Visit Fyn restaurant in Cape Town Drizzle and Dip

I recently had the most incredible dining experience at Fyn. On the eve of the announcement of their position at 92 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, it felt extra special to finally visit. This urban chic restaurant has gorgeous views of Table Mountain and Lions Head through floor to (very high) ceiling windows, and Mother Nature serendipitously treated us to an epic pink sunset. Watching the reflection of the Fyn kitchen and the restaurant’s soroban ceiling installation juxtaposed over the Cape Town city night lights was quite magical.The ceiling installation was a collaboration between interior designer Tristan Du Plessis of Tristan Plessis Studio and furniture designer and manufacturer Christof Karl of Guideline MNF. The concept was inspired by the fusion of Japanese and South African cuisine at the restaurant and the soroban – a Japanese abacus. The 1,5-ton installation is made up of thousands of poplar discs and was nominated as one of ‘The Most Beautiful Objects in South Africa’ by Design Indaba in 2020. It fulfills the ultimate design brief of serving form and function. It not only fills the vast ceiling chamber creating intimacy and absorbing sound but it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful.

The set menu takes the diner on an eating journey to a place that feels like Japan but with constant leaps back to Africa. If I had to encapsulate in my own words what the food is like, I’d say the flavours are pared down, clean and pure, ingredient-driven but exquisitely finessed through cooking technique and balance. Nothing feels overwhelming despite 12 courses of the premium menu. It’s a well-thought-through and simply delicious eating experience that flows from one stage to another and I never wanted it to end. I found myself thinking about the meal for days afterward. Peter has created something very special here and has peppered the menu with elements of food theatre and surprise. Blue prawns are finished off on a tabletop hibachi over binchotan coals for the fish course, and Jennifer Hugé turns blueberry syrup into sorbet with liquid nitrogen gueridon style.

This was the menu we enjoyed on the night:

Cabbage & daikon maki, ponzu gel

Ostrich custard, Cape seasonal morel

Tempura dune spinach, chiri-zu sauce

Pastured chicken, pickled onion, tare gel

Hokkaido milk bu

Sashimi, Kochi yuzu & aged shoyu, kosho,

onigiri, pickles, Unagi gunkan maki

Iberico pork belly, wasabi, mirin toffee apple, mustard, crackling

Binchotan fired Kingklip, kelp, blue prawn, brown butter, lime

Blueberry & buchu kakigori

Free range Kalahari beef,

karaage sweetbread , globe artichoke

Kasutera, umeboshi, strawberry ice cream,

wild rice, sweet furikake

You can opt for the wine pairing on both the seasonal menu and the premium menu and this is highly recommended if you want to try a few seriously interesting labels.

These are a few of my images which I hope will tell some more of the story: