Darling, Town of Flowers -- Part Three

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

The Fondue Pot's Bar

We apologize for the extended sojourn from our visit to Darling. Bekah was on the road in London (stay tuned for that trip).

Need to catch up on our time in Darling thus far? Visit part one here and part two here. Now, without further ado, Darling, Part Three!

On my first night in Darling, my friend Maria Jensen-Stilborg took me to The Fondue Pot, where I met the eccentric Hermann and charming Antionette.

This is what you’ll find on their website: “ …To this end, and with our knowledge of today’s intensive farming practices and pollution issues in mind, we include no chicken, pork or fish in our carefully planned menu.

We proudly use locally raised and grown organic ingredients and make sure quality imports are used whenever necessary."

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

A Nguni cow on Waylands

“All our meat is sourced from free grazing animals, our bread is home-made and our butter comes from a local farm here in Darling.

Our desserts are carefully selected to avoid the inclusion of unnatural preservatives and colorants."

On this night, we ordered “Eland” a succulent game dish: Eland Chinoise Fondue thinly-sliced Eland fillet cooked in a broth with their homemade mayonnaise-based sauces.

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Hermann and his organ grinder at The Fondue Pot

If you pay it a visit, which you must if you visit Darling, you'll be forgiven for thinking you've landed up on the set of The Third Man, because all the bric-a-brac look like props pilfered from the set of this classic film.

I thought at any moment Orson Welles (The Third Man) would peek around the corner and smile enigmatically at me as I took another sip of an excellent Merlot.

What made me think suddenly of The Third Man? I realized it was the organ grinder on the stage of The Fondue Pot, complete with a monkey. In the film, as the organ grinder recognizes The Third Man he begins to play the Harry Lime theme.

Oh my, what a film! Do you remember spying the elongated shadows of the balloons cast against the wall before you actually saw the balloon seller?

How I landed up onstage making a fool of myself with Hermann, I have no idea. All I can say is, after a bottle of Merlot I had little resistance left and was coerced.

(**Antoinette let me know that The Fondue Pot is closed at present until they get their liquor license.)

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Lunch at the Darling Brewery

Apart from that, I didn't visit any of the many restaurants in Darling, except the Darling Craft Beer Breweries.

It’s no use my running through the list of things going on, the restaurants. I have heard good reports on many of them and I trust the judgment of my friends.

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Flight of beers at Darling Brewery

For lovers of craft beers, Darling Craft Beers offers a dazzling array of beers with all sort of weird names: Blood Serpent, Bone Crusher, Desert Dragon...

The Darling Brew Beer Festival takes place early in July in the state-of-the-art working brewery. The micro-brewery offers live music, a cash bar and food stalls.

More eating, drinking and soaking in Darling's ambience is forthcoming in Part Four. Stay tuned. In the meantime...

For those wishing to find out more about the Darling restaurants, here is the link. http://www.darlingtourism.co.za/restaurants/

You will also find links on accommodation here. http://www.darlingtourism.co.za/accommodation/

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Darling, Town of Flowers -- Part Three

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

Photo by Johan Liebenberg

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