I spent the night in Ficksburg last week and seeing as dinner was not served at our guest house it was suggested that we try The Bottling Co. We didn’t have much other choice and meeting the locals is what being on a road trip is all about so we followed the directions given and strolled the 300 metres or so from our accommodation in Ficksburg to The Bottling Co on Piet Retief Street.
The venue is divided into two sections; the bar and smoking area in the front and the non-smoking area in the back. The front area had a lot more atmosphere so although not smokers, we chose in the smoking section.
The restaurant got its name from a bottling company that used to operate nearby a couple of decades ago and the bar section has a few bits of ‘bottling’ equipment proudly displayed.
Framed newspaper clippings about the company adorn the walls and old fashioned bottles surround a light bulb; making ingenious light shades.
The room is beautifully warmed by a wood burning stove in the centre of the room – and although not cold on the night we stayed in Ficksburg I have been told that temperatures can drop to as little as minus nine degrees so that stove would come in handy.
For city slickers like ourselves (and by this stage, hungry city slickers!) the service was a little slow but we were in the country and people work at a country speed! I ordered a chicken schnitzel with a mushroom sauce and my brother a 200g rump steak with a pepper sauce.
As mentioned the order took a little longer to arrive than it would in a city but nevertheless, when it arrived it was oh so well worth the wait! Included in the price was mashed potato (other choices were rice or chips) as well as creamed spinach and butternut.
I’m not scared to admit that I love food; any kind of food and this was just what the doctor ordered after the long drive from Graaff-Reinet. My brother declared his meal equally delicious and including a bottle of wine the bill was just over R200. Cheap at the price!
We left at about 8.30pm and the bar was steadily filling up with visitors and locals alike. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at The Bottling Co and would recommend it to anyone visiting Ficksburg.
Ficksburg Info:
- Ficksburg Attractions
- Things to Do in Ficksburg
- Ficksburg Photographs
- Ficksburg Accommodation
- Free State Accommodation
Contact Details:
Address: Corner of Piet Retief Street, Ficksburg, Free State
Telephone: +27 (0)51 933-2404 or +27 (0)84 696-6032
