Tucked away in the vineyards of the Benguela Cove Vineyard Estate, you’ll find Hermanus’s new gem, the Moody Lagoon Restaurant.
With uninterrupted views of the Palmiet Mountains and situated on the edge of the Bot River Lagoon, this casual, fine-dining restaurant opened in December and offers more than just a dining experience.
The restaurant is just over an hour’s drive from Cape Town and about 30 minutes outside the town of Hermanus.
Local fish dish.
Moody Lagoon offers something for everyone, from families with kids to couples looking to enjoy a romantic dinner.
It’s on the large estate,
which offers diners plenty of options including wine tasting, golf, and a spacious play area for kids that includes a human chess board.
At night, guests can enjoy an intimate dinner while watching the sunset and taking in the spectacular views.
Most of the decor and design of this gorgeous eatery reminds me of the old Benguela on Main Restaurant in Somerset West, which closed last year and has since been revamped into NOM NOM.
From the life-size gold sculpture of a naked man, the sexy menu covers bearing a painting of a woman’s midsection, large art pieces and even the open-plan kitchen where guests can watch executive chef Annie Badenhorst and her team create the most amazing dishes, Moody Lagoon is a creatively inspiring space.
My colleague and I tried the tasting menu, which is made up of the most popular dishes from the a la carte menu.
We started with a deep-fried oyster and cucumber and slow carrots. While the oyster was fried, it still had the refreshing taste of a fresh oyster.
Deep-fried oyster and cucumber.
The vegetable consommé, tortellini and seasonal herbs was next, but my colleague and I weren’t blown away by it. This was followed by a pork dish and a local fish dish and I absolutely loved the fish. Aside from the deep fried olives, I enjoyed everything on the plate. The fish was perfectly cooked and was paired well with the vegetables.
For desserts there was a selection of local cheeses and preserves and mango, banana curd, coconut custard and yogurt ice cream.
The mango dessert was a definite winner.
The thin slices of dried pineapple and banana added a great taste and crispy texture to the succulent mango and the yogurt ice cream.
This delightful restaurant is a must-visit and also serves breakfast and lunch daily as well as Sunday brunch.
Moody Lagoon R43, Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, Bot River Lagoon, Walker Bay, Hermanus.