Dining in Darling

Darling is home town for me, and although I have not lived here for very long – having spent most of my life in the winelands around Stellenbosch – it has not taken long for Darling to endear itself.

This little town was, and hopefully will always remain, a little farming village. It is very well known for its abundance of wild flowers, also the orchids that are grown there, and not least of all, the very good wines that comes from the region. However, it is South Africa’s famous satirist, Pieter Dirk Uys who both lives there and has his little theatre at the “Perron”, who really put Darling on the map. All this information can be found on their website.

A couple of years ago, there were few “eateries” in the town itself, but now we have quite a choice :

Two of our favourites are:

The Marmalade Cat

Owned and run by Sandi Collins, the restaurant is as charming as Sandi herself (or visa versa!). There is no fixed menu; everything is written up on a chalk board. While a thread of “regular” items might stay on the board, there is a huge amount of variety. No hamburger joint this…but freshly prepared quiches, pies, and probably the best lamb knuckle you will find this side of the Karoo. Pricing is very reasonable and the portions are generous, without being heart-stoppingly huge!

Simone’s
Recently opened and run by husband and wife team Simone and Charl. Probably the best way to describe Simone’s, is that it is a “family” restaurant. By this I don’t mean that it is in the Wimpy-style, but that the food, fare and atmosphere can be enjoyed by both grandchild and grandma. Simone and Charl are very much hands on, and this is reflected in the excellent service from all the staff.

They do an unbelievably delicious pork belly and some equally delicious and hearty meat dishes.

Hope you get there sooner than later and enjoy!