Salsify at the Roundhouse is the latest South African restaurant to be added to the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 51-100 list, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. Ranked at 88th on its debut entry to the global list, the announcement comes hot on the heels of Salsify winning ‘Restaurant of the Year’ at South Africa’s 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards.
“Being recognised on the extended list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is an incredible honour,” says Ryan Cole, executive chef and co-owner. “At Salsify, we push boundaries, embrace creativity, and craft experiences that reflect the essence of South African ingredients and stories. This achievement is a testament to the relentless passion, innovation and dedication of our team – our aim is simple, to be better than we were yesterday.”
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranks the top dining destinations globally, but the extended 51-100 list offers a glimpse into the rising stars of the global food scene. Selected by 1,080 industry experts, this list showcases restaurants across six continents, celebrating innovation, sustainability, and cultural storytelling in gastronomy.
Since opening in 2018, Salsify at The Roundhouse has firmly embedded itself as one of Cape Town’s landmark dining destinations, and one of South Africa’s leading fine dining restaurants. Over the last six years, the restaurant has been celebrated for its passion for preserving heritage – paying homage to history, stories, and ingredients while crafting light, delicate dishes.
Ryan, together with head chef Nina du Toit and their team, focuses the Salsify menu on locally sourced produce, foraged herbs, ancient grains and preserves of ingredients at their peak from previous seasons. The fish served in the restaurant is mostly caught by Chef Ryan or his brother. Ensuring not only its freshness but also peace of mind that it has been ethically sourced, underlining his dedication to sustainability.
“I am so proud of what we have accomplished, it has been a dream to be on the list, and it has been many years of consistent growth and hard work,” says Nina.
In 2024, Salsify installed an immersive ceiling installation of thousands of meticulously folded flowers made from old Salsify menus – dating back to the restaurant’s opening – symbolising both the evolution of the restaurant and its commitment to sustainability. Each flower tells a story of culinary creativity and the team’s dedication to reducing waste and preserving the essence of what Salsify stands for.
Sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 19 June, in the city of Turin, located in Italy’s Piedmont region. The list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 is the result of the votes of more than 1,000 anonymous global culinary experts, who each select their 10 favourite gastronomic experiences of the previous 18 months. With the voting and results independently adjudicated by Deloitte, the ranking has come to represent the most prestigious accolade for the world’s leading hospitality venues.
