That Franschhoek is well known for her award winning restaurants and beautiful wineries is old news. Everywhere one can go out for lunch or dinner. But what if you just want to go for a drink? Where do you go to when in Franschhoek? I lived there for over 5 years and had many drinks in the village, so today I will tell you what are the places to go to.

Elephant & Barrel

Whether it’s a late afternoon cold beer or G&T, a Rugby or Tennis sports game on Television, or a late after dinner dance on Friday night (live music), Elephant & Barrel is always good fun. The staff is friendly, the beers are cold, bar snacks good (nachos are the best!) and the wines cheap.
Elephant and Barrel can be found on Huguenot Square (off Huguenot Street) and is open every day. Click here for their website and the event list.

Taki’s

The place to go for Friday afternoon drinks with the locals! Taki’s. Situated opposite the Post Office, in the  Main Road of Franschhoek, it is a very nice and relaxed place for a glass of wine, a Gin & Tonic or a beer! The owner is Greek, so if you are hungry go for the mezze platter, a pizza, or the Moussaka. Taki’s is open Tuesday until Sunday. Click here for the Facebook page, and have fun at Taki’s.

Station Pub

The Station Pub is situated in (surprise) the old Station building of Franschhoek. On Sunday late afternoon it’s nice to go; live music, lots of Afrikaans families who celebrate the last day of the weekend together. All other days Station is fun as well for a beer and a burger, or to watch a sports game. The sauvignon blanc is chilled and the pizzas are thin and crisp. The ribs (I don’t eat that) are good too, I’ve been told. There is a big braai (BBQ) area in the garden, where you can even organise your own bring & braai by paying a small fee and order drinks from the bar. Click here for more information and the event and live music calendar.

Tuk Tuk Microbrewery

The micro beer brewery in town; Tuk Tuk! Opened its doors quite recently (in February) and it’s full ever since. They do very well and it’s a fun place! The food is Mexican inspired, very tasty, but a bit overpriced! It’s a cool place for beer lovers. Wines are not that special (and expensive too), so if you don’t drink beer like me, give it a miss! Click here for more information about TukTuk, or read the article I wrote about TukTuk earlier this year.

Maison

It’s a beautiful boutique winery just outside Franschhoek; I talk about Maison! Most people will know it for their restaurant and deli, but did you know you can just go there for drinks, too? We went there often in the morning by bicycle for coffee, and in the afternoon for pre-dinner drinks! It’s the most beautiful and stylish location. I like their Viognier, Chenin blanc and Chardonnay for white wine. And the Shiraz for red! One can do wine tasting, or have just drinks with or without small tapas snacks. Click here for more information!

When I write…

this article I miss Franschhoek more than ever. I miss my friends and the fun we always had. The beautiful surroundings and the few pubs we had. Now, in Amsterdam, there are 18031 places to go to for drinks, and yes they are very upmarket and stylish and cool. And then I think about the wooden picnic tables at Elephant and Barrel. And I dream about my next trip to Franschhoek…

*Note: I have not been asked, invited or paid to write about these places in Franschhoek, South Africa. It was my own idea. All images are mine, made with a Canon EOS M3 camera.