From the moment you walk up the striking stone stairway, leading you all the way up to the ROCA sign, you just know you’re in for a treat…
The ROCA restaurant is located on the Dieu Donné Vineyards estate over in Franschhoek, a wine estate with an incredible position high up on the slopes of the Franschhoek mountains.The views this restaurant boasts will take your breath away, I guarantee you that. The elegant inside dining area is one level above ground which means you have a bit more of a birds eye view:
But the outside courtyard area downstairs is definitely where you want to be on a hot summer’s day:
Now let’s talk wine shall we. I can’t speak for the rest of their collection (I do know however that I’ll need to go back for a full wine tasting), but I really quite enjoyed their unwooded chardonnay:
Then on the food side, their menu is quite extensive. They do mezze & tapas options, salads, pizzas, pastas, risottos, various styles of snails, burgers, fillets, various linefish options, various chicken dishes and more. The mezze/tapas range from R25 to R40, starters from R50 to R70 and mains range from R90 to R140. Pretty standard winelands pricing I thought.They also have a selection of special dishes for the day which the waiter will carefully explain to the table:

I’m a total sucker for special dishes… I like the fact that they’re only available for a limited time only…

Top left: various mezzes/tapas; Top right: calamares fritos and the fish cakes (which were from the special menu); Bottom left: the pork belly & the grilled linefish; Bottom right: the crispy duck (also from the special menu)
The food standard really is good, but I think the things that really stood out for me was firstly the absolutely beautiful setting and secondly the professional & friendly service. I could spend many a summer’s day here, happy as a clam. And I’m guessing that in winter, sitting inside with the fire going is pretty amazing too.
I’m gonna give ROCA the following overall score on my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter scale:
ROCA is open Mon – Sat for lunch & dinner and then only for lunch on Sundays. To make a reservation, give them a call on: 021 876 3384.
xxx