Root 44 (Stellenbosch area)

It was a hot Sunday and definitely a great idea to get a few friends together and drive towards Root 44 – nestled in the vineyards between the towns of Stellenbosch and Somerset-West.

What happens at Root 44?

Entrance to Root 44

At Root 44 you will find a great selection of food, good wine and fresh produce … all of this, while relaxing in their beautiful gardens (outside under the umbrellas on a hot summer’s day or inside on a rainy day).

Children love this place – the green grass and water fountain are major attractions

Every weekend Root 44 hosts various artists for live entertainment and entry to this beautiful place is free … but make sure to arrive early (especially in summer) in order to find a table under an umbrella or the porch.

When we arrived a t 11:00, almost all of the tables were occupied and some people moved over to the grass to enjoy a leisurely Sunday under the umbrellas
The scenic Stellenbosch mountains – the perfect back drop at Root 44

Root 44 has recently been renovated and we found the new look quite refreshing! Before the renovation, you could also find arts and crafts here … it seems there is a section above the food stalls that are empty at the moment … hopefully they will fill this area with arts and craft stalls again at some time.

This old barn door is now part of the lovely décor at Root 44
There are plenty of sun umbrellas on the grass and visitors brought their picnic blankets to relax here
Temperatures were once again in the high 30 degrees Celsius and the misty sprinklers were most welcome

But come, let’s go inside to show you all the amazing stalls with delicious food, drinks and fresh produce …

There are more than enough wine/juice/smoothie stalls to select your favourite drink
The Bali Truck offers Indonesian food, while another stall makes sure you get a taste of Vietnam
Heavenly Burgers and The Lamb Man are popular stalls and fits the meat eater perfectly
There’s always a queue at the drinking stalls (especially on a hot day)
The Pancake Emporium is like a magnet for children (and adults)
I’m sure the Genesis Coffee Bar are very busy on a cold winter’s day
The fresh bread and different cheeses at Corne’s Deli are mouthwatering delicious
More cheeses and a huge variety of cold meats

To enjoy your glass of wine, you can either get a take away (plastic) cup or you can pay a deposit for a stylish wine glass (with Root 44’s logo). At the end of the day, you can take your wine glass back and your deposit will be refunded … or you can just take your glass home as a souvenir to remember a great day!

Plastic glasses on the left and stylish wine glasses on the right
Don’t miss out on this home-made jams and preserves
For dessert, you must visit the Fudge Kitchen
At the Rib Republic you will find great ribs, wings and burgers
And for the brave people among us … the Hot Shop offers a variety of hot (and medium) sauces
The Tunisian Delights offer a combination between Tunisian food, Middle Eastern and South African tastes

We have not even mentioned Earthfire Pizza, Dashi Poke, Sovlaking Delicious (their souvlakis are pure Greece), Sweet Dreams (oh, their Pastel de Nata’s – yummy) and so many more … you will have to come and experience it yourself!

Oh, and don’t worry … pets are also welcome (on a leash of course).

A happy doggy enjoying a day with her pet parents

As you can see, Root 44 is a great place to relax with family and friends … the food and wine is great and the setting is stunning! Don’t miss this place when you’re visiting Cape Town!

Cape Dutch houses:

To end this post, we just have to include a few images of a typical Cape Dutch house!

On our way back from Root 44, we drove past a beautiful Cape Dutch styled house. The Cape Dutch style is an architectural style found mostly in the Western Cape of South Africa (typically on wine estates).

Cape Dutch house

This style was prominent in the early days (17th century) of the Cape Colony and the name derives from the initial settlers of the Cape being primarily Dutch (Wikipedia).

A typical Cape Dutch house in the Cape Winelands

We hope you have enjoyed another day on our Weekend Getaway … we certainly did!