Artisanal treats at Hopewell Estate
THE Hopewell Conservation Estate on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth offers a fresh spin on contemporary country living – and eating.
Set in a 3 000ha urban nature reserve, just a few kilometres off the Old Cape Road near St Alban’s, Hopewell has a small but delightful family restaurant which won an architectural award for its striking minimalist lines.
The Mantis Collection was brought in earlier this year to manage the hospitality wing of Hopewell and they are doing a great job at the restaurant, which can seat up to 30 people.
The attraction for city slickers is that it is built high on a hill with lots of big glass windows so you can sit back and enjoy the view while you dine.
The drawcard for active families is that there are several mountain bike trails and Hopewell has been building a 15m long swimming pool which it hopes will be open before Christmas.
This means you might, for example, bike – or hike – the 7km trail in the summer sun and then take a dip in the pool before relaxing over a frosty drink and something delicious to eat.
At the moment Hopewell is offering a trail combo deal where, for R60, you can ride or walk a trail and enjoy breakfast.
The food is good: sandwiches, burgers, pasta and pizza dominate the menu but they are presented with an artisanal twist with many ingredients like beef, venison, vegetables and herbs sourced on the estate.
There are also a few interesting salads and a threecourse Sunday lunch is another attraction at R150 (R95 for children).
The kids’ menu includes a breakfast waffle with strawberries and honey and a few pizzas and burgers for lunch, and there is a very nice breakfast selection.
Prices are fair with beers from R20, cooldrinks R15 and a varied new wine list populated with several Meridian wines.
While visiting Hopewell Restaurant you may also be lucky enough to spot wild game wandering past, including eland, kudu, red hartebeest, Cape mountain zebra and springbok, and there are more than 130 resident bird species in the reserve.
Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm. Inquiries: (041) 450-0381 or e-mail: restaurant@hopewellconservation.co.za