TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in South Africa - Updated October 2024

Espresso

84/100 (1535 ratings)

Restaurants

Pizza

Italian

Vegetarian Friendly

Pizza

Italian

Vegetarian Friendly

Breakfast

After-hours

Dinner

Lunch

Brunch

Espresso Pizza

Calamares

Double Prego with French Fries

Fruit Spritzer

Fettuccine Vitello

Garden Avo Salad

Pesto

Coffee

Strawberry daiquiri

Cappuccino

Chicken Livers

Brownie with Ice Cream

Chocolate cake

Chicken Sticks

Tequila

Crème Brûlée

Beef Cube

White wine

Chicken Prego

Pasta

Veal Limone

Salad

Macchiato

Espresso Breakfast

Calamari

Sit down

Italian

Pizza

Seating

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Full Bar

Takeout

Breakfast

Dinner

Lunch

After-hours

Brunch

Mid-range

"Busy restaurant, Great vibe, delicious pizzas and drinks.. Cash only accepted, there is a Standard Bank ATM in the restaurant. The staff are great,..."

Teznee Pillay

"This is one of our favorite restaurants. We often order the chicken prego and calzone Maria. The peri peri sauce is out of this world. We would buy..."

Stacey C

"No better place to plug into the Jozi vibe. You’ll find The Who’s Who here on a Saturday afternoon. No bookings and no credit cards, but this..."

Chiara Louis

"A really nice restaurant to go to. The staff are friendly. I would recommend the Chicken Prego - it is incredible. They only accept cash so just keep..."

Jack

"Was really surprised when I saw their rating was 4.1 stars... Espresso is fing great, their fillet prego is probably the best in Jozi. I live around..."

Gordon Morrison

"Came here on recommendation to try their pizza, in specific the Espresso Filletto. The pizza was good, just a bit on the saucy side, so my..."

Zoë Dorothy Brentano

"Still one of my favorite restaurants! The prego sauce is out of this world on everything from Pregos to pizzas or both! Love the cocktails and..."

Dominique

"Man I love this place! When you get a table, you’re not going to wanna leave.We just went for breakfast, but when I drive past usually..."

Sean William

"Great food selection. Lovely calamari and my husband loves their pizzas. Not a big selection of craft beers which are over priced .NO cards..."

Casey K

"Just had the most amazing calzone at Espresso. perfectly cooked, unbelievable flavour, absolutely unreal. My wife had veal and my daughter an Alfredo..."

Morgan Malyon

"We visited Espresso on a Friday evening and thoroughly enjoyed our meals.We ordered the Espresso Cotta pizza, which was so delicious, i..."

Lisa Lumley

"Oh my word the best Chicken prego of my life. I can’t wait to go back. Good service, nice atmosphere and delicious food. It is a must for pasta,..."

Julio Amorim

"Large menu yet good quality food. The fillet is great, callamari is amazing and the spare ribs pizza is beyond. Consistently good service and food...."

JR

"Had an amazing pasta here, really wholesome and a great portion size for the price paid. The service was great considering the place was busy. Love..."

Justin Jay Rocca

"Great experience and ambience. The Espresso Cotta pizza is unbelievable 😍 and the grilled calamari is delicious. Pity they don’t accept cards...."

Samantha Bayes

"Still the best pizza in Jozi! The espresso cotta is incredible and will always return for this. Food is always high standard and service always good...."

Simon Spurr

"Really good steak pregos. The juices are pre-made and come bottled - it was ok tasting nothing spectacular. Service is decent. They don't take cards..."

Mayuri

"I love the espresso rump with the delicious sauce. It was absolutely delicious the first time we had it. So recommended it as a day out with friends..."

Riona Arjoon

"I wish I had a photo of the scrumptious meal I had her unfortunately I don't. However I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors in their food. I find..."

The Hungry Blonde

"I used to come here very often, and forgot how much I enjoy this restaurant! The food is consistently to my taste, the waiters friendly, and the..."

