Asara Wine Estate and Hotel Review

One of the Best Wine farms in Stellenbosch. Beautiful view. Great wine tasting. (Noble Harvest).

Nice wine tasting location with view on the cellar. Wines were also great, especially the Ivory blend.

I loved the little deli and the superb dessert treats inside! The restaurant is very expensive - rather eat somewhere else if you are feeling the need for a savoury bite after indulging at the deli.
The wines are average.

Great food, great wines, great scenery en friendly staff

What an unexpected surprise. Been back three times already!

Totally luxorious. And great service. Would recommend to everyone!!

Nice winery with very friendly staff, and a good bistro to eat out.

Beware of ever having your wedding or function here. They over price, screw you on your guest account and then demand more money due to negligence with how they handle your guests. This is experience I had and a year after our wedding they still fail to handle or refund, or have the courtesy to resolve yet having paid a small fortune to host our special day there. Not only that, but the waiters were clumsy, spilt wine over my father's suit and still failed to pay the bill. The toasts we did were done with no champagne as they forgot the schedule and charged for this yet toasted to wine and paid for champagne. We paid our bill in full. Now we have discovered bills not signed for and how they put guests into more then one room a person and some of the guests who stayed somehow landed up on our account yet there should not have been a way for this to happen. Sadly this was a disaster to my wife and myself. Stay away.

We visited the restaurant Asara. The service, view and food were excellent. We highly appreciated the cape fusion red wine - you have to try it (wounderful tasting) and the best hot chockolate pot we have ever eaten.

Experience at this place was extremely poor. We had one drink each. After that we didn't have any service for 2 hours. We then called the front desk to get service and complain. Only to get the manager Mark to address us like little kids infront of all the other clients. Everyone was looking at us the way Mark was going on. He was so rude and unprofessional. We then asked for the bill and that even took a good few minutes. Like i said. Worst experience ever. Spur have better service then this place.

Absolutely stunning views. Fantastic wines. Great service. Good food. Must visit.

Stayed for one night here one our honeymoon vacation. From the moment we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the property and rooms and by the impeccable service and kindness from the staff. We were welcomed with a cool towel service at the front desk and immediately received congratulations of our honeymoon and were treated to a room upgrade and chocolates. We were brought to our room by a lovely gentleman who showed us the way and pointed out the highlights of the property and of the room. The room was extremely large and clean with an amazing patio facing the central pond.

We joined the Zanzibar restaurant for a casual dinner and gin tasting. The gentleman who ran us through the gins provided great detail and was very knowledgeable, he answered all our questions and was so nice! We ordered a pizza which was good, but nothing too special, but certainly did the trick. Their chenin Blanc was wonderful.

The hotel stay includes a breath full breakfast spread and takes place on a wonderful patio with the most amazing views. The breakfast options were wonderful and the service was awesome.

We unfortunately only got to stay one night with Asara and were sad to leave! Such a wonderful and romantic property with amazing staff!

Had a wonderful night stay! John was helpful/friendly with our luggage. The pizza was delicious! And our wine tasting went amazing! I can't remember the name of the humerus young guy with cool eyes who did our tasting, but he rocked it! The wife and I ended up buying a few bottles because of him! Wish we could have stayed longer!

Staff was friendly and welcoming. Location and wine tasting are underwhelming especially when compared to other places in the area. Would recommend skipping this one on your wine hopping experience

We went to The sansibar and waited One Hour for drinks. We ordered One pizza and One burger. The pizza Arrived before The drinks, it was okay. The burger Arrived 30 minuts later (1,5 Hour after arrival) and it was overcooked! (We ordered medium-rare). At that point we had enough. We were charged for The pizza and The drinks, but told Them we wouldnt pay for The burger. We never finished our drinks. Horrible service!! I Will lever recommend this place to anyone!

The hotel is wonderful, the staff is attentive and helpful, the rooms are big, clean and the place is very beautiful, with vineyards and lake forming an incredible landscape. However the service in the tasting room must get much better. The attendants were distracted and didn t seem to pay attention to the guests. In addition they didn t warn me about the reservations to the restaurant. It is mandatory to be clear about the reservations to the restaurant in a place where there are no other options. The only option for us was to eat pizza at the dinner. It is a pity, because in a hotel like this it is expected to have a nice and calm dinner, and not to have a fully booked sign in the entrance of the restaurant. If they don t tell, I tell you: MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS FIRST FOR THE RESTAURANT.

Exceptional views and the most comfortable and spacious rooms. The breakfast spread is huge and can be enjoyed while looking over the Stellenbosch valley. A true five-star experience

Great bang for your buck. The grounds at the estate are breath taking and the service is impeccable. Rooms are spacious and clean. The location is ideal as it s close to town and not fat from most other vineyards.

Fantastic day out here from Cape Town and a great lunch time spot. Beautiful views, great wine tasting, and affordable wine. Super happy!

Went to the restaurant, Sansibar, and service was horrible. Waited a good 20 minutes just to get the drinks menu and another 30 minutes to place my order for a drink after having to call the waiter and manager to the table. Even getting the bill was another long wait. If you want bad service, this is the place you should visit.

