme
A child-friendly hotel in Franschhoek
Franschhoek is a beautiful little town, just an hour’s drive from Cape Town. We go there often, usually for the day. But when we were invited by Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards to have a complimentary lunch at their restaurant, and had a birthday party out there the night before, it made sense to stay for the weekend. With our three kids aged 6, 4 and 2, we needed to find child-friendly accommodation, and it turned out to be a great choice. If you travel to Franschhoek with children I recommend staying at this hotel.
Where is La Petite Ferme?
La Petite Ferme is in one of the most picturesque towns in the Cape Winelands. The hotel situated on the slopes of the Oliphants Pass and Middagkrans Mountain Range in Franschhoek, a minute’s drive from Haute Cabrière (a farm established in the Franschhoek Valley in 1694 by French Huguenot, Pierre Jourdan and well-known for their Cap Classique wines). The views from the La Petite Ferme restaurant and accommodation are breathtaking.
The estate has a few accommodation options to choose from. There’s the Manor House and the smaller but equally lovely Vineyard and Winery Suites. Each offers a unique interior and magnificent views over the Franschhoek Valley.
What else does La Petit Ferme have to offer?
La Petite Ferme has its own range of wines. Grapes are grown on just 15 hectares and they produce a few whites, reds, a rosé and two flagship blends. Wine tastings are offered on the lawn or in the boutique-style cellar.
The popular restaurant offers hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner options and is open to all, whether you're staying the night or not. Their cake options are always good, so you can also come for afternoon tea. It’s well-worth a visit, even for afternoon tea.
The Manor House Suites
Five private suites overlook the sparkling pool, each with a secluded verandah offering peaceful vineyard views.
The Foufi Suite at La Petite Ferme
We stayed in the Foufi Suite, named after the owner’s father, who hails from Lebanon and has the nickname Foufi.
The room includes a king-size, extra-length bed. The smart hospitality TV provides information about the hotel and weather. The room stays cool even on the hottest of summer days, thanks to the air conditioning and ceiling fan. And boy, can it get hot in Franschhoek!
The en-suite bathroom has all the luxuries you’d expect from a highly rated accommodation spot in the Winelands, from heated towel rails to underfloor heating. These amenities are welcome in winter, when nighttime temperatures can drop as low as 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). Naturally, there is WiFi available in the rooms and restaurant. The lounge area has a mini bar (with a complimentary bottle of La Petite Ferme wine, cool drinks and water). Guests have access to a Nespresso coffee machine and a kettle to make tea.
The lounge’s sleeper couch transforms elegantly into a comfortable bed for extra sleeping space. While we were having dinner at the restaurant, we told the kids that the magic fairies would come out and make a bed for them if they didn't make too much noise. They were puzzled about the sleeping arrangements, not realising there’s an additional bed besides the king-size bed and Harvey's camp cot. It was a great incentive to get their best behaviour at the dinner table. Seeing the look on their faces when we returned to the room where the couch had “magically” transformed into a bed, was priceless.
Children from 2 – 12 years old are invoiced 20% of the room rate per night per child for an extra bed. The room rate includes breakfast, which is simply out of this world.
Breakfast at Le Petite Ferme
A breakfast made for royalty. We started with their “Petite Continental Breakfast Selection”, which includes croissants, homemade muffins, quiches, fruit salad and a selection of cheese and cured meat.
We could then also order from their à la carte menu. On the first morning, Lianne had their Breakfast Bowl, which consisted of a warm chickpea salad with spinach, avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes, brinjal chips, coriander yoghurt and poached eggs. This feast of a meal was served with perfectly crisp ciabatta.
I ordered the Franschhoek Smoked Salmon Sandwich on Sourdough, which was served with radish shavings, orange segments, sliced fennel bulb, crispy capers, red onion, wild rocket, horseradish cream and poached eggs (my favourite). The dish included a generous portion of salmon, which meant I could hardly finish it.
The kids shared the French Toast which was prepared with brioche and served with vanilla cream cheese, bacon, blueberries and maple syrup. Delicious!
On the second day, the kids indulged so much in the buffet that they couldn’t believe it when we placed our orders. “I do want more, but I’m full,” Aiden quipped.
I had the Classic Chateau, which included eggs of your choice, bacon, boerewors, potato rosti, brown mushroom, blushed tomatoes, caramelised onion, and served with a warm seed loaf.
Lianne ordered the Benedict, classic poached eggs with hollandaise, served on South African roosterkoek and topped with wild rocket. La Petite Ferme serves their Bennie with bacon, smoked salmon or spinach. Bacon it was.
Dinner at the La Petite Ferme Restaurant
On our first night at La Petite Ferme, we ate at the restaurant. You can have a two-course meal for R810 or a three-course for R910 and choose from the five starters, six mains and four desserts on offer. We opted to go all-in, and joined for the Chef’s Culinary Journey, a six-course menu for R1200. I added the wine pairing for the full experience, which totalled R1600.
