TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in South Africa - Updated November 2024

Il Leone Mastrantonio

85/100 (2308 ratings)

Restaurants

Southern-Italian

Sicilian

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Mediterranean

Gluten Free Options

European

Mediterranean

Italian

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Gluten Free Options

After-hours

Dinner

Lunch

Fish

Gamberoni Grigilia

Lamb chops

Prawns

Antipasti

Caprese Salad

Beef

Steak

Saltimbocca Alla Romana

Carpaccio

Tiramisu

Penne Arrabbiata

Gnocchi

Grilled Calamari

Pasta

Veal

Meatballs

Tiramisú

Salad

Filetto

Bolognese

Lamb Chops

Chili

Carbonara

Calamari

Saltimbocca

Crème Brûlée

Risotto

Ceviche

Meatballs

Mussels

Tagliatelle

Fritto Misto

Tuna

Seafood Pasta Napoli

Calamares

Lamb

Line fish

Bruschette

Spaghetti Al Fresco

Pesto

Linguine Portofino

Sit down

Italian

Mediterranean

Southern-Italian

Sicilian

European

Seating

Table Service

Serves Alcohol

Full Bar

Accepts Credit Cards

Outdoor Seating

Reservations

Lunch

After-hours

Dinner

Mid-range

"Lovely dinner with lovely staff. The location is beautiful in its simplicity, an old South African building with wooden floors and big bright wooden..."

Pusm

"Absolutely brilliant, and highly recommended. We’ve eaten here twice and will certainly be back! Service from waitron Ty was superb. When a waitron..."

Steven Ikin

"Lovely lunch at Il Leone in Greenpoint. Nice and cosy restaurant for a very rainy and cold day in Cape Town. Table ordered carbonara, Ragu, tortilini..."

Sarah Thatcher

"Highly impressed at the quality of food and the consistency of each dish considering we were a table of 15. Pasta cooked to perfection, amazing..."

Emma Kayleigh

"The food was delicious, nice ambiance (especially in winter), good service. Nice that they allow you to bring your own wine (with a corkage fee)...."

Mariposa

"I am not the usual “pasta person” but Il Leone has changed that. By far the best Italian food I have had in a while and will definitely be back..."

GabriellaFlorence

"Fine dining without the formality. Superb food, good variety on the menu. Likable, efficient and knowledgeable waiters and staff add to the great..."

Joburg Lawyer

"One of the best Italian restaurants In Cape Town from fantastic food to excellent service. This establishment definitely ticks all the..."

Helena

"It was an amazing experience. From the house bread to the fantastic selection of reasonably priced options to choose from. The atmosphere was serene..."

Zesterhuyzen

"I’ve eaten at this restaurant many times and it never disappoints. The food is incredible - always - and the service is impeccable. This is my go..."

Claire

"Il Leone never disappoints - love the cozy environment and intimate setting, extensive menu offering and creative healthy dish options. My favorite..."

Adam Hunter

"Been to Il Leone twice now (once for a business lunch and the other was a Sunday Afternoon lunch). Firstly, great location & decor; after Magica Roma..."

Akie Chhabra

"Great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious food. Had dinner with my boyfriend here the other night and we really enjoyed it. The food was really..."

Nicole

"My partner and I always find ourselves heading you ll Leone when we’re looking for a quick bite to eat they prawn pasta is super yummy it’s light..."

Raeesah Ebrahim

"Un. Be. Lievable! We went with a large group and the staff handled it very well- they were amazing and attentive, the wine flowed and all..."

Amanda

"My favourite Italian restaurant! I especially enjoy the vegetarian pasta's. They are usually made up of a few simple ingredients but the flavours are..."

Anisha Pillay

"My husband and I walked almost 40 minutes to get to Don Armando, when we arrived. We were told the kitchen closed at 3pm (it was 2:59 pm) we were..."

Mshum221

"Delicious Italian menu and great service. We arrived without a reservation and got table promptly. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Their pasta..."

Ditte

"“Sensational” doesn’t do it justice. This is by far the most consistent restaurant in Cape Town. Year on year we come to this restaurant and..."

Yael

"Great service and delicious food. Veal rack and Tortellini were superb but give the profiteroles a skip as they weren't amazing. Will definitely be..."

Douglas Allanson

"A very nice place to go for some local italian. Loved the setting and the location was very convenient to get to with an uber. Good selection if..."

Neil Smith

"Delicious food, amazing staff and lots of art. The homemade pasta was superb and it felt like we were in Italy. Our waiter was incredibly fast that..."

Rachel Lowick

"Place has a great atmosphere, especially enjoyed being seated between all the art that was also for sale. Had the Corona di Vitello for lunch, veal..."