Ian Mann

"Went through to try their prego roll and was pretty impressed. The meal was delicious and portions are pretty big. Service was really good as well...."

Santisha

"Dark, dingy, yet strangely attractive and enticing. How they have gotten away with only a cash service is beyond me. The service is good, food is..."

Natalie Lazaris

"I have always wanted to visit Espresso as it has been around for years and I have always heard good reviews. The decor is black and white, a little..."

Saltnsas

"I love Espresso. It's one of my haunts that remains a crowd favorite. Excellent staff and a wide selection of well prepared tasty food,..."

Gabriella Maxine Abrahams

"Espresso makes you feel as though you're sitting in a Parisian bistro, far far away from South Africa. Stunning atmosphere, lovely coffees. I highly..."

Tristan Du Toit

"Lovely waitress - very attentive and full of humor. Fantastic food - the Prego steaks were a massive hit at our table. Well priced menu with a..."

Jason Christian-Robert Van Wyk

"Brilliant meal and great service. Went with friends for dinner and throughly enjoyed every mouthful. You can't book or pay by card so download zapper..."

Kate Leigh Walker

"Extremely friendly staff, great service. Staff are engaging and make the experience pleasant. Have only had a few of the pizzas. All very tasty...."

Leighton Carter

"Wow this place gets busy on a Saturday night... while most of the restaurants on the strip had tables available, we obviously chose the one with the..."

Akira Wing

"The best thing about this restaurant is the diverse menu. Definitely a good spot to choose when going out for a meal with a bunch of people as there..."

Lauren Hargreaves

"I am a firm believer in the location of a restaurant determining what type of vibe you will get, and I will go on to further say that sidewalk..."

GOODATEATING

"Drove past this place numerous times , but never went there. Untill tonight. Not impressed by the decor but the food and service are great. We had..."

Nicole Van Der Venne

"Great menu with so many choices! Would recommend the gnocchi and baked Camembert! The fact that there are no card machines is a bit annoying and..."

Janine Howard

"Love love love their cheesecake and just adore the vibe of this street. Its a great place to enjoy a meal or even stop by for a drink or coffee and..."

Prasantha Bisetty

"To drown our sorrows over Trump’s election we went to Espresso for an exceptionally good lunch. We enjoyed calamari peri-peri pasta, an olive oil..."

Matthew Kretzschmar

"Hands down the best prego rolls I've ever had. The restaurant is very vibey and gets very full but it doesn't seem to affect their..."

Andrea L

"Great vibe for a nice Sunday afternoon snack and beverage. Sometimes it gets a bit too packed but I can't exactly complain about that now can I. If..."

Kurt Baden Cairns

"One of my favourite spots in Parkhurst. As a waiter once said, even a drowned rat would taste good in their signature sauce (sorry to all the vegans..."

Love.Life.Daley

"When in Parkhurst I really need to be pulled by the hand not to go espresso! The comfort of knowing you will always have mouth watering food is..."

Yolisa

"One of my all time favourites. The calamari pizza is my all time best!!! Nick has been hands on since day dot. Very trendy in the heart of Parhurst...."

Brett Cooper

"Went to Espresso in the evening with friends. The atmosphere was good and the food was also good. We had the veal limone, mussels, chicken roll...."

Noemi Dos Santos

"Always love the vibe in Parkhurst and visiting Espresso this arvie was no different. Good food. Great vibe. Lots of wine. Maybe that last one had..."

Seshan Rau

"Espresso Caffe and Bistro is one of my most favorite restaurants to enjoy a fine dinner with drinks .The Chips and Prego Sauce is an..."

Khelan Dahya

"Good food, good ambiance but a tad pricey on the coffee especially and the breakfasts. The coffee isn't bad but prices exceed speciality coffee spots..."

Ashish Sewgoolam

"The best Prego roll in Joburg and the people watching is so entertaining. Watching cars, beards and stilettos makes for a lazy Saturday afternoon...."

Keli Fernie

"Went for breakfast at this lovely spot with my brother. Had an egg Benedict salmon which was very yummy and my brother had an espresso breakfast he..."

