Geelbek Restaurant provides a safe haven for the West Coast and South African heritage. The restaurant is situated on the lagoon in the Geelbek main house. This Cape Dutch building is a National Monument and was renovated three times since it was built in 1744.

The old Cape Dutch building guards a wide array of Africana from the cuisine to interior and fauna and flora which surrounds Geelbek. The Geelbek curio shop stocks a variety of local produce, art and crafts.

The Geelbek Restaurant staffs consist of woman from the area. Some have been involved in the restaurant from the beginning. Through in-house training they are now seasoned in the hospitality and tourism industry. They stand to truly welcome you to the West Coast.

Kiddies can play in a safe area while you enjoy your lunch.

We are wheel chair friendly. Please arrange with us to get as close to the restaurant as you would need, if in a wheel chair.

Open

• Every day of the year 9:00-17:00;
• 25 Dec – we serve a special X-mas lunch- bookings only;
• Tour groups for flower season Aug- Sep can be booked;
• Private functions for 10+ can be arranged after hours;
• Booking is advised;
• We have Visa, Master card, Diners Club and Amex facilities;

Our Brand – Taste your Roots

Fresh, local ingredients and good quality is most important to us. We cook with ingredients of the season and veltfood. Visit our food blog  for info.

Signature Dishes

Our signature dishes are Traditional Bobotie, Cape Malay Chicken Curry and Lamb Curry, Denningsvleis (an old slave recipe). Ostrich Burger (SQ), Snoektart, Mussels under the African Sun, Hake and Calamari in our own batter, Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Meringue Pie, Fruit cheese cake, Malva pudding, and our cakes.

Some of these recipes are family one’s, handed down by twelve generations through the Basson, Nagel, Botha and Duvenhage family, combined with Mouton and De Villiers roots, right into the family tree of Angela from Bengale.

She was the first free slave in the Cape of Good Hope, who owned the property of where the Mount Nelson is situated today. Proud to say, that Angela from Bengale’s daughter was Anna De Koning – Lady of Groot Constantia and wife of Olaf Bergh. Angela from Bengale was also the wife of Willem Albertus Basson. So the recipes are deep family rooted and proudly true South African. You might find copies of some of these dishes- but our recipes are close guarded secrets to be served in true perfection.

The Menu

Every month is planned around the ingredients, herbs and fresh produce of the area. So look out for our menu advice and changes on our Restaurant Blog.
Flower Season Menu 2015 will be on website by 12 August.

Passion and love for food are inspired by Elmarie Leonard.

Summer

You will find springbok carpaccio with local melon and Rooibos tea reduction on our menu. Fresh herby salads, fresh seafood, line fish and mussels, and if we are lucky – some lobster. We love to cook with white wine and red, Jeripiko, Port and combine it with figs from the local area like Porterville, grapes and fresh fruit, Cape gooseberries, strawberries, nectarines and fresh herbs and cheese make a divine combination.

Winter

In winter look out for Traditional Chicken Pie, Oxtail in red wine, Venison pie, Waterblommetjiebredie, Greenbeanbredie, Tomatobredie, steamed Yellow rice – cooked the Malay way in old Cape style tradition. We believe that even yellow rice is cooked to perfection- There are stages of cooking this simple dish- and you will find it at Geelbek.

Seafood

We only serve local fish and we believe to contribute to responsible fishing. We only serve fish on the green list of WWF -SASSI .

You would find either one of the following on our menu:

Yellowtail – line fishing
Snoek – line fishing
Mackerel – line fishing
Harders/Type of Mullet
Hake – line fishing
Calamari
Cob– line fishing

Herbs and veldt food

We have our own small herb garden and the rest we pick from the veldt. The following list is just some of the food items of the Khoi tribes in this area( Cochoque and Guriqua).

Look out for:

Pickled sea coral– (Artiplex semibaccta)
Wild dagga (Leonotis leonurus) –bitter- goes well with dark chocolate
Wild Rosemary (Eriocephalus ericoides) good as a herb with lamb
Suurvy/Sourfig (Carpobrotus edulis) good as jam and in a relish
Wild Garlic –(Tulbaghia alliacea) good in salad, flowers add beautiful colour to meat dishes, as a herb in most dishes
Brown sage (Salvia africana- Salvia lutea/S.aurea) good as herb
Buchu (Agathosma betulina)-syrup for drinks
Rooibos– (Aspalathus lenearis)- base for coulis, reductions for sauce and desserts
Yellow Sorrel– (Oxalis pes-carprae)- in Waterblommetjiebredie as herb, salad
Duinespinasie/Dune Spinach– (Tetragonia decumbens) cooked as vegetable
Red Malva ( Pelargonium fulgidum)- good in salad

There are many more.

We love wine and only stock local wines like Darling Cellars, Groote Post, Riebeek Cellars, Swartland Cellars, Durbanville Hills. Look out for Darling Brew, our local beer, brewed in the neighbouring town of Darling.

Elmarie Leonard, founder of Geelbek Restaurant has a passion for cooking with wine, chocolate, bread, cheese and mostly the unity that foods brings to good company.

Family and food, good times and love- all comes with divine food.