Wessel Brand

"This place is quite pricey but the quality of food speaks for itself. The pastas are tasty, but my favorite is the Florentine Steak, they Cooked it..."

Terry

"I’m hurt – I have been living in Cape Town for eleventeen years and have only discovered this place 2 weeks ago! But never has the English..."

Thando Bangiso

"What a wonderful experience! We were celebrating our exam results at Il Leone and the experience was unforgettable! We were about 30 people, but we..."

Jomari Steyn

"Went to this place for a corporate lunch. There were probably 40 of us there. The other two tables got served relatively quick but unfortunately the..."

Amy Chen

"Il Leone. In Cape Town !!!A wonderful dinner was well spent at this restaurant!!A good busy atmosphere at this Italian restaurant..."

Prina

"Amazing Italian food in a lovely setting. I always go for the penne gamberetti and it's honestly one of the best pastas I've had. The place is also..."

Uressa Chetty

"This is definitely one of the best meals that I have ever had! I had the mixed seafood zucchini pasta which is the best zucchini pasta I've ever..."

Healthy Heart

"Food prepared with passion just as the Italians would do it. Book in advance. Outrageously good pasta,fabulous creme caramel the taste will be like a..."

Casheconomy

"I was expecting more from Il Leone but I think I need to come back again when they are not as busy. We had quite a late booking in the evening and..."

Zulfah Albertyn

"What a lovely candlelit setting and fantastic food. On my visit I had a salad to start which included Buffalo mozzarella, basil and avocado which was..."

Jenna Rodd

"The food was good but was spoiled by the fact that one meal did not arrive until everyone else had just about finished. The waitress at some stage..."

Brian.kahn35

"Eaten here a few times, and their food is superb. The salads are fresh and lovely combos. The buratta is very rich, but heavenly. More a main than..."

Gabi

"What an amazing little restaurant! Only one big negative thing the blonde manger had to be the most non customer centric person ever she can't even..."

Chantel

"Outstanding as always. Lovely ambience and attentive staff. The ravioli is without doubt the best I have ever had. Will make a point of returning..."

DocUnited

"We had an excellent lunch mid week, on the very peaceful and cool balcony outside. My friend from Rome had the Tagliatelle Pescatore which he loved,..."

MattJBlack3

"Sick of seedy Sea Point dives, we find ourselves in Il Leone for a latish Sunday night supper. If I lived here, this would be my Sunday night go to..."

Jill Nudelman

"Came here for a lunch meeting as suggested by a client. The place was fairly quiet. The place has quite a cosy feel with lots of art pieces making up..."

Irfaan

"Great meal Very good vibe Good wine selection Away from tourist scrum..."

Graham Petzer

"This fantastic restaurant is a short walk from where I live and I could not be more spoilt. Great customer service always and don't get me started on..."

Ben Gillies

"Excellent restaurant - a family favourite for a special occasion. All dishes are great, particularly their famous prawn pasta which is lovely and..."

Jessica Stromin

"I'm so surprised that Il Leone hasn't come up in conversation more often. I went for a 21st birthday dinner and the restaurant choice could not have..."

Meera Naik

"Since getting back from Italy in July I have been skeptical about getting back on the pasta band wagon, I mean, the dishes in the land of pasta don't..."

Paula Einhorn

"Our first visit to Il Leone was an excellent dining experience. The ambiance was charming, light and airy with comfortable chairs and well set..."

Gavin Foley

"Fantastic experience. Went there for my birthday with a couple of friends. Everyone found a dish they loved. Service was a little bellow par. But..."

Lukeconorbolton

"Simply sublime with service to match! My new Cape Town Favourite! We had the calamari to share. Followed by what has to be described as REAL Italian..."

Clinton Hawks

"Mamma che buono!! They had a special on tonight with Zucchine instead of pasta for your banting dieters which did justice to any "normal" Italian..."

Maria Elvira Mariola

"Went for supper at Il Leone, upon arrival we were greeted by the hostess and advised that we needed to wait because she needs to think how she wants..."

Melinda

"Had a lovely dinner tonight 💕 a cosy place that offers authentic Italian. We started off with some bruschetta which we all thoroughly enjoyed. For..."

Ulisha Moodley

"Had the ragu and broccolli pasta. Crepes for desert. Food was good and service attentive. Wine list does not offer many 'affordable' options...."

Ilse Van Der Merwe

"I had an excellent date night at Il Leone! We were greeted at the door with warmth and hospitality. Although I did not receive the exact food I..."

Mia Kruger

"Absolutely loved this place! White and sleek upmarket interior. While my family enjoyed their lunch, they relayed that mine was the best (the daily..."

