Fyn Restaurant in Cape Town has been awarded the coveted Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Described as ‘An ethical celebration of uniquely South African ingredients,’ Fyn serves its guests a South African-Japanese cuisine with a ‘ far-reaching philosophy that influences every aspect of the dining experience’
Fyn was opened in 2019 by chef Peter Tempelhoff with culinary director Ashley Moss and service and beverage director Jennifer Hugé, and it wasn’t long until it quickly gained a reputation as one of Cape Town’s finest and most innovative.
The Sustainable Restaurant Award is given to the restaurant that achieves the highest environmental and social responsibility rating across three main pillars: sourcing, society and environment.
The team searches far and wide when it comes to sourcing its ingredients, visiting every supplier, all having to meet certain environmental criteria.
Suppliers have been selected according to careful criteria, ranging from Abalobi, South Africa’s first community-supported fishery, to the regenerative-principled Meuse Farm for vegetables, Cape Wagyu for free-range, pasture-reared cattle, and responsibly harvested dune spinach, sea lettuce and kelp.
This accolade follows the announcement of FYN’s placing, for the third consecutive year since its opening in 2018, on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 list.
Eating at Fyn is an experience. This is food as theatre, as ritual, every piece of crockery carefully chosen to show off the best side of the dish.
In 2021, Fyn placed 92nd on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 50-100 list, just three years after opening.
‘With over 50 per cent of Fyn’s menu readily suitable for vegetarians or vegans and endemic vegetables taking centre stage, the restaurant is doubling down on its sustainable philosophy while also upholding the highest standards of flavour and technique, making it a worthy winner of the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023.’ commented The World’s 50 Best.
‘This award is huge for FYN, it’s also unexpected and I feel a little unprepared for it… but, it does lay the gauntlet down for us to continue on our current trajectory with every fiber of the restaurant’s being. To continue our work with the communities, the fishermen, the farmers, the foragers and of course our dedicated staff who we’ve grown so close to over the past few years is the real reason why we’ve won this fantastic award, and I dedicate this to them,’ said Peter Tempelhoff
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 were also announced, without any South African making the cut unfortunately. The top 20 restaurants are listed below.
1. Central, Lima
2. Disfrutar, Barcelona
3. Diverxo, Madrid
4. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
5. Alchemist, Copenhagen
6. Maido, Lima
7. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy
8. Atomix, New York City [Highest Climber]
9. Quintonil, Mexico City
10. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris [Highest New Entry]
11. Trèsind Studio, Dubai
12. A Casa do Porco, Sao Paulo
13. Pujol, Mexico City
14. Odette, Singapore
15. Le Du, Bangkok
16. Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy
17. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok
18. Steirereck, Vienna
19. Don Julio, Buenos Aires
20. Quique Dacosta, Dénia, Spain
