Why COY Restaurant Is One of Cape Town’s Most Exciting Dining Destinations
In honour of restaurant week (month) my business partner and I decided to take advantage of this magical time and treat ourselves to an incredible lunch at this stunning restaurant. Located on the water on the outskirts of The Waterfront, there is the most beautiful hidden in plain sight gem, Coy. It is still fairly new but they are definitely here to stay.
Not only do they have the most amazing view of the harbour and Table Mountain, but their decor is top-notch. What I absolutely love is they somehow blended my two favourite things together. My love for being in the bush and being close to the water. The decor is modern Afro chic, as well as incredibly moody and sophisticated. That transported me straight back to the game lodge life I so dearly miss and love.
First Impressions: Location, Views & Atmosphere
Anyway, let’s get back to my experience. We booked for lunch on Thursday, and what a wonderful way to end the week it was. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a lovely gentleman that so kindly took us to what I believe was the best seat in the restaurant, my business partner had the view of table mountain, and I had the harbour as mine. After a few moments of taking it all in, our waiter was back with two complimentary glasses of bubbles. Yes, you heard me. With a huge grin on my face, I took a sip. It was crisp and utterly delicious.
The Menu at COY: A Seasonal Five-Course Experience
Moving onto the food, there was a set menu of five courses for R645 per person. I chose this restaurant especially for their menu. I absolutely love the incorporation of traditional foods and ingredients and making it more high end.
“They somehow blended my two favourite things together, my love for being in the bush and being close to the water.”
Course One & Two: Bread, Starters and Flavour Foundations
Our first course was a few things, essentially it was a take on chips and dip and then a beautifully fried croquette style bite. My favourite dip was the tahini one, it was absolutely delicious! Nutty and smooth paired perfectly with the salty maize chip. The star of this course was the lentil croquette, crispy yet fluffy on the inside, nd topped with just the right amount of sharp cheese and a dollop of something slightly sweet.
Next was the bread course. If I remember correctly, it is 48 hour fermented sourdough, glazed to perfection and topped with the smallest amount of Bokkon to add a salty punch. Alongside it was butter and apricot jam. Personally, I absolutely love bread and this was heavenly. We were told to break it open with our hands, so of course I did so. The bread was steaming as I broke it and best believe I lathered it in butter and jam. It was obviously phenomenal. Warm homemade bread, butter, and jam. Need I say more.
Now for the starter, honestly blew me away. This is probably one of the best meals I have had in the fine dining world. Mussels in a cold sweet and sour broth, and topped with fennel and pine nuts. This is one of the most flavourful dishes I have ever had. It reminds me of a tom yum soup, but better. I love the addition of pine nuts, it adds the crunchy texture, making it incredibly fun to eat. Another thing that I love, is the amount of mussels in this dish, there must of been at least fifteen in there. Phenomenal.
The Main Course: Modern Comfort with Afro-Inspired Depth
Moving onto the mains, essentially, beautifully cooked lamb, on a bed of creamy pap. Doesn’t that just sound amazing? But wait, there’s more. It is topped with a silky and flavourful jus, and accompanied by spinach and butternut puree. And there’s more, in a separate bowl, a take on a lamb potjie. Yes, that means theirs is lamb both ways in one dish. Roasted
lamb and pulled lamb. This is my type of heaven. After staring at my plate for a few seconds with deep appreciation, I tucked in. I formed the perfect bite, honestly, it exceeded my expectations. The lamb was perfect, it was rich and decadent with just the right amount of fat, the bit of acidity from the jus added balance to the meat and the creamy pap, and the purées added that pop of freshness. In all honesty, I was saving the lamb potjie for last. It was so comforting and delicious. Wow.
Dessert at COY: A Thoughtful and Balanced Finish
Finally, we make our way to dessert. “Tea with your Ma”. It was beautifully presented in a large tea cup. In the cup, there was an ice cream topped with a crumble and cream, and on the saucer, there were two koeksisters. Personally, it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea. It was enjoyable, it just wasn’t sweet enough for me, it was very subtle, and I found the crumble a little bit too salty for my liking. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the koeksisters. They had a lot of cinnamon, and that is one of my favourite spices.
Final Thoughts: Is COY Worth Visiting?
Overall, I had an absolutely amazing experience at Coy. Everyone is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. I felt well looked after and I would do it all again. This is definitely one of my favourite fine dining restaurants in Cape Town. Another thing I must mention is that they the best playlist. I even downloaded it.
Thank you Coy! Till next time!