“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Virginia Woolf would most certainly have had nothing to fear at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse! Sitting pretty in the paradise of the Kamberg Valley in KwaZulu-Natal’s Drakensberg area, this is a getaway for people who adore food and sumptuous dining. But not only will the food seduce you … the setting is also incredible, and the hospitality generous and warm.
Richard & Mouse Poynton run their exquisite foodie-getaway – Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse – in the glorious tranquillity of the Drakensberg. Stand by for foodie-magician Richard’s gourmet meals, each a robust celebration of flavour and fresh local goodies – many of them cultivated in Cleopatra’s own gardens.
Ready yourself for an incredible seven-course dinner of generous portions, all of which are far too irresistible to leave unfinished. Richard is known for his amazing sauces, so expect some incredible results from his well-tried-and-tested reduction techniques.
Nothing is too much trouble to secure the just-perfect, freshest ingredients for your dinner. And so we read on the Cleopatra website how Richard flies in fresh salmon from Norway and gets his real-McCoy Parma hams and cheeses from Italy. And then, very much closer to home, a variety of herbs and veggies are freshly harvested on the property. The menu changes daily, according to what’s in season and, we believe, taking account of what guests enjoyed during a previous visit.
After a good night’s rest in one of Cleopatra’s delightful and unique theme-rooms – Mouse is an extraordinarily imaginative decorator – you’ll be surprised to discover that you’re able to contemplate breakfast! It’s a three-course banquet, and another culinary experience you’ll be sure to want to write home about.
Between meals, there’s the added indulgence of delicious home-baked treats, if you can possibly make room for them. It would be easy to nominate any number of Cleopatra’s teatime productions a “definite best” of its sort.
At Cleopatra enjoying food is very much the name of the game. And it helps, of course, to be in the Drakensberg where nature is so bountiful, because it offers the great appetite-builders of walking, fishing, hiking and biking, and horse riding. All in exquisitely beautiful scenery.
But tasting is believing, so do treat yourself to at least a couple of nights at this superlative foodie getaway. Mail us to book, or call 0860 102 907 (local) or +27 21 797-7122 (international).
Check availability at Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse.
Meanwhile, here’s a Cleopatra-Something to try at home …
Sweet Potato, Orange and Curry Soup – See More Cleopatra Recipes
Serves 4-6
50g butter
2lrg onions
1Kg sweet potatoes – orange coloured if possible – cut into cubes
Juice of 2 oranges
1 litre chicken stock
Mild Indian curry paste
Fry the onions in the butter till softened.
Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 3 mins.
Add the orange juice and the stock.
Cook for 40 mins until the sweet potato is very soft.
Blend and add the Indian curry paste to taste.
Finish with swirls of cream and more Indian paste.
