David's Bistro at La Roche Estate: A Franschhoek Restaurant Reviewd
David's Bistro: a new Franschhoek restaurant with a story worth a visit
My wife Lianne and I have gone to Franschhoek quite a lot lately, and most of these weekend getaways lead into us going from restaurant to restaurant as there is just so much good on offer. When we recently stayed at the Franschhoek Boutique Hotel (read my review), we had dinner at French Connection the Friday night, lunch at Orangerie restaurant at Le Lude state on Saturday, Ōku that evening (read my review). We were meant to drive back to Cape Town early on Sunday afternoon, but we found one more reason to stay a little longer and had lunch at David's Bistro, on La Roche Estate, just outside town.
I went in expecting a fairly standard picnic-and-wedding-venue kind of lunch but we were genuinely impressed with what Chef Peter-Michael and the team are doing on the estate.
The story behind the name
La Roche Estate belongs to the family of David Frederick Jenkins, who spent his life building the Multistar Group into the kind of business that could eventually fund a dream like this one. He'd always wanted to open a restaurant, but never got the chance. He passed away in 2020 and David’s bistro was built in his memory.
There's a golden plaque on the wall that tells you who he actually was. It describes a father, partner, friend and quiet philanthropist, a man who by all accounts took no half measures. This is the same approach taken at the restaurant named after him.
David's Bistro has only been open for around seven months, but seems well established in many ways. Calm French music played in the background and added to the atmosphere. You sit outside, in front of the restaurant, looking out over the mountains. We sat on the outdoor furniture right outside the restaurant, but there are also a few picnic tables on the grass in front and a jeu de boules lane with some toys for the kids to keep busy. We didn’t bring our kids along this time, but said we’d definitely take them when we had our next Franschhoek trip in two weeks.
Wine Tasting at David’s Bistro
We had the Classic tasting (R200 per person) which includes five wines:
Bacchus Cap Classique
2025 Pinot Noir Rosé
2025 Sauvignon Blanc
2025 Unwooded Chardonnay
2024 Pinot Noir
The lady pouring for us had clearly done her homework, reciting all tasting notes from memory. We were also provided with a generous serving of olives, nuts and biltong, which is a nice touch along with the wine tasting.
Chef Peter-Michael and Shawn in front of David’s Bistro at La Roche Estate, Franschhoek
On David’s Bistro’s menu
We started with the tomato carpaccio (R120) - thin rounds of tomato with basil pesto, bocconcini, shaved parmesan, and fresh focaccia on the side. Simple, but genuinely delicious.
For mains, I went for the special: peri-peri prawns (R210) with rooster koek, apple and cabbage slaw, a couscous salad, and avo sambal. It's a proudly South African plate and was cooked on the fire a few metres from the restaurant - you can’t get fresher than that. Lianne had the crispy bobotie parcels (R110) with apple and mint chutney, which took a dish every South African grew up with and giving it a new shape without losing what makes it bobotie. Both were excellent, well seasoned and with plenty of lemon juice to lift it with some acidity.
The chef behind the menu, Peter-Michael, had greeted us as we arrived and came to check in with us again after we’d finished our meal. He told us that he'd actually given up cheffing after a rough run during Covid. Restaurants losing people is one of the quieter stories to come out of that period, and it's easy to forget how many good chefs it pushed out of kitchens for good. Franschhoek got lucky that this one came back.
His cooking style sits close to my own — plenty of acidity, properly seasoned, plated with real care rather than fuss for its own sake.
The verdict
Franschhoek doesn't need another restaurant to prove itself — Ōku and its sister venues have that covered, and our review of Eleven explains why we keep going back to that end of the valley. What David's Bistro offers though, is different: a Sunday lunch with a reason behind it, cooked by someone who knows what he is doing. If you're planning a Franschhoek weekend and want somewhere with a story worth telling over the meal itself, put this on the list for the day before you head home. We already have an excuse to go back with the kids next weekend; and maybe we will combine it with a return trip to Monneaux for round two.
Location and Opening Hours
You can find David’s Bistro about 5km outside Franschhoek village on La Roche Estate in the Robertsvlei Valley
Contact info: +27 71 761 1354 or deli@larocheestate.com.
Opening Hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 07:00 am - 4:00 pm. Kitchen closes at 3:00 pm.
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, 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 (8), Olivia (6) and Harvey (4).
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