Wolfgat

A meal at Wolfgat, which opened in 2016, has always been a dining experience for the truly dedicated. That’s because the 20-seat venue is in the remote fishing village of Paternoster (pop. 2,000), a two-hour drive from Cape Town. There, owner Kobus van der Merwe serves strandveld cuisine (which roughly translates to “beach vegetation”), harvesting his ingredients from the beach in front of his restaurant and the wild bush behind it. Until recently, his customers mostly kept quiet about the experience, giving up bragging rights in order to secure tables at the best restaurant you had never heard of. Then, in February, the World Restaurant Awards dubbed Wolfgat the best restaurant in the world. Walk-ins are now impossible, but bookings can still be made up to 90 days in advance online. —Aryn Baker