Monneaux restaurant review (Franschhoek)
A Culinary Escape at Monneaux: Fine Dining in Franschhoek
Franschhoek is known for its great restaurants. Many are fine-dining and some of these are quite formal. If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere, but still want a great culinary experience, Monneaux is the place to go. You can have a peaceful lunch in the verdant fountain terrace, or have dinner in the original Manor House. As it rained all weekend, we didn’t have the opportunity to sit outside, but this didn’t take away from our experience. The dining areas in the Manor House are spread across multiple rooms, which creates an intimate, homely atmosphere. We had one of the rooms to ourselves, and our youngest, Harvey, had great fun driving his dump truck and digger over the carpet, while the large windows gave us a nice view of the fountain terrace.
The Monneaux menu: starters and mains
Our culinary adventure began with a complimentary starter – braai broodjies accompanied by fragrant herb butter, balsamic pearls, and a side of creamy hummus.
It was a nice touch to immediately make us feel welcome and reduce the pangs of hunger. Serving quintessential South African braai broodjies is also a nice deviation from the usual rolls or slices of ciabatta served at most restaurants.
To start, Lianne had the mushroom ravioli (R160), which was served with a sage beurre noisette, chive velvet butter sauce, toasted almonds and garlic and thyme roasted pumpkin. I chose the wagyu tataki (R180) with pickled young ginger, garlic, homemade mustard and a sesame and soy vinaigrette.
I was also tempted by the yellowtail citrus ceviche (R180) with coconut milk, capsicum puree, coriander, garden mint & tomato oils, lemon pearls and bird’s eye chilli. I’ll have to have that next time.
My herb-crusted line fish (R295), served atop salt & vinegar gnocchi with a remarkable dashi beurre blanc, baby marrow, and braised baby leeks, was a symphony of flavors. The dashi beurre blanc truly stood out – a masterful fusion of classic French technique and Japanese umami that beautifully complemented the delicate fish.
And talking about umami - Lianne’s slow roasted pork shoulder (R270), served with maize rice, pickled ginger, confit baby leeks, broccoli and an apple cider & soy glaze, was delicious as well.
Whenever we go out to eat, we always tend to choose different dishes so that we get to taste twice as much, and in this case, we had made two very good choices. We also ordered some extra sides: triple cooked chips (R75) and tempura beans (R95), even though it wasn’t necessary as the portions were generous. Having said that, the tempura beans were crunchy and full of flavour, so I am very glad we added those.
To flush it all down, we had a large bottle of sparkling water (R50) as well as a bottle of Shiraz. The Mont Andre Father & Son was priced fairly at R240. The supple tannins mixed with spicy notes of vibrant red fruits were a good match for our dishes. Crafted by the renowned Glenwood wines, this wine is exclusively housed in the family cellars at the Franschhoek Country House & Villas as well as at Shumbalala Game Lodge.
The children' s menu
What sets Monneaux apart for families is their thoughtfully curated children's menu. Far from the usual generic options, their dishes are on par with the adult selections, offering sophisticated yet appealing choices for younger palates.
Rather than featuring the usual staples like chicken strips and fish fingers, our eldest son, Aiden, could choose the aged grass-fed beef burger, which was served on a toasted brioche bun, with fresh tomato, mozzarella and triple cooked chips (R120). Olivia and Harvey both had the beer-battered line fish goujoins, which were served with a delicious tartar sauce, as well as triple cooked chips (R105 each). Some of the other available options were a carbonara linguine with bacon and parmesan cheese (R100) and homemade pizza (R110) with marinara sauce, mozzarella, basil and olive oil, and the option to add chicken (R25 extra) or homemade bacon (R35). For the less adventurous eaters, a ham, cheese and tomato sandwich (on bread of choice) with their delicious triple cooked chips is also available for just R80. Very well priced, and enough choice to satisfy even the picky eaters.
The dessert menu
Despite being quite content with the dishes we already had, the dessert menu (all R125) proved irresistible. If you have gone out with children before, you will know it’s hard to get away without ordering dessert.
While the malva pudding and crêpe monneaux were tempting choices, we opted for the baked apple tarte tatin to share instead. This classic French dessert, with its perfectly caramelized apples and flaky pastry, was elevated by an almond frangipane filling and a subtle hint of star anise, creating a harmonious blend of sweet and mild spice. The cinnamon chantilly was the perfect finishing touch – not a crumb was left.
For our daughter Olivia we couldn’t help but order honey & salt fermented strawberries. She is a devourer of strawberries and shrieked with delight as this colourful dish was put in front of her. Served with lemon posset, meringue, strawberry crisps and vanilla pod ice cream, this was the perfect mix of tangy and sweet, along with some creamy and crunchy elements the texture was there as well.
All in all, two adults and three children, filled to the brim on a variety of different dishes, left Monneaux in good spirits. We love visiting Franschhoek, and we will definitely go back to Monneaux again too.
After a truly memorable meal, two adults and three very happy children left Monneaux in high spirits, feeling thoroughly indulged. We fall in love with Franschhoek more and more with each visit, and it is restaurants like Monneaux that make Franschhoek not just a premier wine destination, but also the gourmet capital of the Western Cape.
Location and Opening Hours
You can find Monneaux Restaurant on the main road of Franschhoek: 191 Huguenot street. It is situated at the Franschhoek Country House & Villas.
Contact info: 021 876 3386 | info@fch.co.za or make a reservation here.
Opening Hours: Monneaux is open daily for lunch: 12:00 - 2:30 pm / or dinner: 06:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Disclaimer: Whilst this blog post was first published in June 2025, we visited Monneaux in March 2025.
All opinions expressed are solely our own and based on our experience. At times we may be compensated for reviews placed on this blog, however 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.
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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