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Known for their wholesome, hearty breakfasts, Café Billibi has long been a favourite on the Johannesburg East dining scene. While their breakfast is definitely something to write home about, as in one of the best breakfast cafés in Johannesburg, their lunchtime offering has me thinking we need to reframe how we view this restaurant asap!
The vibe
I firmly believe that experience plays a large part in whether a restaurant is A-class, and when it comes to service, Café Billibi knocks it out of the park. Whether you visit their Stoneridge branch or the newer Bedford Crossing branch, you’re always met with a warm welcome. The staff are genuinely warm, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu.
Exceptional service aside, Café Billibi feels like the restaurant version of the 80s sitcom “Cheers”. If you visit the Bedfordview Branch, you’ll see Chef Owner Clifford Correia greeting people in between his daily grind. The decor is inviting and warm, and while the restaurant is in the city, it feels like it could easily be a beachside bistro.
The food
The menu at Café Billibi feels like a love letter to Johannesburg’s café culture; it’s polished yet approachable and health-conscious without being sanctimonious. It’s the kind of menu designed for long breakfasts that quietly turn into lunch, where capppucinos become rosé-adjacent iced lattes and coffee somehow ends in pasta and cheesecake.
The food offering itself sits in that sweet spot between comfort food and wellness theatre. On one page, you have smashed avo, healthy oats, and fresh juices; on the next, creamy chicken gorgonzola pasta, burgers, bacon-heavy breakfasts, and milkshakes.
They also have a special menu with selected seasonal meals, which are an absolute treat. The BBQ pulled pork rosti with 2 poached eggs is a saucy work of art that looks almost too pretty to eat. It’s the perfect amount of food to get your morning going. If you’re on the hungry side, the classic big boy breakfast is a must.
The lunch menu is an absolute delight. The prawn and chorizo pasta is a rich, chilli-laced tangle of prawns, calamari and smoky pork sausage in a velvety tomato-cream sauce that lands squarely in comfort-food territory. It’s the sort of dish that reminds you why café pastas endure: generous, unfussy and exactly what you want to eat on a Johannesburg afternoon. Easily one of the most comforting pasta dishes I’ve had in a while.
Another favourite is the chorizo burger, exactly the kind of indulgent comfort food suburban Johannesburg does so well. The beef-and-chorizo patty is smoky, juicy and packed with savoury depth, while the mozzarella softens everything into something gloriously messy and satisfying. The peri-peri mayo adds just enough heat to lift the richness, and the chips on the side make it feel less like a burger and more like a full weekend reward.
Drinks
The drinks section says just as much about the café’s identity as the food. Matcha lattes, red cappuccinos, dirty chai, iced coffees, smoothies and “steelworks” place it firmly in the contemporary premium-café category, a place that wants to feel current without drifting into trend fatigue. There’s also a nice selection of beers, ciders and wines for a lazy lunchtime accompaniment. It’s polished enough to feel urban, but comfortable enough to remain suburban.
Time Out Tip
Stoneridge is the veteran branch that’s stolen the locals' hearts, but I highly recommend a visit to Café Bilibi Bedford Crossing for a lazy lunch. If you do visit, make sure it's your cheat day because you won't be able to resist those decadent cakes at the front counter.