Maletlhatso

"Grate place grate food grate service. Grate bar man. Loved my time there speaking to him. Pity there's no form of payment other than cash. At..."

Gabe

"A very social and relaxing old school feel to this restaurant. The food was all very good, with a very large menu to choose from. I had the Espresso..."

ROBERT ELLIS

"Went to Espresso on Youth Day, and with the majority of 4th Avenue out of power, was one of the few places to be able to serve coffee. My partner got..."

Adam W

"I hadn't been to Espresso for what felt like years but recently went for an early Sunday dinner. I had my favourite pizza, the "Espresso"...shit..."

Daniel Buys

"This is such a vibey, lively, happy place to share with friends and/or family. The food is great and there is a wide variety, so just about everyone..."

Robyn Louw

"This place has a good vibe, food and service. They got a variety of good dishes. Ravioli in napoletana sauce and fruit spritzer- my all time..."

Sweta Satpathy

"I recently had a late lunch at Expresso with my boyfriend. We both enjoyed the food but the service was slow and very average.To..."

Chanel Pillay

"I enjoy this restaurant and the menu has a great selection. I still rate the fillet prego roll up with the best , today I decided to try the mince..."

Russel Roth

"I don't know why it's taken so long for me to eat the famous prego here! It was absolutely delicious on all levels. The service was great with a..."

Inge Nefdt

"Awesome food and great service. The calamari doppio peri peri is the best I have eaten. I love it and will be back for more. Only downside is that..."

Trisha Nathoo

"One of the busier spots along the 4th Ave in Parkhurst. They have a large (very large) menu selection, but their food that is served is good. I find..."

B2C Eats

"The food, an absolute 10! But wait, first things first, this eatery does not accept card payments! In 2016... Now I completely get that every eatery..."

Pearl Shongwe

"Attentive staff. Vibe is always good. Really captures the Parkhurst village atmosphere. Cafe food at its best. Recommend the fillet prego, peri peri..."

Nishela Ramgoolam

"Staff are super friendly and efficient. Food also arrived very quickly! Their signature pregos are delicious, however pricey they are... The only..."

Ilan Ben-David

"We were helped late in the evening, arriving as the kitchen was about to close. Our meals arrived in record time. The roadside cafe has an Italian..."

Jaco Jansen

"This was an amazing experience. Great food and great atmosphere. We had a linguine cots, expresso calamari pizza and sweet chilli cota pizza...."

Sandra Alexandra Bizimana

"Always a great dining experience with great quality ingredients and friendly, helpful service. Ambience is nice, albeit a bit dark and their..."

Brooklyn J. Pakathi

"Im glad that i read the reviews of Espresso before i visited, so i was prepped for the cash only policy and no table bookings. There are tons of..."

Yolleen

"Espresso is such an odd place... A nice odd though! The food and cocktails are to-die-for!!! I can't say it's hidden but it's certainly an..."

Gugulethu Gwamanda

"No card facilities is always an inconvenience however it does not stop me from going back time and time again. Best pregos in town! Good service!!..."

Sharna Berelowitz

"Such a good vibe and our waiter "Sweetness" was excellent. We had Smelly Snails and Mussels for starters - absolutely delicious! Will definitely go..."

RobiRob

"Simply top notch. Incredibly good value for money, every single dish was excellent - especially the fillet and the Bar One cheesecake! My favourite..."

TerseaG

"Always incredible service. Can never go wrong on A Sunny Sunday afternoon for an amazing vibe and tasty food! Espresso pizza is the best especially..."

Christine Van Zyl

"Espresso just gets it right - every time!A busy sidewalk bistro with a wide variety on the menu to suit every tastebud. Everytime I have..."

Megan Palm

"Grilled squids with chourizo souce might seem a odd combination but it is very enjoyable. Very noisy place great for an informal meal. Loved the oreo..."

Paulo Carmo

"Went their for a girls lunch and we were all impressed with standard of food. The menu is extensive with so many choices I have to go back to try..."

