Situated on the very popular Cape Point tourist route, Kommetjie’s thoroughly enjoyable Imhoff Farm is a must to visit if you ever find yourself in the area – especially if you are one of those people who take immense pleasure in discovering and supporting local artisans and their businesses.
The original Imhoff’s Gift (literally land gifted by Cape Commisioner Baron Gustav Wilhelm van Imhoff to farmer Christina Rousseau in the mid 1700’s as a thank you for her efforts to supply ships with fresh produce) covers an area that now includes Kommetjie, Ocean View and a section of the Table Mountain National park, with the remaining bit of unclaimed land making up what is now the historic Imhoff Farm complex.
With the dairy and livestock farming of yesteryear no longer viable on this remaining stretch of land, the farmstead has instead involved into commercial hub with and old-world charm and a focus very much on maintaining a “country farm” atmosphere.
The property’s historic homestead now houses the stunning restaurant with a view, Blue Water Cafe, while the stables, silo, smithy, slave quarters and milking sheds are all occupied by a diverse mixture of local artists, craftsmen, shopkeepers and foodies.
Talking about things to eat, in addition to the already mentioned, super popular Blue Water Cafe, Imhoff’s Farm is also home to other food related gems, like Coco & Lace (chocolates, truffles and pralines), Free Range Coffee Shop (coffee, bakes, and light meals), Chez Pepe and his artisan goat’s milk cheeses, Off the Hook Seafood Deli (fish), and another local favourite – Umami Sushi (which is headed up by Bo Zhang, the acclaimed sushi chef from the Food Lover’s Market group).
In terms of art, there are some many interesting studios and work spaces to wander through – including the likes of Bianca L Art Studio, Francoise V Gallery and Interiors, Heartwing Studio, La Belle Armoire, Lindsay Quirk Art Studio, Purely Porcelain, Rodney Band, The Studio Art Gallery, and Zoe Mafham Art.
Then of course there is the straight up shopping experiences to be had, encompassing all types of small quirky ventures, including hairstylists, a florist, a wine stockist, booksellers and of course quirky clothing providers!
Oh, and a well stocked farm stall to boot.
It is not just shopping and eating at Imhoff Farm mind you – given that this is a very family friendly attraction, there are quite a few options for play as well: like the snake park, the Higgeldy Piggeldy animal farmyard, horse riding, a 4×4 offroading track, the milkwood maze, and even a paintball & laser-tag arena!
So, as you might assume then, this really is a good spot for a family outing.
As you can imagine then, despite the few drops of rain that arrived out of nowhere during our visit back in February last year, we had a right ball – basically making this a pretty hard place not to recommend if you ever find yourself with your kids in the fascinating/quirky little village of Kommetjie.
Worth noting: One of the current trends in responsible tourism is of course a reduction in animal interactions – which has very much affected the Imhoff Farm experience since we last visited. These days the Higgeldy Piggeldy farmyard doesn’t allow for any petting of the smaller animals like their rabbits and guinea pigs, and sadly the popular camel rides are also no more (the camels were relocated to the Overberg). Not massive deal breakers of course (there is still enough to entertain the kids with after all), but a pity for those of us with little kids nonetheless.
Related Link: Imhoff Farm | Kommetjie