Nestled in the Cape winelands, Franschhoek boasts sumptuous offerings from local food artisans and manufacturers, with a recent addition – craft beer! Visitors to this famed gourmet region can now enjoy Franschhoek Beer Co’s premium craft beer in the middle of wine country, thanks to the brewery’s new restaurant, Tap | Eat.
Ringed by oak trees and green lawns, Tap | Eat lets beer-lovers experience the clean air and dazzling vistas of the mountainous Franschhoek district, while enjoying a brew and a bite. Eating in style while appreciating the outdoors, was among interior design company Inhouse’s goals in the creation of Franschhoek Beer Co’s new foodie destination.
Stacking glass doors allow sunlight to flood the interior, as well as bridging the indoor and outdoor seating areas. An assortment of views can be enjoyed – be it the distant mountains, the immediate landscaping or even the restaurant’s detailed interior design.
In the construction of Tap | Eat, Inhouse had to extend the former premises of Franschhoek Beer Co, which consisted solely of the brewery. Inhouse Director, Phillip Wyatt notes that the design “needed to tie in with the brewery next-door, but also have its own identity”.
Lighting is a key feature and the scheme includes ambient lights stationed throughout the interior. “Spotlights were employed to light up the restaurant ceiling, whose height and angle make it a distinct feature,” explains Wyatt. The use of LED strips and various angled light configurations throughout are intended to highlight and complement the oak cladding and marble-tile finishes.
The indoor bar is the most prominent feature of the interior. “The bar materials are a combination of marble cladding, used in the front, and solid oak timber, used for the surround,” Wyatt states. “The timber warms up the space beautifully.”
True to its name, Tap | Eat is an ideal spot for beer-lovers to relax and imbibe the craft brewery’s renowned beers, accompanied by a meal from the new restaurant. Just as the menu brings these two offerings together, so too does the interior design balance indoors and out, the natural and the luxurious…
For more on Inhouse’s other design projects, visit www.inhouse.ws
