Visitors to Franschhoek in the Cape Winelands can now enjoy a pint or two of Franschhoek Beer Co’s premium craft beer as well as a bite to eat at the newly launched Tap | Eat.

The brewery’s restaurant is ringed by oak trees and green lawns, and allowing diners to appreciate the gorgeous setting, both inside and outside of the restaurant, was top of mind in the designing process, which was headed up by interior designer’s Inhouse Design. Stacking glass doors allow sunlight to flood the interior, as well as bridging the indoor and outdoor seating areas.  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.”