Talia Lee Cohen

"Loved the cosy, warm atmosphere. Service was great. A little disappointed with the food: calamari starter was supposed to be flash fried but turned..."

Shamen Raja

"Out of this world pasta, literally only place in Cape Town I go to for pasta. They are quite pricey though, but worth it. They also have a..."

Nicole Vrede

"Ill Leone in de Waterkant is an exquisite restaurant in a beautiful old building. Vibrant and warm ambience, friendly and professional manager. We, a..."

Wilna Bester

"A great little italian gem in the heart of Greenpoint.Pros: Amazing food Cons: Do not serve pizzaHowever, this gives you reason to..."

Nooru Harnekar

"Must be my favorite Italian restaurant ever. I always make sure to stop by whenever I visit Cape Town. The food is excellent. My only negative would..."

Nick

"Amazing little Italian spot! Had the most delicious dinner while on a work trip to Cape Town. Great service, despite being absolutely packed. We had..."

Megan K

"Easily outside of Italy one of the best Italian meals I've had in years.... Atmosphere upscale quaint sifistication ..,wine list not long but..."

OnTheMove

"Was extremely fortunate to be treated to an exceptional Easter lunch at il leone on Sunday. Having heard an abundance of positive things about the..."

BT

"Stylish restaurant with a warm atmosphere. The service was perfect and very professional. Regarding the food I didn't get disappointed at all. I..."

The Dude

"Quaint restaurant with a homely atmosphere. The service was commendable and the food - mamma mia!I would highly recommend the tagliatelle pescatore...."

Zainab

"Fantastic Thursday evening at one of the Atlantic Seaboard's favourite Italian restaurants. A cosy restaurant covered in wood decor and intriguing..."

Ryan Goodman

"We went to Il Leone for a weekday lunch recently, and I really enjoyed it. The food is great, and the service is on point. The menu has a wide..."

Popsi

"I love food, Italians love food, Italian food is love! This place is the real deal, from what little I know of Italian cuisine Il Leone leans towards..."

Glen Loxton

"Il Leone is an upmarket Italian restaurant in Green Point. The service is attentive and warm, the atmosphere is inviting and warm with candles and..."

Bronwills

"Went here for a 21st where we were given a very special private room upstairs. We had a set menu and some of the food included fillet with pepper..."

JonJon Clark

"Visited Il Leone last night and had the usual Maskovita pasta with penne. Usually have it with ravioli but both combinations are delicious. The..."

Jaynisha Patel

"I'm so ashamed that I had never heard of Il Leone before yesterday. They were awarded best everyday Italian eatery at the Eat Out Best Everyday..."

Natasha Silva

"Best pasta gambereti on the planet!!!!Fantastic service and setting, One of our top restuarants in Cape town we always leave full and..."

Fabio Spidalieri

"Great pasta- we shared three dishes- all pasta... Amatriciana, veal pasta and ravioli with arrabiata sauce. All pastas were great- service was..."

Susan Searle

"Visiting Cape Town from Johannesburg and was looking for good Italian. Excellent food and the service was also good. A real gem. Will be back for..."

Duncan Gilliland

"Officially my favorite restaurant in Cape Town. Best Italian dining experience I've had in South Africa. Everything was superb - from the service to..."

David Franciscus

"Very good Italian food. Upmarket and well priced. Service good, food good. If your looking for a romantic dinner, this is lovely. Thumbs..."

Irishman

"Ate there 2 nights in a row. On Both evenings we enjoyed outstanding meals. The signature prawn pasta dish was superb. The service was attentive and..."

Leslie Pieters

"Il Leone is one of my favourite go-to places for pasta in Cape Town. I've never had an average experience, I always leave feeling excited to go back...."

Leila Osato

"I have these food cravings and they must be met so I was happy to know that gnocchi was on their menu and even though the kitchen closed in 10..."

Claire Allen

"This is a fantastic cosy romantic spot for really great Italian food, the menu is well priced the management and staff are superb, I'll definitely be..."

Matt MowFunk Walker

"Great food. Always a quality meal and fantastic service. Thought the veal was a tad dry but the fillet steak I had was spot on! You are always..."

Simon Trisk

"I like II Leone. Their food is good. The service is good. They have a nice selection of wines. I'd recommend the prawn linguine. And the grilled..."

Bebz H

"One of my favourites in the Mother City. Good simple Italian - quality and service consistently good...porcini mushroom anything is a winner (when in..."

Lynda Cooper

"I went here a while back but clearly remember it. Possibly one of the most delicious (fancy) Italian restaurants in the City. Their prawn pasta is..."

Robert Peitzsch

"This place served me the absolute most delicious pasta I've ever had at a restaurant! There is something that feels special when you walk in, the..."