(About 500 species worldwide) very friendly, lifted very nice restaurant and bar in Stellenbosch wine area, excellent gin selection, woody pizza and grilled dishes, staff great view, price / performance ratio

Great view of vineyards and lakes. Excellent dinning facilties and customer service. It is a definitely among best place to visit in Stellenbosch if you are discerning customer.

An amazing hotel, we finished up honeymoon here and it was the perfect place to finish. Big, comfortable peaceful rooms, amazing views of the vineyards and mountains. Great restaurant and gin bar and a great breakfast, especially when you have it in the sunshine on the terrace overlooking the lake. Really brilliant, friendly staff, nothing was too much for them and they really made our stay. Wish we were still there!

Beautiful gem of a place in Stellenbosch area. The hotel is well located close to all other wine farms in the area. Staff in the hotel very friendly and helpful and so is the service. Asara also offers some of the best red wines in the country and I can recommend the Asara Avalon. Its a bit pricy but worth a try.
The rooms in the hotel are large and had everything we needed. If you are looking for a place to stay in Stellenbosch you have to give them a try even if you are not into wine!

Beautiful surroundings. Good food & wine. Love the vibe! Ideal place to spoil your loved on a special occation.

Had lunch at Sensibar and the food was just amazing with an awesome view from the deck.

A wide variety of superb wines! Cape Fusion and White Cab were my two favorite's for value and flavour. Beautiful view overlooking a dam and the vineyards at the tasty restaurant.

Beautiful estate- an ideal escape from the buzz of the city. Loved the cheese platter.

Nice rooms, great breakfast, wonderful surrounding but wine tasting and dinner is nothing special

Great hotel and excellent wines! We spent a weekend here and had a great time in a very tasteful room on a very well maintained and beautiful property. The view over the lake into the mountains is very special. The service was impeccable (eg an early check in was possible, the room was made twice a day and the breakfast came in super fast). We already know many wineries here in the area and were positively surprised by the Asara wines, v.a. the red and sweet wines we really liked. Will definitely come back!

This eco-friendly hotel is nestled within the vinyard itself and offers stunning views. There is a strong emphasis on self-suffiency. All grey water is re-cycled and the vegetables and herbs used in the kitchen are grown in the kitchen garden. The rooms are large, spacious and very comfortable and the staff welcoming and friendly. Total relaxation!

Best place to reserve yourself is a lunch at their restaurant outdoor seating by the couches where u have the best view of stellenbosch, if the weather permits. great wine selection, delicious food, and they have farm shop. really nice place for a quick get away

Disappointed for a second time. Went for a gin tasting at Sansibar. Although the gin was good, we hardly got any information about it. Also ordered a platter which was a total rip off...could have prepared the same or even better for a fraction of the price. Waited forever for service and eventually had to go inside to ask for our bill. Woulder rather recommend several other places in the surrounding area with better service and better prices.

Always the same, an enjoyable day, beutifull environment, friendly staff. Stunning decorated inside.. Food is good and the coffee best

In the past we had amazing times, but last Friday I took my management team for lunch at the restaurant. One supplier and myself had the Tuna and got food poisoning. I phoned them on Monday morning and spoke to a manager that said he will get back to me. I also sent them an email, yet no one bothered to get back to me

Poor. 8 Phone calls made from our side. 3 Days of waiting and still no response, or follow up with regards to camera footage of laptop being suspectedly stolen on Asara premises.

This is a magical place with an amazing feeling of complete serenity ..the free upgrade made the stay a memorable one..

Excellent wine! Excellent service! Tasting room nice, but no outdoor scenery.

The accommodation at Asara was superb! Stunning views, privacy and great food. If you want some tranquility in the winelands but still only be 10 minutes from the center / hub of Stellenbosch, this is the place to stay. This is our new favorite spot in Stellenbosch and will be back.

What a fantastic experience .. I have wined and dined at many restaurants but the Asara Restaurant out did themselves with exceptional service. The food, the ambience and the surrounding was of high quality.

Thank you Heidi Truter for your fantastic coordination and the staff members for your warm welcome.

This is highly recommended

Fantastic wine tasting session, beautiful setting with comfortable accommodation. Well situated near Stellenbosch.

We have been visiting Asara for many years and happily so. Yesterday we went to celebrate a momentous occasion only to be told we could not put the balloons on the table as this was against the rules. Later we were told this would disturb the other guests at the establishment, etc. While there a couple came to sit on the loungers with their little dog which sat on the couch with them. We asked if dogs were allowed and they said yes but not on the couch. And they said it was a sensitive matter to tell them to put the dog on the ground. So how do the rules not apply in this context with a dog, that was not a service nor guide dog as far as we could see, but the rule about the balloons was strictly enforced. I might add that the group with balloons were 'of colour' in the South African context and the couple with the dog was white in the South African context. This was a very disappointing experience!!!!

Desserts Desserts Desserts

Best place to stop for desserts, b.e.a.uuuuuuutiful views and great people,service and always feel respected.

