Mill House Patisserie at La Cotte Farm in Franschhoek (review)
The Mill House in Franschhoek is the oldest water mill in Africa.
Mill House magic: 300-year-old gears and gold dust in Franschhoek
By Shawn Godfrey (The Roasted Dad)
We were in Franschhoek for the long weekend, and took Aiden, Olivia, and Harvey up the hill to La Cotte Farm to visit The Mill House Patisserie. I have had this spot on my radar for a while; it recently won at the 2025 Luxe Awards for Coffee Shop of the Year and secured a spot on The Inside Guide’s Hot List.
Beyond the culinary achievement, the setting is incredible. It is situated in the oldest water mill in Africa, dating back to 1731. Beautifully restored by molinologist Andy Selfe, you can see the six-spoke overshot wheel and hear the mechanics squeaking behind glass doors. This kept the kids absolutely mesmerised while we placed our order.
An old photo is on display at the Mill House, and shows how the mill house looked before it was restored recently.
About Mill House Patisserie
It was lunch time, and so we took the opportunity to taste a few things from all that was on display:
Salami & Feta Focaccias (R90): We ordered two to fill up the tummies. Salty, soft, and served with oodles of butter.
Zucchini & Onion Quiche (R48): Delicate and delicious, exactly how a shortcrust should be. Our daughter Olivia always picks the onions out of every dish, but we decided to run a ‘MasterChef challenge.’ We had her close her eyes while we fed her a bite - she had to guess her ingredients, and to her own surprise, she thought it was delicious. That’s the power of a good chef.
Croissant (R42): Hands down the best croissant I’ve ever had. The lamination was world-class - crisp, airy and clearly made with high-quality stoneground flour. Loved it.
Viennoiserie à la Poire (R115): We had to splurge on this one, and it was worth every cent. It is a pear and almond masterpiece topped with gold dust that brought Liv's magical fairy dreams to life. Strongly recommend.
Everything arrived on stunning handmade plates with beautiful detail on the forks and spoons. We paired the spread with a flat white (R42) for me and a tall cappuccino (R40) for Lianne.
We initially sat outside at the one large table, but as it was a bit chilly, we moved inside as soon as a spot opened up. The mill is intimate, with just two tables inside - one for a couple and a larger one for a family. Dominic Touwen is responsible for the decor, and he’s managed to keep the authenticity of the old Mill House while adding to the atmosphere with antique blue and white platters, oil paintings, and copper and dried flowers hanging from the ceiling.
Pastry Chef of the Year Keshia Louw
When we visit a historic place like this, we like to give the children this context so that they appreciate how special the experience is. While they were already impressed by the age of the mill, they were even more excited to hear that the person who made their treats was an award-winner.
In a classic "small world" moment, Keshia Louw (the 2025 Luxe Pastry Chef of the Year) walked into the shop just as we were talking about her. She overheard us and said, “That lady was me.”
We got chatting, and it turns out the culinary world is even smaller than I thought. Keshia recognised me from MasterChef, and her husband and daughter had actually attended one of my food demos at Makers Landing a few years back. It was a great reminder of why the South African food community is so special.
If you’re in Franschhoek, do yourself a favour: skip the main road for an hour, head to the Mill House, and order a range of pastries - at the very least, the croissant and the gold-dusted pear.(R30).
Viennoiserie à la Poire; a gold dusted pear is the famous creation by Keshia Louw
Visit Mill House Patisserie
Location: 24 La Cotte Street, Franschhoek (on the hill at La Cotte Farm).
Contact: millhouse@lacottefarm.com | 021 207 3907
Opening hours: Daily 08:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Roasted Dad tip: As you cannot book a table, it is best to get there early so you can get a nice table by the wheel.
About Shawn Godfrey (The Roasted Dad)
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 (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4).
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