22/09/2026
Article from a guest:
Barrington Eats @ Henri's Restaurant & W**e Bar, Corner Main / Lourensford Rd, Somerset West
Who doesn’t like a nice surprise once in a while?
What started out via a curious text message, innocently enquiring about karaoke nights in the area, soon built up to a big reveal that one of my oldest chums from the UK was in Franschhoek with his wife, enjoying a “w**e safari”. Whilst they were out collecting the “Big Five” I was tasked with finding a suitable venue for a long awaited get together. Plus, naturally, some karaoke afterward.
Alas, I failed on the karaoke front but managed to arrange a suitably agreeable establishment for the catch up. Given that my guests are quite the gastronomes (Test Kitchen, La Petit Columbe being prior venues) I was hoping it would pass the test.
So, to the warm embrace of Henri’s, further welcomed by Pierre and his attentive staff. Henri’s was chosen for the range of options within the a la carte menu, though their steaks have always been a winner with prior visits. We were ushered into the main space (the enclosed dining room being for the romantic types) containing the right amount of ambiance to have a serious conversation.
But first a toast. L’Ormarins Brut to break the ice and a Guardian Peak Cab Sauv to keep the table lubricated whilst perusing the menu. It was great to catch up after a number of years, so with the conversation flowing as quickly as the w**e, we soon upgraded to a Rus en Vrede Cab Sauv, that with respect to the prior bottle, was a worthy upgrade.
Now my friend, being forever the contrarian and perhaps borderline eccentric, decided to entrust Kelly, our excellent waitress, with curating a meal for him. A wonderfully offbeat, albeit slightly risky decision, we were intrigued as to what this would bring.
A full house of seafood starters was delivered and were universally praised. My mussels putanesca being just right in portion size, in order to prepare you for the main course. The rich sauce had a satisfying vibrancy in terms of taste and the fresh mussels were superb.
Another bonus is the off menu items on offer. I was secretly hoping for the beef fillet on the bone, which was available the last time I was there, but was gently let down by Pierre himself, stating that it was a seasonal dish. My disappointment didn’t last, as there were a variety of choices on offer, which made it rather hard to choose the mains. But choose we did. An eisbein for the Better Half, my UK chum inspiring me to look beyond steak and related beef products and try the exotic mushroom lasagna. A slow roasted pork belly and mystery dish number two completed the order.
Well, the mains did not disappoint. Mystery dish number two was revealed to be the slow roasted deboned lamb neck, which spends quite some time doing the first part in the pizza oven before being finished up for plating, paired with mash and tempura green beans. I must say, a flash of envy flushed across my face, though that was likely the third bottle of w**e.
Both the pork belly and eisbein were met with further praise, with an honourable mention for the crackling, that “just hit the spot”. As for mine? I initially considered buyers remorse, as although very well presented, it didn’t have the same riot of colour as the other dishes within my proximity. But the first bite made sure I had made the right decision. You had the full house of umami, punchy cheese, with the truffle oil really combining it together rather well. The only disappointment was finishing it, as you (or rather me) could happily eat another two if you were inclined to.
As the evening drew to a close, desserts were eaten, with my double expresso consumed in a futile attempt to “stabilise the system”. But no matter, as it was indeed the perfect venue to catch up with old friends. We talked all the way through. We talked about the food, the safari progress, what constitutes the “Big Five” in w**e terms, about the food some more, the should we / shouldn’t we on another bottle of w**e, and what exactly is a malva pudding? You see, Henri’s provided that space for us, whilst giving us the constituent parts to a highly memorable experience and I appreciate that deeply.
So, to conclude. The term “institution” is thrown about so often it tends to lose its true meaning. The Louvre in Paris is an art institution. High Tea at “The Nellie” is a Cape Town institution. However, I feel that Henri’s can certainly qualify as a local institution. I will freely admit I have been multiple times previously and they have never hit a bum note. The staff are attentive, the food is fresh, delicious, well presented and to top it off, very reasonably priced. Admittedly our bill when it arrived was substantial, but that was due to the w**e enjoyment rather than the food (as an FYI, they do not charge corkage for under 8 pax).
For those that know, ignore the next sentence. For those that do not know, Henri’s is a winner. You will feel welcome, you will be well fed, you will be well looked after. You will enjoy the ambiance whilst enjoying delicious food in a venerable old building. You will go again. I certainly will.
Highly Recommended.
Henri's combines an inspired menu with a casually sophisticated setting in a heritage house situated in Somerset West, Western Cape.