They have specials for those wanting to stay, call in advance and check online for specials, usually half priced

Breakfast experiences on 2 consecutive days were accompanied by screaming children.
Similar experiences at the swimming pool. Not a very restful and peaceful stay at Asara. Glad I only booked for a few days and not longer.

Disgusting due to the fact that the table of women shouting and spilling their drinks ruined it for my family as well as two other family s sitting trying to enjoy a Sunday lunch. We asked the manager on duty to please solve this matter and nothing was done about it.

We have been there before and wanted to take the family Easter Sunday, we called to make a reservation for 10 people and the man over the phone refused as they "Do not push tables together". pathetic! what a way to put customers off. This is the restaurant that overlooks the lake.

Just perfect!!!

A very classy house with hotel / spa / restaurant.

We were there as a young family with two small (loud) children as well served, as the other guests.

The food was excellent, the view from the terrace is amazing!

The tasting room is a bit of a morbid. The wines are reasonably priced, but the tasting fee is ridiculous compared to the price of the wines. . . R50 for 3 wines and R75 for 5 is the 2019 prices so far. (Found other information on another review website of 2018 suggesting it was only R60 for 6 wines last year. . .)

Great experience at the Deli with delicious cakes and amazing fudge.
Wine tasting was very enjoyable, with a wide range of wines and friendly staff.

Beautiful location, wine tastings, chocolate delicatessen, lovely restaurant. Hotel and accommodation. A nice short getaway from the city buzz!

I was treated rudely by staff, I made a reservation and try to cancel 4 months in advance and still, they would not give me any kind of grace what so ever or money return. I would not use them ever again.

Serene setting, with panoramic view of Stellenbosch. Great deli and patisserie. Expensive gin options.

Paid quite a lot to stay there, visually it is stunning but the service isn't up to scratch. They appear luxury but behave cheap. Little things like not knowing how to make it easy for customers to get breakfast in the room. No little table next to the sun loungers where you can put drinks. Staff at reception not very clued up or given authority to decide anything themselves. The gin bar sounds great, they claim it to be 'the largest in the southern hemisphere'. Basically what that means is they stock every gin going, they don't curate them or offer any real experience around it, again all a bit lazy - considering the rates they want to command.

Nice view, fantastic wines and food. Do you need anything else than these?

It s trying to be a luxury hotel but the service is 3* and so it really pulls down the overall experience. There are better places to stay in the area for the price.

Peasefull and relaxing I wood recommended to all whom want to have lunch wine tasting or stay in the comferd of their hotel

The service is quick and food is delicious. All waiters are friendly. Thanks to Everton, our waiter, he was friendly and provided the best service.

We were only eating in the restaurant. Food and wine were very good. Nice area and great panorama from the sun terrace. Higher prices. Service okay.

Brilliant food and excellent service in a stunning setting! Be sure to try the impala/venison medallions paired with the Asara Bell Tower - a winning combination! And for dessert, nothing beats the creme brulee!

Very very expensive, but definitely the best chicken wings served here. More priced for the overseas market. The views are breathtaking, green Vineyards with mountain background.
Staff friendly and helpful.
The longest list of different Gins served here. On the menu the Gin list stretches over 4 pages

The service is impeccable, I do not remember being treated so well. When we arrived, we made the Wine Tasting even when it was closing. And what about the wines? They are delicious, I recommend the Merlot and the Carbenet Sauvignon. The staff is very attentive, kind and takes great pleasure in looking after you. The rooms are large, warm and have a wonderful view. Anyone staying there will have the opportunity to stroll through the entire property, unfortunately we were unable to carry out the tour as there was an event on the date we were staying. The restaurant Mise en Place is fantastic, well worth a dinner there.

A group of friends and I went wine tasting yesterday. Asara is beautiful and the wine is good but the service was horrible. The girl serving us was very unfriendly. She never smiled once and after "explaining" each wine she didn't even say enjoy or anything to actually end off her sentence. She just walked away, no smile, nothing.
We were quite disappointed.

Beautiful wine farm with a very nice Deli. Also some good wine :)

Very nice quiet and relaxed location food excellent good wine accompaniment personal service quiet overnight stay fine breakfast all in all a totally successful stay in beautifully situated vineyards and excellent views of the mountains

We stayed at Asara wine estate for one night. The air conditioning in our room was broken and it all went downhill from there. It took them 2.5 hours to work out whether it would turn back on or to get us a new room and finally they gave us a new room. Not once was there an apology given - it was if we where a nuisance to them that we did not want to sleep in a hot stuffy room.
When we where paying the bill, we felt we where charged wrongly for something and asked the manager if she could take this off. Before she answered us like a normal person and said we need to pay, she sneakily confiscated our suitcase - in that she literally took them from next to us and put them in the office. We of course didn t realise this as wouldn t have expected this in our wildest dreams. She then went on to say, if we do not pay the part of our bill she would not return the suitcases.
I am utterly shocked that she had the audacity to take our suitcases with all our belonging away right from right under our nose. That is pure stealing. I found the service at the hotel an absolute disgrace and would discourage family and friends from staying there in the future.

Great wine, beautiful wine Estate, the restaurant serves great food, one of the romantic places to visit in the Cape winelands

Awesome farm with great wine. Excellent food and service.