Jack & Jill

"Always a must for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Typical sidewalk cafe. Love watching the people walking by. It has a very diverse menu. Never had a..."

Alexia Bosanquet

"Another favourite haunt! They make great Calamari dishes with deliciously creamy sauces in a few variations. They also make a roquefort sauce that..."

Gigliola Conte-Patel

"Date of visit: 17 January 2016, late lunch.Espresso is one of our favourite spots in Johannesburg. Consistent food, service and atmosphere..."

Diviesh Patel

"Great food, average prices for the area, always busy and an atmospheric buzz. One of the few businesses on 4th avenue owned and run by people who..."

Ruairi Sheridan

"Beautifully set up restaurant, especially considering the recurrent jhb heat wave. Good service, and good turn around time regarding courses...."

Heena Ramjee

"I always enjoy going to Espresso. The vibe is great and the food is awesome. They have a large menu, but somehow we always go for the pregos. The..."

Jimmy Nicolaou

"We often go here for Sunday breakfasts. The portions are not very consistent, but always delicious, and upon mentioning the much smaller than usual..."

Carien Jakovljevic

"A quick lunch catch up landed us at Espresso. I ordered the halloumi and avocado salad and it arrived with toasted pita bread on the side. What..."

Pashnee Naidoo

"I absolutely love their Calamari peri-peri pasta! The peri peri sauce at Espresso is so magical I want to put it on everything. It's always busy and..."

Zhe

"This restaurant is one of those that spill out onto the sidewalk in a very trendy suburb. The atmosphere is great. It is pricey and busy. No..."

Jane “JaneyPaney” Schultz

"Lovely pizza, great service, but incredibly hot and uncomfortable. (The weather is not your fault). But really enjoyed the..."

Pramod Sonne

"This is an awesome restaurant and we recommend it for anyone who hasn't been there. Menu options are a killer and the food is exquisite. Not too many..."

Centregroup Technologies

"Great place to have a chill day with friends. Food is worth the wait. Huge selection of items in the menu! Definitely something for..."

Jean-Marié Hamman

"Menu and Vibe...the absolute best ❤️❤️🥳👊🏽 Had the Chicken Prego and Kingklip...ofcourse with extra bevis... best 👌🏽 👍🏽..."

Angel Waterson

"Really good food, excellent service, the vibes are really awesome.. A really nice place to chill. During the day or night. The staff are really..."

Nirvasha Naidoo

"Was fine. We were there very early which grants them some leeway in my mind because I can only assume that maybe their kitchen staff weren't all..."

Roxy Online

"Best pizza in the world! I had the most delicious pizza with chicken strips, bacon, avo and peri peri sauce and I was in heaven! On top of that, the..."

Sheetal Vallabh

"Well presented and tasty food. Great atmosphere and first class..."

Jacqui Herzfield

"superb superb superb... My new fav restaurant.. must try Peri peri chicken pizza or they also do veg option in the same sauce...dont forget to order..."

Hitesh Kriplani

"Wide variety on their menu, great taste, portions and service. The ONLY take Zapper and cash (they have a facility on site where you can draw cash)...."

Ashley van der Merwe

"Always friendly waiters. Good food and..."

Khutso Axel Nkadimeng

"Espresso is a very trendy restaurant in Parkhurst with a European style of a street eatery. It is a good vibe and has great food. I love the prego..."

Mark Stillerman

"Been going here since I was a boy. If I could give Espresso more than 5 stars, I would! Pizzas are the best in..."

Teanu Engelbrecht

"A bit expensive and takes a while for the food to arrive. But their food is so tasty, and their alcohol is strong (cocktails). They also don't have a..."

Laila Mahomed

"Fabulous restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious and the cocktails are amazing. Can definitely recommend for great service and atmosphere..."

Lynn Roberts

"Cosy spot, esthetic beautiful done, reasonable priced, I'm not a Vanilla person, but the cake was deliciously fresh,with coconut flakes. The rooibos..."

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