Sunday Done Right at Wilde Vy Bistro
A warm review of Wilde Vy Bistro on the Durbanville Wine Route. Sunday roast, family dining, beautiful vineyard views, and Chef Jürgen Snyman's genuine comfort food.
SET MENULOCAL REVIEWDURBANVILLE
Angelique Visser
8/1/20264 min read
When you live in the Cape Winelands, it's easy to believe that nowhere could possibly be more beautiful. And honestly? I'm still fairly certain nowhere is.
But every now and then, it's worth exploring the other side of town. On a perfect, sunny winter Sunday, we headed towards Durbanville and were reminded that there is still so much beauty waiting to be discovered close to home.
As we arrived at the Durbanville Wine Route, the landscape unfolded in front of us. Rolling vineyards, wide skies, mountains in the distance. We had been invited to enjoy Sunday lunch at Wilde Vy Bistro, and I'm so glad we did.
A Table Beneath the Wild Fig Tree
Standing on the terrace beneath Wilde Vy's famous wild fig tree, I paused to take it all in. The vineyards rolled endlessly in front of us, framed by distant mountains and washed in perfect winter sunshine. After a week of cold and mist, the weather was generous, warm, clear, almost summer-like.
We were seated in pools of shade cast by the fig tree's ancient branches, quiet and comfortable.
Little M was ready for the milkshake tasting before we'd even properly settled into our seats. Within moments, three little glasses arrived, and the tasting began. (I'll be sharing more about that experience separately,she had thoughts on each flavour and shared them all the way through lunch.)
The Story Behind Wilde Vy
Wilde Vy opened in January 2025 on Hooggelegen Farm, a six-generation property on the Durbanville Wine Route home to Signal Gun Wines. It's a collaboration between Chef Jürgen Snyman, who spent years leading acclaimed Cape Town restaurants like Kloof Street House, Asoka, and Egghead and Ghanaian entrepreneurs Kwasi Osei-Kusi and Charles Bucknor, who bring their own substantial hospitality portfolio from Accra. The three met in Cape Town, saw the opportunity on the farm, and created something that feels simultaneously rooted in place and internationally minded. The restaurant's ethos is deliberately unpretentious: refined hospitality without ceremony, built on genuine care for both food and people.
Sunday Roast, Done Properly
There is something deeply nourishing about a proper Sunday lunch, especially when you can sit outside and let the afternoon unfold. Wilde Vy's Sunday roast brings together beautiful surroundings and genuine comfort food. We were fortunate to sit outside in the sunshine, but the interiors are equally inviting, warm, thoughtful spaces that feel welcoming.
The Sunday roast is a two-course meal. On the day we visited, Chef Jürgen offered lamb, pork or chicken, followed by dessert. The menu changes every Sunday, so you'll have to visit to see what he's planned for yours.
The Mains
Across our table were plates of beautifully cooked meat served with creamy mashed potato, bright green beans, fresh peas and roasted carrot.
The pork belly arrived with a gorgeous caramelised crust, tender underneath, and tasted like it had been roasted long enough to let the fat render into the meat itself. The lamb was rich and full of flavour, the kind that sticks with you. The chicken was beautifully cooked, paired with a light sauce that brought everything together.
The vegetables were fresh and colourful, the mash was creamy and generous, the portions were satisfying. Nothing felt overdone or trying too hard. The team made it easy for Little M to be part of the experience, and that matters in a restaurant. This was food made with care, and it showed in every element.
Always Leave Room for Dessert
We had the choice of warm banana bread pudding with chocolate sauce, or a pear tart. Naturally, we had to taste both.
The banana bread pudding arrived warm and rich, the chocolate sauce adding just the right amount of indulgence. Comforting in the truest sense.
The pear tart was lighter and beautifully balanced—delicate and refined without losing that homemade feel. A lovely way to finish the meal.
Both felt familiar, but each had its own little twist that kept them interesting.
Practical Information
The Conversations That Follow a Good Meal
We finished with coffee, full and genuinely happy, before heading home.On the drive back, we talked through everything we had tasted. The flavours we loved, what surprised us, what we would choose again if we went back. As you probably know by now, I'm raising a little foodie.Little M gave me a full briefing: which flavours she enjoyed most, what she hadn't expected, what she would order the next time we visited. She had thoughts, and she shared them all the way home.
That, to me, is one of the signs of a memorable restaurant. The meal ends, but the conversation about it continues all the way home.
We came home full and happy, already planning our next Sunday there. That's the test, isn't it—not whether the meal was good, but whether you want to go back.
