Cuisine: Fine Dining

Maison means home in French. Place of comfort, nourishment and sharing. Chefs Warehouse at Maison is that relaxed contemporary country restaurant with the gentle ease and hospitality you’d expect from an old Winelands friend, who just happens to be a fantastic chef.

Liam knew this when he first saw it; so did chef/partner David Schneider who’s been bringing solid farm-to-table thinking, support of local suppliers, seasonality, style and substance to the menu since it opened.

One of many exciting things about the Chefs Warehouse group is that each restaurant is different; each is the right fit for its environment. This one, on Franschhoek’s Maison Estate, begins with a walk through the simple door of an old tin-roofed farmhouse, moves on to a four-course tapas for two menu zinging with flavour and fabulous local wines, and might end -- if you’ve still got room -- with an ice cream sundae. Not any old ice cream sundae, of course…depending on the season, we might be talking homemade toasted hay ice cream, geranium mousse, rooibos fudge, marshmallow and meringue.

Like everything else at Maison, there’s mad sophistication behind the simplicity.

Since new partners Seb Ackerstaff and Jessie Verdonschot of COCOON design brand bought Maison Estate in mid-2023, the restaurant has been freshly spruced up, from generous plantings of fruit trees and succulents to a fireplace and sleek sliding glass panels in the natural-hued indoor-outdoor dining room, nearly doubling its indoor seating capacity. Rain or shine, we’ve now got you covered.

David has gone back to his roots with a playful menu sparkling with South African accents. Like Chefs’ Happies – a platter of little bites to start – and preparations like house-made apricot chutney and OBS jus. The backbone of the menu is a deep commitment to ethical eating, with seasonal respect, meat and fish bought in whole and processing of all foods done on-site, from condiments to charcuterie. Each of the four courses is designed to invoke memories of past meals shared with friends or loved ones, either a picnic in the garden, a lazy meal by the sea, a quick bite on the street or a feast with family.

Maison is home, but better. Great food that doesn’t take itself too seriously. A stoep and a lazy oak-shaded lawn with nearby vineyards, and the odd chicken. The perfect place for a long, lingering meal with your favourite people.

OUR PROMISE TO VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS

At Chefs Warehouse Maison, we believe all dishes are created equally. Being vegetarian or vegan shouldn’t entail a sacrifice for either the diner or the chef, and we proudly offer abundant choices for both. This is no afterthought: great thought and care have gone into making sure that ALL these dishes are as delicious and exciting as everything else on our menu. If you have any other dietary restrictions, please let us know beforehand, or as soon as you arrive, so we can best serve you.