World’s best gastronomy
in South Africa
A new list of the world’s best restaurants has been released, and two SA restaurants placed high on the 2022 global 50 Best lists.
From brand new eateries to long-established culinary giants, restaurants, chefs, and culinary enthusiasts worldwide come together each year to celebrate the World’s 100 Best Restaurant List. The results were published this summer. Restaurant Fyn is in the top fifty, at number 37, another renowned South African restaurant, La Colombe, is at number 56, and Wolfgat is at 90.
Wolfgat
In the West Coast village of Paternoster, Wolfgat ranked 90th in the global rankings. In 2019, it was awarded in the categories of the 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 tasting menu of seven courses prepared from locally sourced ingredients. The restaurant’s website says: “Sustainable seafood, local lamb and game and seasonal veldkos… enhanced with wild herbs, seaweed from local rock pools and pickings from the garden”.
With a two-hour drive from Cape Town city centre, it seems about as remote as you can get for fine dining; perhaps unsurprisingly, Wolfgat also won the award for ‘destination off the map’.
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 on the global dining scene. In 2022, it will be included in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time, taking the “Best Restaurant in Africa” award at 37th place.
The menu is Japanese at its core, using fish, poultry and meat from Cape Town’s best farms and fisheries. Dishes change frequently, but to give a taste, diners 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. At the same time, the signature Outeniqua springbok, kabocha squash, Hokkaido pumpkin, shiitake and caramelised onion jus is the real eye-catcher, combining Southern Hemisphere style with Japanese style.
La Colombe
Located on the picturesque Silvermist 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 second to none – no wonder La Colombe is so high on the prestigious list!
A few months ago, part of the team visited «La Colombe» and explored the wonderful gastronomy. Sascha Hofmann has also compiled a list of other must-see restaurants visiting South Africa.
