About

Mariella's restaurant at capaia

Once upon a time, in 1997, shortly after I discovered my love for Africa, my enthusiasm for the continent developed into a steady relationship at the Cape of Good Hope where I found the farm of my dreams. It was the former De Hoop wheat farm which stole my heart we planted vines on well rested soil, where vines had never grown before, and my vision had become a reality. Capaia Wine estate was finally my own. My wish was to restore the old farmhouse to its original style, which had fallen into a state of dilapidation. A gem of Victorian architecture whose predecessor on that site dates back to the year 1725 was restored. We then decided at the beginning of 2013 that a restaurant named after the dearest person in my life, my one and only daughter Mariella, would be opened. The beautiful building, which has kept its original Victorian features, has been transformed into an elegant restaurant with state of the art kitchen equipment where we strive to produce food that is of the highest quality along with our wines, which truly represent our believe of “Wine Above All” and only producing wine of excellence. Mariella’s brings you only the very best in what I strive for and it is with great pride that my dream is alive and on its way to new beginnings.

- Ingrid von Essen

Mariella's Restaurant

Come and relax with family and friends and enjoy mouth-watering food at Mariella’s overlooking the beautiful rolling hills of the Swartland. Your children can play on the lawn and jungle gym while you sit back and unwind on the deck. The menu, prepared by Head Chef Jacqueline Neethling, is simple and unpretentious, yet sophisticated, and offers both lunch and dinner.

tastings & Cellar Tours

Besides enjoying the range of fine wines Capaia has to offer, visitors can enjoy a cellar tour which takes you through the history and development of Capaia since 1997. The winery hosts the biggest collection of casks in the southern hemisphere, including the maturation room, bottling and labelling, and high-tech storage room. This captivating insight will give you an understanding on how and why Capaia wines are unique in taste and quality.

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HEAD CHEF

Jacqueline neethling

Jacqueline’s passion for culinary arts started with her stay-at-home mom who’d come up with the most mouthwatering flavours and aromas, making every meal unique. Helping out in her mom’s veg and herb garden made her fall in love with the process of harvesting and cooking with the freshest ingredients. She firmly believes that a wise choice of spices and herbs are critical complimentary accessories to any winning dish. Jacqueline’s career in culinary arts followed a journey among wine estates in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek before she joined Mariella’s as Head Chef in July 2024.

RESTAURANT MANAGER

PAULA POTGIETER

After finishing her Bachelor’s Degree at the North-West University, Paula found herself in the hospitality industry and has been living out that passion for the past seven years. She decided to join the Mariella’s team in April 2024 after falling in love with the farm, its history and the beautiful surroundings. Known for her exceptional leadership and operational expertise she enjoys working alongside her team to enhance customer satisfaction and to create memorable experiences for each and every Mariella’s guest.

Sous Chef

cerise petersen

Cerise studied at the Capsicum Culinary Studio, finishing top of her class with double distinctions. She started as a student chef here at Mariella’s in early 2019. Her love of the culinary world started from a very young age as she has been cooking for her family all her life and it is still her greatest passion as she cooks whenever she can for her loved ones too. She is always playing with new concepts and flavours. She loves being a part of such an amazing team here at Mariella’s at CAPAIA!

COMMIS CHEF

ABIGAL VHINDURA

Abigal joined Mariella’s in 2021 in the position of a sculler responsible for cleaning duties in the kitchen and the restaurant at large. Through dedication and hard work she soon established herself as a critically important member of the team at Mariella’s. Under the watchful eye of the Head Chef her passion for learning and self-development was nurtured and she steadily started to learn and perfect an array of skills related to the preparation of food, including the presentation of desserts. Through continuous growth and hard work she has developed her skills to the point where she was ready to be promoted to the role of Commis Chef at the start of 2024.

directions

reservations Required

Opening Hours

Monday Closed
Tuesday 11:00 - 15:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 17:00
Thursday 11:00 - 15:00
Friday 11:00 - 22:00
Saturday 11:00 - 22:00
Sunday 11:00 - 17:00