Wiesenhof Lifestyle, Franschhoek

 13 June 2025

 

WIESENHOF LIFESTYLE

191 Main Road, Franschhoek

 

Von-Mari and I luxuriated in morning tea at the Orangerie restaurant at La Lude and then rushed back to our guest farm to collect the Yorkies (the tea had been the first outing this week without them) and popped in at the pet friendly  Wiesenhof Lifestyle for coffee. Von-Mari was also keen on something savoury after the sugar rush of the tea experience.

 

I know Wiesenhof as a coffee shop brand, from an outlet at the Soneike Mall in Kuils River and the cafeteria at Vincent Pallotti hospital in Pinelands, but this iteration, quite a distance outside the CBD of Franschhoek, is obviously several  leagues above a mere coffee shop, with a seriously elegant interior dining space, upmarket deli and a vast garden area, complete with mini golf course and a manicured shrub labyrinth.

The establishment is housed in a building, on a large parking area, that forms part of a small complex of buildings in what is usually called a “village’ that is presumably intended as a tourist destination. The entrance to the premises is through a “poort” from which one exits into the interior dining area and deli. First off, we were effusively greeted by the staff, as if were long lost family from distant lands and, secondly, I was amazed at the luxuriousness of the joint, given that I was expecting a simple  coffee shop.

 

We passed through the interior into the garden and sought out a table in the middle of the lawn, just beyond a small Victorian bandstand type building, with good views of the entire property.

 

The outside area is considerably less upmarket than the interior, with the tables haphazardly placed around the lawn. There is a densely wooded area on the edges of the lawn, with a high embankment at the rear of the property on which a railway line runs for the benefit of the famous Wine Tram. It passed by  quite frequently.

The menu is expansive (large breakfast selection, burgers, pizzas, light lunches based around carbs, sweets, a kid’s menu, and the like) but we weren’t there for lunch, just coffee, a portion of fries for Von-Mari and three cinnamon sugar pancakes (minus either the cream or ice cream that are the standard accompaniments) for me. 

 

The Yorkies roamed for a bit but quickly wanted to be on our laps. They’d been more adventurous at Deux Lions even if this exterior offered as much adventure.

 

The coffee was good, the fries well cooked and the pancakes were serviceable except for the slightly elastic texture I associate with restaurant pancakes.

It was a lovely, warm afternoon, there weren’t many other patrons which added to the relaxed atmosphere and the service was cheerful. 

 

There is also a large play area for children and I can imagine that this must be a very popular spot for families in warmer months.