THE ARUM Restaurant at Boschendal is the newest dining experience at this estate in Franschhoek on the R310 to/from Pniel and Stellenbosch. At the time of writing, with 2025 winding down, the outdoor seating at Arum – which looks onto organic vegetable gardens and the mountains beyond – wasn't yet available, with the finishing touches expected to be completed by year-end or early 2026. Situated in the Werf, a historic building dating back to 1812 that once served as a cellar, Arum is the fifth restaurant in the Fyn group led by Peter Tempelhoff, Ashley Moss and Jennifer Hugé – their second located on a wine farm after ‘Beyond' at Buitenverwachting in Constantia.
Executive chef Travis Finch heads up the kitchen at Arum, named after the arum lily, which showcases a farm-to-fire approach to cooking. Finch's career spans The Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort in Constantia, London's Chapter One and The Connaught, Melbourne's Vue de Monde and years aboard luxury yachts. The menu is rooted in the farm, with most of the ingredients sourced from Boschendal and the Arum team working alongside the estate’s gardeners, growers and breeders.
Snacks include vegetable-driven crudites, charcuterie and oysters at R110 to R165. Starter options from R195 to R230 focus on Stracciatella cheese, Angus beef tartare, Cape octopus, Lourensford trout… Main courses include a fish option but are mainly about produce reared on the farm, cuts of lamb, pork and beef – the ‘coal to soul' dishes ranging from R430 to R850.
The “beverage programme” is led by group sommelier and service director Jennifer Hugé, who has collaborated with Boschendal's winemakers to come up with a bespoke collection. The wines are all from Boschendal, but include some 10-year-old reds and whites from the library at R650 to R3400, as well as some specials available only to Arum diners. In the Arum Special Series: Semillon (from Franschhoek's acclaimed La Colline vineyard planted in 1936), Alicante Bouschet, Marselan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre, all from the 2024 vintage and priced between R690 and R950.
Arum is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.
