The Damhuis Restaurant

The Damhuis restaurant in Melkbosstrand is in the oldest restaurant building in the Western Cape. Declared a National Monument (date to be confirmed), it stands as a remarkable reminder of Cape history and architecture. Today, over 200 years later, it continues to serve diners in a unique heritage setting. The legacy of the Brand family and early Cape history has been preserved. In 2009, the Damhuis Restaurant opened its doors within the original building.

The restaurant spans over 1,000 square meters and includes spaces like the Fishermen’s Tent, Die Voorhuijs, and Die Stampkroeg. It is a culinary destination celebrated for its seafood and traditional South African cuisine. With its warm hospitality and rich heritage, the Damhuis continues to welcome visitors from near and far.

In 1781, Governor Jacob van de Graaff granted the land to Christiaan Pieter Brand as a reward for allowing French troops to traverse his property in Papendorp (now Woodstock). The French were stationed along the Cape coast to assist the Dutch against British invasion during a period of military unrest.

Brand named the land De Melkbosch, after the melkbos shrub that grew abundantly in the area. He and his wife, Gesina Maria Verwey, along with their 10 children, moved to the property in 1785.

Brand began developing the land between 1785 and 1814, building a homestead, a boathouse, a lime oven, and a Visschuur (fish barn), which would eventually become the current Damhuis.

The walls of the original buildings were constructed from local stone and plastered with a traditional mixture of cow manure, sand, and hay — a common building technique of the time.

The architecture reflected the angular pre-gable style that preceded the more ornate Cape Dutch gables. Whale bones that are still visible in the Damhuis walls today date back to the time when Brand engaged in shore-based whaling during the 1700s.

The Brand family made a living from the sea. Their cutter, the Nederland-Afrika, was used to harvest fish and shells. The fish were salted and dried in the fish barn (now Damhuis), while the shells were burned into lime in an oven built near the coast.

Later, Brand diversified by planting mielies and keeping cattle.

In 1806, the Battle of Blaauwberg between British and Dutch forces took place near the Brand property. The family was forced to flee while soldiers looted and damaged their land. Christiaan Brand later filed compensation claims. Despite the turmoil, Christiaan and his sons were recognised for heroically rescuing British soldiers from the HMS Tremendous, whose crew had gotten into difficulty while crayfishing near the Damhuis.