For starters, we had Poached Crayfish, served in courgette cannelloni stuffed with crayfish salad. Chilled pea velouté, ancho chilli oil, tobiko roe, smoked paprika kewpie aioli and red pepper gel complimented the cannelloni. The dish was paired with a rosé from the farm. Mouthwatering.
The second course was Confit Duck, a panko-crusted duck lollipop served with apricot gel, baby beets, charred brussels and a bordelaise sauce. Paired with La Petite Ferme Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, it was perfection.
Next, we tucked into the Cape Karoo Venison & Tongue, served with a pine nut salsa verde, beetroot dust, pumpkin mousse and mulberry jus. This time, the dish La Petite Ferme Shiraz rounded off the dish.
The Bone Flute with Beef Tartar consisted of beautiful wagyu and bone marrow, served with togarashi, shallots and donburi sauce. The Winemaker's Edition Verdict was the perfect match.
The Blue Cheese Croissant involved a crispy croissant filled with blue cheese mousse and served with gooseberry jam, fresh gooseberries, popped sorghum and salted caramel. This heavenly combination was served with La Petite Ferme Viognier.
At last, it was time for dessert: “Mai Thai”. The chefs presented a fresh pineapple gel combined with rum and dark chocolate mousse, basil granita, whipped coconut anglaise and coconut shards. To die for.
Overall, it was a great six-course menu with an interesting variety of dishes–a culinary journey to remember. We’ll be back!
Complimentary Wine Tasting and Tea and Cake
As we had a jam-packed weekend, we didn’t have a chance to enjoy the complimentary wine tasting, which is offered four times a day at 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:15 pm and 4:30 pm.
We did join for their (also complimentary) tea and cake offering. The carrot cake was out of this world! The kids had hot chocolates and we had a flat white.
Coincidentally, we had enjoyed a carrot cake when we first visited in 2018 as well, when Aiden wasn’t even one year old yet and Olivia and Harvey were just a hope and a wish!
Cake and tea in the afternoon, included in the hotel stay
Photo from first visit with Aiden in 2018.
Review for Our Stay La Petite Ferme
The hotel sent out a Guest Feedback Questionnaire after our stay, which shows how dedicated they are to the guests’ comfort.
We noticed this during our stay too; there are many small touches that make a big difference when travelling with kids. Some examples:
Camp cot set up in the room when travelling with a baby or todder.
Sleeper couch made up into a bed for an older child / children whilst you dine at the restaurant.
More than the usual complimentary coffee and tea was provided in the room: gin, tonic water, coke, local Franschhoek beers (Three Oaks Craft Lager) and a bottle of their own La Petite Ferme Sauvignon blanc.
Complimentary wine tasting offered to hotel guests four times a day.
Complimentary tea / coffee ad cake in the afternoon.
Very friendly, helpful staff who actively engage with the children, know you by name and make you feel very welcome.
All in all, we had a magical weekend away in Franschhoek. We will definitely be back!!
If you also want to stay here, you can book your own La Petite Ferme stay on their website.
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are solely our own and based on our experience. At times we may be compensated for reviews placed on this blog, we always maintain the rights to share our true opinion on the full experience, to maintain our integrity and the authenticity of the review posted.
Child-Friendly Accommodation close to Cape Town
If you also want to stay in Franschhoek, you can book your own La Petite Ferme stay on their website.
If you’re happy to drive a bit further, Montagu is also a great destination! We have stayed at 360on62 Mountain View Farm Cottages several times, and it’s also a great stay for a family with kids!
About Shawn Godfrey
Photo credit: Niki M Photography
Shawn Godfrey is an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw his business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep him sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join him, he starts his instagram account The Roasted Dad.
Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim Shawn (encouraged by his wife Lianne) enters MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when Shawn gets selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, he decides to go all in. Leaving his 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, he battles it out and comes back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in his pocket.
It all started with an Instagram account, but The Roasted Dad is so much more now. Shawn has stayed his entrepreneurial self and whilst he hosts Private Dinner Parties and Cook-with-Me Demos, does Restaurant Take-Overs, he still runs the lighting company and several other businesses.
On his blog, Shawn shares Restaurant Reviews and Accommodation Reviews, and gives an insight into the wild and wonderful life he leads together with his wife Lianne, and their three children Aiden (6), Olivia (4) and Harvey (2).
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360on62 boasts 360° Views, & sits just off the R62 nestled between the Majestic Langeberg & Swartberg Mountain Ranges, 8km from Montagu. The first time we stayed there with with our extended family over the Easter weekend of 2021. Aiden was three, Liv had just turned two and Harvey had not yet been born, in fact he was barely a thought!