World's Best Gastronomy
in South Africa
A new list of the world's best restaurants has been published, with two SA restaurants ranking high on the 2022 global 50 Best list.
From brand-new venues to long-established culinary giants – restaurants, chefs, and culinary enthusiasts from around the world gather each year to celebrate the World’s 100 Best Restaurant List. The results were released this summer. Restaurant Fyn is among the top fifty, at number 37, another renowned South African restaurant, La Colombe, is at number 56, and Wolfgat at 90.
Wolfgat
Located in the West Coast village of Paternoster, Wolfgat ranked 90th on the global list. In 2019, it was awarded in the categories of best restaurant and best location.
Wolfgat is a small, 20-seat restaurant housed in a 130-year-old "cottage by the sea". Chef and owner Kobus van der Merwe offers a seasonal seven-course tasting menu prepared with local ingredients. The restaurant's website states: "Sustainable seafood, local lamb and venison, and seasonal veldkos... refined with wild herbs, seaweed from local rock pools, and foraged items from the garden."
With a two-hour drive from Cape Town city center, it seems as remote as fine dining can be; perhaps it's not surprising that Wolfgat also won the "Off-the-Map Destination" award.
Fyn
Fyn – pronounced "fain" – opened in 2018 on the fifth floor of a 19th-century silk factory and has gradually made a name for itself in the global gastronomy scene. In 2022, it was included in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time, earning the "Best Restaurant in Africa" award with its 37th place.
The menu is Japanese at its core, using fish, poultry, and meat from the best farms and fisheries in Cape Town. The dishes change frequently, but to give a taste, guests are usually greeted with Guineafowl Tsukune, Tare Tonkatsu, Iberico pork with Okonomiyaki sauce and cabbage, and Daikon Maki with Ponzu gel. This is always followed by a selection of excellent sashimi, while the signature Outeniqua Springbok, Kabocha pumpkin, Hokkaido pumpkin, Shiitake, and caramelized onion jus is the real showstopper, combining Southern Hemisphere and Japanese styles.
La Colombe
Located on the picturesque Silvermist Wine Estate in Cape Town, La Colombe was ranked 56th on the same list. La Colombe offers a tranquil, luxurious dining experience, with the dining room perched in the clouds above the treetops. Chef James Gaag's flair for theatricality and creativity is unmatched – no wonder La Colombe ranks so high on the prestigious list!
A few months ago, some of the team visited "La Colombe" and explored its wonderful gastronomy. Sascha Hofmann has also compiled a list of other must-visit restaurants when in South Africa.
