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The interior of the new restaurant. On the wall is the painting by Eugenia Campbell of Reuben’s grandfather, Abel Riffel. -
Cool Spaces: Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar Franschhoek -
Cool Spaces: Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar Franschhoek -
The well-stocked (of course!) wine cellar. -
The impressive entrance hall as you enter Reuben’s is filled with light, reflections and mountain views. The sculpture is by Vincent da Silva. -
Spiced crème brûlée with roasted pear sorbet, roasted pears, white chocolate soil, whipped crème fraîche and a pear chip. -
Beef tartare with roasted celeriac, parmesan and gherkins. -
Reuben and Maryke Riffel.
WORDS Sam Woulidge PHOTOS Sandro Tasso of Wide Angle Photo Studio
There are many good reasons to visit the new Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar in Franschhoek but the most important one would be that this is the restaurant Reuben Riffel always dreamt of. This one is personal. This is the one he owns.
It’s only a few minutes’ walk from where the original one stood, but it is different. Not unrecognisably so. Sophisticated and authentic. The well-appointed glass entrance hall offers both glamour and striking views of the magnificent Franschhoek Mountains. The art on the brick walls is South African, and the old airplane wing now forms part of the courtyard bar. Like the restaurant, the menu is eclectic, featuring some Asian influences and great local ingredients. Some familiar flavours and some new ones. This is the food that Reuben likes to eat.
This looks and feels like the home Reuben and his wife Maryke share. “I have always wanted to have my own place,” Reuben says. “I needed to feel that this is mine. Not just the building, but also the ideas and what we do. I wanted something that was created by and owned by us. Something that truly reflects who we are.”
This is best understood in the painting of Reuben’s beloved grandfather, Oupa Abel Riffel, painted by Eugenia Campbell from a treasured old photo. “I wanted my Oupa to be here. My grandparents once lived in this part of Franschhoek but then, because of apartheid, they had to move to Groendal, so I wanted to bring him back to this part of the valley. It is important to me that my Oupa’s face has pride of place here. In this way I can honour him, and what he meant
to me. This is also my way of sharing my measure of success with my family, so they can also feel part of all this.”
