The Coy Edit Winter Menu Brings À La Carte Dinning Option for Lunch & Dinner
This winter, Coy is expanding one of its most popular offerings. The Coy Edit, previously a lunch‑only option, is now available for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week. The idea is simple: give guests a way to enjoy Coy’s dishes at a price point that works for them, without losing the experience that makes the restaurant so special.
The Coy Edit has become a regular winter tradition for the restaurant, and one of my favourite winter food experiences because it means more accessibility for locals looking to experience a taste of Coy.
“Winter is when people want comfort, warmth, and a place that feels familiar. Extending the Edit into the evening is our way of inviting more locals in — to drop by, share a few plates, and enjoy the kind of food that suits the season. The dishes are simple, honest, and built for cooler nights, but they still carry the same care and hospitality that define Coy,” says co-head chef, Teenola Govender.
Since opening in September 2024, Coy has built a steady following for its African ingredient‑focused approach and its relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. The Edit fits naturally into that space. It’s an easy, flexible way to enjoy the V&A Waterfront — great for those looking for a casual meal out, and for visitors who want to try Coy without committing to a full seven-course Experience menu.
Coy goes à la carte
The Edit stays true to Coy’s style. South African flavour cues run through the menu, but the dishes are shaped with a broader, more global sensibility. Fire, fat, and fermentation guide much of the cooking, and the plates move through a mix of raw, crisp, seared, and slow‑cooked elements. Familiar favourites are treated with the same care as the more technical dishes, and small touches – Amasi crème fraîche, African pepper sauce, chicken salt, bitter leaf – bring in local flavour without leaning on nostalgia.
“The Edit leans into the flavours that make sense for cooler weather – a bit more depth, a bit more warmth, but still very relaxed,” explains Geoffrey Abrahams, co-head chef. “You can come in, order a few plates, and find your own rhythm. The fried chicken is always a hit, the steak is pure winter comfort, and the tartare and tuna keep things light. It’s a menu that suits whatever mood you’re in.”
In the year since the Edit was first launched, a few dishes have already become guest favourites. The Beef Tartare is clean and focused, lifted with house ferments. The Seared Tuna keeps things simple, letting the fish speak for itself. G’s Fried Chicken (a personal triumph by chef Gopolang Modika who has always had a thing for fried chicken) brings a bit of fun to the table with chicken salt, habanero honey, and blue cheese.
The Chargrilled Steak, served with African pepper sauce and beef‑fat roast potatoes, anchors the menu with bold, fire‑driven flavour. There will even be a homemade pie on occasion – served with creamy mash and a side salad.
Bites worth mentioning
I had the opportunity to try a few dishes from the new Edit and there were some real stand-out dishes I just have to give a special mention. The Ox Tongue Croquet, with mustard and fennel, was a welcome surprise for me. I’ve never been fond of tongue, but after trying this masterful comfort food take on Ox Tongue, it dawned on me that I’ve never had tongue prepared the right way.
Presented as an elevated toasted sarmie, this dish is all sorts of wonderful. The melt-in-your-mouth interior coupled with the breaded, and deep-fried croquette, delivers a deeply savoury delight. Most importantly, it made me see tongue in an entirely different light as something delicious and hearty.
For seafood lovers looking for the perfect mouthful in-between sips of wine, the Tuna, Mesaka’a, Sultana and Foxenberg Crottin is an unmissable fusion of Mediterranean and South African flavours. The tuna pairs beautifully with the acidity of the Mesaka’a, while the intense, salty tang of the Crottin provides a sharp contrast to the deep, stewed flavours of the eggplant. Top it all off with a little sweetness from the sultana and you’ve got a complex, wholesome bite to warm your winter cravings.
A final special mention must go to the Burnt banana, crème with milk stout and malt dessert. This gorgeous combination of milk stout and banana is the perfect celebration of South African flavours and offers a deeply satisfying, rustic flavour profile that’s perfect for cooler weather. There’s something to surprise and excite your palate with every bite, who knew bananas and milk stout were such a perfect combination? The milk stout introduces a sophisticated, adult edge to this dish that is packed with nostalgic flavours.
Lunch or dinner, you choose
“By offering the EDIT into the evening, Coy gives diners more ways to enjoy the restaurant – whether that’s a quick bite before a movie, a table of shared plates with friends, or a relaxed meal overlooking the harbour,” says Teenola.
Located at the very centre of the V&A Waterfront precinct, a mere 100 meters from the Timeout Market, and just off the Bascule Bridge, Coy is housed in a stand-alone building on the water’s edge, between the eye-catching marina with its luxury yachts and the brute of fishing boats passing through the operational harbour.
The Coy Edit is available for lunch and dinner, Monday to Sunday from 12:00 until the kitchen closes at 20:30. Bookings are recommended; walk‑ins are welcome.
