Coy Review: New Waterfront Restaurant Wows Diners with Adventurous Fine Dining Menu
In the right hands, food is much more than a combination of ingredients served on a plate. It can tell a story, be a demonstration of culture, and in some exemplary cases, become a full-blown adventure. The food at the V&A Waterfront’s latest culinary destination does all three. Say hello to Coy, hidden in plain sight this new restaurant revels in the unexpected — from its unique location to the ingredients on your plate. The second restaurant by the award-winning South African chef Ryan Cole, Coy invites food lovers to discover a relaxed yet take on fine dining.
Inconspicuously located on the water’s edge, you’ll find Coy tucked away in a stand-alone building on a dry dock somewhere between the Time Out Market and the Cape Grace.
It’s a structure which was easily overlooked, and while many may have walked past it plenty of times, few may have noticed it, until now. With Table Mountain and the marina — with its luxury yachts — on one side, and brutish fishing boats passing through an operational harbour on the other, you’ll struggle to find a more unique location anywhere in Cape Town.
Celebrating local design
The building, now clad in blackened, sand-blasted timber, is a marvel of grand design and its dark and sophisticated interiors only serve to accentuate the breathtaking views of the ocean and the backdrop of Table Mountain — visible through the restaurant’s expansive windows.
Inside, KT Interior Architectural Studio has created a moody, provocative, and inviting space perfect for long lunches and intimate dinners.
It’s a space that celebrates local creatives, with furniture, lighting, and other design elements all sourced from local, small-scale artisans, artists, and producers. Even the artworks which feature throughout the space are from local artists.
Curated by Everard Read Gallery, and courtesy of Everard Read and artists Nic Bladen, Swain Hoogervorst, Lorienne Lotz, and Mark Rautenbach, the works on display will rotate regularly and be available for sale to restaurant patrons — a further commitment by Chef Ryan to support local artists and artisans.
Rediscovering the familiar
For this project, Ryan Cole is joined in the kitchen by head chefs Geoffrey Abrahams and Teenola Govender to delve into the produce, ingredients, preparation techniques, and ways of cooking both in southern Africa and across the greater continent.
The menu presents an ocean-inspired, seafood-led exploration of Africa and its shorelines. A truly unique expression of southern African cooking, Coy takes a refined approach to local ingredients and cooking methods that often go overlooked in the fine dining space. The menu takes the unassuming and the underused and makes it remarkable.
Offering an unparalleled experience for discerning diners, when you sit down at Coy you can expect bold flavour combinations and exceptional presentation served on sculpture-worthy dinnerware to drive home the restaurant’s forward-thinking approach to cooking.
Living in a multicultural country, Coy seeks to celebrate the different perspectives on what it means to be South African and African, while also finding commonalities in African food across cultures. Carefully crafted by some of South Africa’s top culinary talents, the menu at Coy hopes to change your perspective on what South African food is.
While the chefs behind the scenes are making magic with often-forgotten ingredients, guests in the dining room are challenging themselves to experience and enjoy ingredients that may not ordinarily eat while also rediscovering much-loved flavours from childhood.
As a South African, it’s quite possibly the best way to experience fellow South African cultures’ food heritage while foreign visitors will get the chance to experience all the flavours of South Africa under one roof.
Nostalgia has never tasted this good
You’ll find everything from samp and Ox tongue to sugarcane and the flavours of Cape Malay koesusters on the menu. The wide variety of ingredients used to create these masterful dishes means that for every South African, there are familiar flavours to enjoy (perhaps used in a new way) and something new and different to discover.
Though ocean-led in terms of concept, that’s not to say there isn’t a share of ethically sourced meat on the menu too. As with all that Chef Ryan does, sustainability, seasonality, and a fervent dedication to locality are the cornerstones of this offering.
Guests can look forward to the likes of fresh tuna tartare served with caramelised coconut and sugarcane, as well as perfectly seared linefish with mussels, peri peri and askoek. While the chargrilled squid is beautifully complemented by pearl barley and a bold rum sauce.
Those looking for something a bit meatier will no doubt enjoy the venison with elements of sour fig and pickled pear and the lamb rump served with the chefs’ twist on a potjie sauce, along with spinach, butternut and a skopo jus.
Finish off the meal with a choice of desserts. Both the burnt banana crème with elements of milk stout and malt, and the Spiced Madeleine prepared as a celebration of the Cape Malay Koesuster round off this uniquely African experience with local flair and a touch of nostalgia.
Dining at Coy
If you’re looking for an exceptional and memorable dining experience, then you can’t go wrong with Coy. I can’t stop gushing about my lunch at this stellar new spot. Every bite was nothing short of marvellous and it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a tasting menu created with so much care and attention to detail. The passion for local ingredients and craftsmanship is apparent in every morsel, making this so much more than just a fine dining tasting menu experience.
The restaurant is sure to quickly emerge as a bucket list destination for both locals and tourists alike. If you want my advice, I’d take the opportunity to book now — before word gets out and you’re facing months-long waiting lists to get in the door.
Diners will be able to choose from ‘the Coy experience’ (R895 pp) which offers an experiential seven-course tasting menu, with snacks, a choice of cold starters, hot starters, mains, and dessert. The format of the menu allows guests to enjoy a different Coy experience with each visit, depending on the choices they make. Diners can opt to add a wine pairing at an additional R690.
In addition, ‘the twos’ (R490 pp), which runs as an option for the lunch menu, is suited to those who are looking for a shorter yet equally enjoyable dining experience. Diners have a choice of a duo of dishes from two of the menu’s course sections. It’s perfect for business lunches, quick bites and catch-ups, or a relaxing moment amongst the bustle of the day.
On Mondays, Coy will present its ‘monDAZE’ menu, the day on which most restaurants are closed, and fellow industry people are usually looking for somewhere to enjoy a meal. As an ode to the industry, Chef Ryan and team will serve up a mix of new concept dishes that the Coy team is currently working on, along with some old favourites from his time in the industry. It’s all about future classics and cult hero dishes, while ensuring that the Coy team is constantly evolving and innovating.
A carefully curated wine list, featuring predominantly local wines, and a cocktail menu of classics and Coy signatures, are both on hand to round off the culinary experience. The Whiskey Sour is an ode to perfection while other more informal classics, like the Mozambican R&R and Cane & Cream Soda, bring some playfulness to the cocktail experience. But don’t let the common names of these drinks fool you; these concoctions go beyond the spirit and mixers you’ll find at a varsity braai. The elevated favourites are all made with premium spirits, fresh ingredients, and handmade syrups for sophisticated summer sipping.
It’s clear that Coy is more than just a restaurant; it’s a celebration of local craftsmanship, the essence of Africa and its cuisines, the beauty of ingredients, and the vibrant spirit of Cape Town — hidden in plain sight.
Coy is open: Monday – Sunday for Lunch from 12:00 – 14:30 (Kitchen closes at 15:00) as well as for Dinner from 18:00 – 21:00 (Kitchen closes at 21:15). Vegetarian and vegan menu options are available upon request.
