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Alongside steakhouses, Italian restaurants are the most popular choice of dining for South Africans. Unlike Italians, South Africans enjoy pasta as a main course rather than a starter, so portions are larger than Europeans might expect and sauces more substantial than in Italy. Restaurants range from takeaway pizza joints to classy fine dining.
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Whenever a pizza survey is conducted, two names always come up: Cornutti in Johannesburg and Col’Cacchio in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Both are pricier than their contemporaries, but are renowned for their thin-crust pizzas and wide variety of toppings (from smoked salmon and cream cheese to Thai prawns to duck and cranberry).
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Less exotic is the Panarotti’s chain, with Italian-flag décor and a casual atmosphere where children are catered for with special play areas.
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Also found all around the country are the Primi Piatti restaurants, a step up from Panarotti’s, and mostly situated in upmarket areas where the young and trendy go to see and be seen. Portions are enormous and the staff, in trademark orange overalls, are renowned for efficiency.
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Apart from the chains, each South African town generally has a traditional Italian restaurant, with varying degrees of authenticity. Some of the best are Paolo’s which recently relocated to the suburb of Linden in Johannesburg; Giovanni’s in Rosebank and Illovo, Johannesburg; Magica Roma in Pinelands, Cape Town and Spiga d’Oro, on Durban’s Florida Road. This latter reminds one of Rome with its pavement tables, casual atmosphere and impeccable food. It also claims to serve Durban’s best pizza, and is one of the few restaurants where one can order a full meal after midnight.
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Another notable eatery is Al Dente in Sandton, Johannesburg which serves daily meat and fish specialities as well as traditional staples such as Pasta Genovese with freshly made pesto, their gnocchi is simply sublime.
- Strega in Cape Town’s Heritage Square, serves contemporary Italian food such as the chef’s special ‘penne rosa’ with salmon, onions, capers, white wine and cream.
Out of Town
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Then there are the upmarket establishments where Italian fare touches on haute cuisine. Casalinga is a country-style house in Muldersdrift, about half an hour’s drive from Johannesburg. It overlooks the Magaliesberg mountain range and has been consistently full for almost two decades due to its beautiful setting and quality food made mostly from fresh produce grown on site.
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Outside of Cape Town is the place to go for an experience straight out of a Tuscan idyll. La Masseria has branches in Durbanville and Stellenbosch, both situated in old country manors amidst rolling vineyards, and both serving an extensive antipasti buffet with a feast of cold meats and cheeses (the family make most of their own), followed by home-made pasta dishes such as butternut ravioli in sage and butter sauce. The Italian family atmosphere extends, on Sundays and special occasions, to a sing-along of operatic arias.
- Balgowan, near Pietermaritzburg, boasts another fine Italian country restaurant, La Lampara. This famous Johannesburg-born establishment moved to the rolling green KwaZulu-Natal midlands a few years back and is always fully booked.
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