Garden Route, Restaurants

Barrington’s: A Plett Favourite Worth Lingering Over

Plettenberg Bay makes choosing somewhere to eat a rather enjoyable problem. This Garden Route tourism hotspot is surrounded by wine farms, beachfront restaurants, excellent little cafés and eateries that can turn a straightforward lunch into the main event of your day.

There is plenty of competition for your appetite. And yet Barrington’s remains one of my favourite places to eat.

In a region where comfort, aesthetics, good food and excellent service are practically synonymous with going out, that is saying something. Barrington’s brings all those pleasures together with an ease that makes settling in very simple. Getting around to leaving requires considerably more discipline.

The whole Barrington’s experience

Situated on Piesang Valley Road, Barrington’s encompasses a small hotel, restaurant, organic vegetable garden and boutique wine shop, with its craft brewery forming part of the whole experience. There is also a bakery, which introduces the possibility of taking something delicious home after you have already eaten quite enough.

What I particularly enjoy is the way the different spaces have their own personalities.

The spacious bar and pub just seem to be filled with happy people. There is something wonderfully persuasive about a room full of people enjoying themselves. You feel inclined to join in, find a seat and give whatever was supposed to happen next a little less urgency.

Barrington’s Riverside Bar lit up at night

Alongside it, the restaurant has a comfort and serenity of its own. It is somewhere to settle into a proper conversation and enjoy your food. Having that quieter atmosphere adjacent to the sociability of the bar is part of what makes Barrington’s work so well. You can choose the mood that suits you.

Tables inside Barrington’s restaurant and bar

A comfortable seat in every season

The setting helps. Brass, leather and wood give the bar warmth, while the terraces open onto the garden. A magnificent coral tree shades the outdoor deli terrace, and fireplaces make a persuasive case for visiting when Plett’s weather turns cool. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or a coffee catch-up can each find a comfortable home here.

Two guests sitting outdoors at Barrington’s

The garden deserves some attention, too. Children love it, and adults have good reason to be interested in what is growing there. Barrington’s cultivates organic vegetables and herbs for the kitchen, giving the garden a practical role in what arrives on the table. Alongside the house-baked breads and slowly smoked meats, it tells you something about the care that goes into feeding people here.

From the garden and the smoker

The kitchen’s repertoire includes tapas, gourmet burgers, garden salads, and meats and vegetables prepared in a custom-made smoker. That gives you room to make the meal suit the occasion: a few small plates shared over drinks, something substantial for a hungry traveller, or lunch with enough freshness to leave you feeling capable of further holiday activity.

Something for the thirsty traveller

Then there is the beer.

Thando pouring a beer at the taps at Barrington’s

For those of us who enjoy quaffing a well-made brew, having a working craft brewery on the premises is a very agreeable arrangement. Barrington’s offers beer tasters, so you can explore what is on tap before committing to a favourite, and seasonal speciality beers provide another reason to ask the bar staff what is pouring. Brewery tours are also available for anyone interested in how their glassful came into being.

Tristan inspecting a glass of beer in Barrington’s brewery

It is a lovely component of the visit, but the appeal of Barrington’s extends comfortably across the table. Beer enthusiasts can investigate the taps while wine lovers turn their attention to the boutique wine shop.

A good wine shop has a particular attraction for anyone who enjoys discovering a bottle for later. At Barrington’s, that temptation sits alongside freshly baked bread and other things that make a quick browse difficult. Picking up provisions can become a pleasant little outing in its own right.

Stay a little longer

For visitors who want to stay, the small hotel has ten bedrooms directly above the brewery. Its location puts the restaurant and bar close at hand, with Plett’s beaches and town within easy reach. There is an obvious attraction to a holiday address where dinner requires so little planning.

What stays with me, though, is how comfortable the whole place feels. Children enjoy the garden. Wine connoisseurs have the shop to explore. Beer drinkers have the brewery. And anyone who simply wants good food, excellent service and a lovely place to spend a few hours has come to the right address.

Plett gives visitors every reason to explore, and I would certainly encourage you to do so. Visit the wine farms, eat beside the sea and discover somewhere new.

Barrington’s remains one of my favourites, and a very happy place to be.