Almost Orange: Tapas, Wine, and Gin
A day trip to Hartbeespoort (about 1 hour from Joburg and about 50 minutes from Pretoria) wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Almost Orange, a lovely wine and tapas bar located on a green citrus orchard called Altyd Mooi. The orchard primarily grows oranges and lemons, though you’ll likely only see the oranges if you walk around. Be sure to buy a couple of kgs of lemons and oranges at the bar to take home with you!
Almost Orange
You may feel like you’ve been transported to a Tuscan village while at Almost Orange. The single-story farmhouse is dreamy.
Tables are set up outside under a beautiful jacaranda tree. Visit in October/November to catch the purple flowers in full bloom.
Almost Orange Tapas
Almost Orange serves grazing platters that are sure to please anyone. Choose from the Mediterranean platter (including a selection of dips like sundried tomato, olive, and hummus), Almost Orange Platter (featuring duck & fig samosas), meat or cheese platters.
The platters serve 2 people. There is also a selection of salads, tapas, and desserts. If you’re starving, you should order a platter, some tapas, and dessert to share.
We ordered the Mediterranean platter, which comes with ciabatta bread. It was delicious! Although we had just completed a 10km hike in the morning at Hennops, we had lunch on the trail so we weren’t super hungry. This worked out because the bread and dips were the perfect portions for us.
I really liked the sundried tomato paste, the pesto, the artichokes, and the roasted peppers. The olives were super good as well. Given that I kept my food expectations in check, I was really pleased with our light meal.
Veggies and Vegans
The veg options are limited to the Mediterranean platter, the cheese platter, and dessert. Vegans can ask for the salads without the cheese and bread. However, the main point of coming here is the vibe in this orange orchard, so just keep that in mind.
Check out the menu here.
Almost Orange Drinks
Vino
There is a HUGE selection of drinks. You can order rosé, brut, house red, or house white by the glass. Otherwise, prepare to order a bottle.
Try and spot the purple jacaranda flowers in bloom on the right!
We ordered the Kleine Zalze MCC Brut Bubbly, which came with juicy strawberry slices, and the AA Badenhorst Rosé. Both were great!
Check out the vino list here. Beers, cocktails, and ciders are also available.
Gin Galore
Almost Orange serves a large selection of gins, courtesy of Flowstone. All the gin flavor profiles sound incredible. Unfortunately, I never taste what gin descriptions say but doesn’t “Blue pea flowers, floral notes of jasmine, vanilla and rosewater” sound tasty?
Check out the (9 page!) drink menu here. The second time I visited Almost Orange, I got a gin drink with my friend Joyce!
The Altyd Mooi Orchard
The Altyd Mooi orchard has been in the family since 1978. It has been open to visitors since Silver Orange Bistro (more on that below) opened in 2004.
As you drive to the parking area of Almost Orange, look into the trees to spot the oranges! Don’t get carried away by picking the fruit, this is not allowed.
We wandered the orchard after our meal and drinks. Some trees had more oranges on them than others in late October but it was still beautiful. A plus was that some of the trees still had their blossoms, which have one of my favorite scents.
Also, look out for the wandering guinea fowls! We spotted a couple of them, but they were too fast for me to get a photo of!
The Basics, Budget, and Tips
The Budget
We spent around R500 for two glasses of wine and the Mediterranean platter, including tip.
If you just wanted a bottle or 2 glasses of wine, you could keep your bill to under R200 for 2 people.
The Basics and Tips
Make a reservation online here. Be warned that reservations fill up a week or more for weekends. Either plan your day trip to Hartbeespoort in advance or plan the trip around the next available weekend… (we did that!).
It is also easy to change your reservation time by sending Almost Orange an email. We did this because we thought our hike would take longer than it did!
We visited around 3 pm and most diners had already left. This worked out for us because it was more peaceful than if all the tables were full.
The bar and kitchen are open from 11 am- 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.
Almost Orange is not family-friendly—leave anyone under the age of 16 at home. However, probably anyone under 18 isn’t going to have a good time just drinking water anyway.
Almost Orange is about 1 hour from Joburg and about 50 minutes from Pretoria.
Bonus: Silver Bistro
If you want a proper dining experience, head on over to the Silver Bistro on the same property. The Silver Bistro serves contemporary African breakfast and lunch/dinner.
Although I had looked this up as well, there aren’t many veggie options other than a salad and the Mediterranean platter and there is only one main veggie option (pasta)… though a roast artichoke pasta with pesto definitely sounds good.
There are plenty of fish options, but I think meat-eaters will have the best dining experience here. Check out the menu here.
What did you think of the Almost Orange Review? Let me know what you think in the comments!