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There’s certainly no shortage of great steakhouses in Cape Town, whether you prefer yours old-school in the mould of Hussar Grill, or something more contemporary like the recent addition of East City Grill. But in a crowded landscape, CARNE stands apart, and has done ever since chef Giorgio Nava first opened the doors to his Milanese-inspired steakhouse in 2007.
In a city where restaurants come and go, a run of almost 20 years is pretty darn impressive, but it’s not hard to see why.
The Backstory
CARNE – ‘meat’ in Italian – is the work of Giorgio Nava, one of the best-known chefs in Cape Town’s Italian restaurant scene. He first made his name in the Mother City with 95 Keerom, which fast became one of the city’s favourite Italian restaurants, before the pandemic put paid to this palace of pasta (and so many other delicious dishes). But, just a few steps away, across Keerom Street, CARNE endured.
In a similar vein to 95, Nava opened CARNE with a simple but powerful idea: apply Italian refinement, and a discerning approach to ingredients, to cuisines South Africans love to eat. It worked for pasta at 95, and proved a hit when it came to meat at CARNE.
The Vibe
Unlike the leather booths and dusty-wine-bottle aesthetic of many steakhouses, the Keerom Street setting of CARNE is elegant and contemporary without being flashy. It’s changed little since opening, and yet still feels on point. Translucent ‘ghost’ chairs, art on the walls, low ceilings. It’s intimate, sexy and modern, without trying too hard. Add in expert service – many of the wait staff have been here since day one – and you’re off to a good start when it comes to inner-city dining.
The Food
As the name suggests, meat is the main event, and once you’ve settled in with a glass of prosecco – or perhaps a cocktail in the bar upstairs – the waiters will present you with a platter of the day’s cuts. They know their stuff, and are happy to talk you through the nuances of a hangar steak (rich in flavour, a hint of game), fillet or marbled rib-eye. Interested in the 1.2kg La Fiorentina to share? They’ll tell you why you can’t go wrong.
The choice of game meats – from eland to kudu – has long been popular with tourists, and locals looking to broaden their horizons. You can also ask for a platter, allowing you to taste and compare cuts. And for once, you'll actually be able to taste the meat.
Because, a word of warning. This is steak, but not as you know it. It won’t arrive basted in barbecue sauce or obliteerated by green pepper, and an order for well-done will probably result in an appeal to try something a little more medium. Since the beginning, Nava has always let the meat do the talking, and that means good quality cuts, simply grilled, and dressed in olive oil and salt. It’s a different dining experience, where your taste buds will get to grips with the meat, not the distraction of sauces and bastes. A less-is-more philosophy that might surprise you at first, but soon convinces you it’s the way forward.
On the side, the CARNE potatoes (crushed, fried, insanely good) are your best bet. Steamed broccoli or spinach, tossed in olive oil, if you want to look like you’re eating healthy.
Beyond the meat, Carne’s Italian flair comes to the fore in everything from superb ravioli (I prefer the butternut to the lamb) and finely-ground steak tartare, through to more interesting starter plates of sweetbreads and homemade mortadella. For dolce? Nava is rightly famous for his chocolate fondant. I’m yet to find a better one in the city.
The Drinks
If you have time, start with an aperitif in the bar. Prosecco for summer, Negroni in the winter. That’s my order. Once you step downstairs, you’ll find an enviable wine list that steers clear of the big-name brands in favour of more interesting choices, including plenty of older vintages pulled from Nava’s own cellar. There’s a small Italian selection too, but there’s little need to leave local vineyards.
Why Go?
For a steak experience like few others can offer. Here, the meat takes the spotlight, without the distractions. The room has polish, the service is confident, and when it comes to steak Nava is a man of principle: good meat, well-grilled, gently seasoned. Job done.
Time Out Tip
You'll also find an outpost of CARNE at Time Out Market Cape Town, where Giorgio says his T-bone steaks are the best-seller!