Danica Astra Prout-Jones

"I really enjoyed our dinner at Il Leone. I heard great things about it and we weren't disappointed. You'll find Classic Italian food here, cooked..."

Dominique Andrea Vieira

"Smart and sensual. The four cheese gnocchi is mind-blowing and the bread is delicious. If you feel like a cozy, Italian, perhaps romantic meal out-..."

Gabrielle Meyers

"One of the best Italian restaurants in Cape Town. The staff are always on the ball. The food is superb and they now serve zucchini pasta which is..."

Phoebe Kondylis

"Their prawn linguini is the absolute best in the whole of Cape Town. This is one of De Waterkant's best best restaurants. Highly recommended! Their..."

Zak Schabort

"Polite and efficient service. Comprehensive selection for all courses as well as a few specials on offer. Great wine selection too. The food is well..."

Angela Weickl

"Always a pleasure to dine at Il Leone. Beautiful dining experience with very good solid flavour in their dishes in a warm atmosphere. Good wine..."

Dirk Uys

"An elegant and delicious restaurant, and the staff are amazing 👏 We came two times The first time, it was busy, and the leader advised us to the..."

noody mm

"An amazing restaurant with great dishes and very kind service. Highly recommended for a perfect Italian meal..."

גרי בר דב

"Great service and atmosphere with good selection of Italian food (seafood tagliatelle is a must) and South African wine. Better to book for lunch, as..."

Justyna Swiatkowska

"An absolutely beautiful place to dine when in Cape Town.. The service was excellent as..."

Tracy Daniel

"Overall experience is great. The only disappoint part was steak, don’t ever eat steak here, it is too salty. I don’t think they will replace u a..."

kui liu

"Terrific white tablecloth experience. We were able to snag a last-second reservation thanks to a cancelation and are so grateful we did. Caprese was..."

Matt Wald

"Amazing! The ambiance and setting of the restaurant is a cozy, upscape space with a sprinkle of art gallery but in your dining room sort of a feel...."

John Dlabal

"Would definitely recommend this place if you enjoy Italian food - the food, service and general restaurant atmosphere are all great. There are one..."

Sean

"Fantastic, the food is absolutely phenomenal. I had the tortellini, oh my word the cream sauce was amazing and complimented the tortellini so so..."

Pierre Steyn

"Well it depends what you are looking for? Are you looking for a perfect ambience? Are you looking for the best Italian food in Cape Town? Are you..."

David Yach

"Amazing food and service is the best we had in a long time. The waiter Josh was perfect, he helped us to choose dishes and he was really..."

Shahar Gabay

"Have never had the pleasure to visit them myself but I have been booking and taking many international groups here for the past 5, 6 years at least..."

Jean-Noël O'Connor

"Celebrated my 76th birthday with friends Staff , service , food as consistent as always Thank you Il Leone for making the celebration so very..."

Lorna Knightley

"A lovely find. Oodles of atmosphere and clearly loved by local CT residents. The food was very good without much finesse and the friendly service was..."

John Sterling

"I had one of the best steaks at this restaurant. The pasta was also great. Its close to the V&A Waterfront. The restaurant is spacious, decorated..."

Megan Rosen

"Went here for my birthday dinner. Service excellent. I had the ceviche to start which was sublime. My partner had the the bean and pasta soup. She..."

Cathy Milner

"It remains to be one of the better dining experiences you can have in Cape Town. Consistently delivering high quality at a reasonable price. The..."

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Pusm

Steven Ikin

Sarah Thatcher

Emma Kayleigh

Mariposa

GabriellaFlorence

Joburg Lawyer

Helena

Zesterhuyzen

Claire

Adam Hunter

Akie Chhabra

Nicole

Raeesah Ebrahim

Amanda

Anisha Pillay

Mshum221

Ditte

Yael

Douglas Allanson

Neil Smith

Rachel Lowick

Wessel Brand

Terry

Thando Bangiso

Jomari Steyn

Amy Chen

Prina

Uressa Chetty

Healthy Heart

Casheconomy

Zulfah Albertyn

Jenna Rodd

Brian.kahn35

Gabi

Chantel

DocUnited

MattJBlack3

Jill Nudelman

Irfaan

Graham Petzer

Ben Gillies

Jessica Stromin

Meera Naik

Paula Einhorn

Gavin Foley

Lukeconorbolton

Clinton Hawks

Maria Elvira Mariola

Melinda

Ulisha Moodley

Ilse Van Der Merwe

Mia Kruger

Talia Lee Cohen

Shamen Raja

Nicole Vrede

Wilna Bester

Nooru Harnekar

Nick

Megan K

OnTheMove

BT

The Dude

Zainab

Ryan Goodman

Popsi

Glen Loxton

Bronwills