The 12 best Italian restaurants in Cape Town

‘Not Your Mamma’s Pasta’, claims the cheeky napkin at Scala. And it’s not wrong. This sexy subterranean Italian eatery is as far from a familial trattoria as you could ask for. Instead Executive Chef Justin Barker, working with Italian master chef Luciano Monosilio, has created an elegantly upmarket take on Italian cuisine.

Start with Scala’s signature negroni as you browse the selection of modern antipasti plates, tapas-style pasta dishes and tempting dolce.  The starter of char-grilled melanzane is a standout, lifted by bright tomato salsa and hits of basil, while the imported Italian burrata served with panzanella would make your nonna weep. Pasta dishes – the main event – are plated as small portions, allowing you to dabble in a few of the 10 different variations on offer. The Scala carbonara is the highlight, but the tortelli of roasted tomato and burratina are equally memorable. The curated wine list is a perfect foil for the fine food, making this one of the city’s must-visit Italian eateries.

Set in the heart of up-and-coming Woodstock this family-run restaurant is yet another success story from experienced restaurateur Ricky Turilli, who calls Scarpetta his ‘retirement project’. That’s faint praise for a space that serves up an impressive choice of daily specials alongside the core menu of classic Italian plates. It’s a low-key homely space, inspired by the eateries of his father’s home village outside Rome, and the focus falls squarely on comforting fare rather than fine dining. Start with the specials board, or just ask Ricky, and hope that the excellent spaghetti vongole is on offer.    

Don’t be misled by the unassuming location alongside a suburban library. Since 2008 A Tavola has been serving up an outstanding menu of seasonal Italian plates. The menu is divided along classic lines, from inspired Antipasti to start, Insalate for the not-so-hungry and hearty pasta bowls for Primi. The tagliolini tossed with truffle paste and wild mushrooms is especially good. For Secondi, locals swear by the veal scallops in lemon sauce. There’s a wonderful selection of local and Italian wines on offer too.

For Italian cuisine that’s a far cry from the humble trattoria, look to the elevated ‘cucina moderna’ on offer at Villa 47. This elegant space is bright and bold, with tables set close together to create a happily boisterous atmosphere. On the menu the sharing Antipasto platters are the best way to begin, laden with imported Italian cheese and charcuterie, house-roasted peppers and grilled artichokes. There’s a selection of antipasti plates, or dive right into the pasta, pesce and carne. Bookings are advised, and it’s worth arriving early for an aperitivo in the first-floor Martini Terrazza Lounge.

This owner-run eatery in trendy De Waterkant combines the warmth and charm of a traditional osteria with a contemporary flourish to the décor and a light, modern touch on the menu. There’s a welcome simplicity to the pared-down menu here, with a laser focus on top-notch ingredients: look no further than the glorious burrata and Parma ham starter for evidence. Osteria Tarantino is also famous for its carpaccio, and the octopus with citrus and fennel is a fine foil for a bottle of South African Chenin Blanc.

Giorgio Nava is something of an icon when it comes to Italian fare in the Mother City, and while his much-loved inner-city restaurant fell victim to the pandemic, the homely feel here amid leafy Constantia makes it well worth a visit to the suburbs. With 95 at Parks Nava reprises many long-time favourites, including his legendary butternut ravioli with sage butter sauce. The pizzas would make a Napolitano weep for home, while Nava’s grilled line fish makes the most of what’s fresh off local boats.  

The southern reaches of the Cape Peninsula harbour a handful of neighbourhood gems, and Limoncello is one of the best. Locals wept into their last glasses of limoncello when Luca and Cecilia Castiglione closed the inner-city original, but the new outpost beneath a canopy of milkwood trees is arguably even better. For starters, there’s a sea view out over Noordhoek beach, and for starters his Parmigiana di melanzane is as good as it’s always been. Luca loves seafood, and you’ll find superb tuna plates on offer in the summer season. Those aside, look for the wonderful wood-fired pizza, hand-made gnocchi and, of course, finish with a shot of his house limoncello.

In a rather unlovely corner of the East City, you’ll find one of the most charming, characterful restaurants Cape Town has to offer. The Cousins Italian Restaurant is run by three, yup, cousins hailing from Romagna in northern Italy, and has fast grown a rep for delicious plates at reasonable prices. There’s a wide selection of dishes, but the somewhat theatrical signature is a herby taglioni tossed in a wheel of Grana Padano and plated at the table. It’s as delicious as it is entertaining.

Giorgia Nava brings his signature Italian flourish – he hails from Milano, after all – to more meaty plates at Carne on Kloof. Here the beef carpaccio is the starter to kick things off, followed by the impressive La Fiorentina – a 1.2kg T-bone steak perfectly grilled and sliced at the table. The wine list is excellent, with well-informed wait staff on hand to advise. It’s all served up in a bright contemporary space of blonde woods and exposed brick walls, with terrace tables spilling out onto the buzz of Kloof Street. And hey, now that one of the best Italians in town has its second spot at Time Out Market Cape Town, you may as well visit twice. 

What Nava has done for meat, owner-chefs Nico Rovarini and Federico Rocca did for seafood when opening  Riva Fish Restaurant in 2018. It’s a cosy and convivial space in the nightlife neighbourhood of De Waterkant, with an open kitchen allowing diners to soak up the bustle of the kitchen. The menu is compact, informed largely by what’s on offer from local fishmongers, but always inspired by Italian culinary traditions. The slow-grilled octopus with ink chips is superb, as is the crusted tuna. It’s not only about seafood though, with a handful of excellent pasta plates on offer. The oven-baked pomodoro gnocchi with fresh fior di latte cheese and Parmesan crust is a hit on cold winter nights.

Trust us here; it’s OK to dine in a mall. Well, as long as it’s at Mamma Roma, which hides inside a small suburban shopping centre in the suburb of Newlands. Family-run since 1986, Mamma Roma serves up an impressive menu of northern Italian dishes. The risottos are a worthy house speciality, especially when wild porcinis are in season, but the oven-baked pasta plates are also an excellent order on a cold evening. While the sound of shopping trolleys rolling past is a little bit of a buzz-kill, it’s worth enduring for the wonderful food. And, if it really bothers you, ask for one of the cosy table sets inside the restaurant.

In the depths of suburban Pinelands, Magica Roma is the very definition of an old-school gem that’s stood the test of time. The menu is rooted firmly in Italian classics, served up in a dining room that’s changed little since the 1970s. Not that the crowds of loyal locals mind in the least. With owners Ezio De Biaggi and Franco Zezia keeping a close eye on the floor – or telling what you should be ordering – it’s as reliably good as the day it first opened. The tagliata Fiorentina is always excellent.