TOP 10 BEST Restaurants in South Africa - Updated November 2024

Cafe Mario

85/100 (5241 ratings)

Restaurants

European

Gluten Free Options

Pizza

Italian

European

Mediterranean

Vegan Options

Italian

Vegetarian Friendly

Mediterranean

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Drinks

After-hours

Dinner

Lunch

Breakfast

Brunch

Pizza Mario

Focaccia

Mexicana Pizza

Pasta

Rucola Salat

Salad

Bruschette

Fettuccine Alfredo

Chili

Pesto

Veal Pizzaiola

Calamari

Spaghetti carbonara

Ham and Mushroom Wheat Free Pizza

Calamares

english breakfast

Amalfi Pasta

Cheese Cake

Bruschetta Modo Mio

heineken

Autunno Pasta

Tramezzini

شاي لآتيه

Caprese

Toasts

Bolognese Pasta

Tiramisu

Grappa

Al Salmone

Sit down

Mediterranean

Italian

Pizza

European

Free Wifi

Accepts Credit Cards

Outdoor Seating

Takeout

Television

Street Parking

Seating

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Serves Alcohol

Wine and Beer

Parking Available

Highchairs Available

Reservations

Full Bar

Breakfast

Dinner

After-hours

Lunch

Drinks

Brunch

Mid-range

"The pizza is second to none!!! I would recommend anything off the pizza menu - all of it is incredibly tasty! The coffee is also really great. The..."

Hannah Abdoll

"A really lovely experience here.The restaurant space is enough to give you that homely feeling. I sat in a corner, by the window. Snugged..."

Mpho Mogale

"Best pizza in Knysna, friendly staff and cosy atmosphere. Their pizzas are always juicy with enough cheese. Be sure to book before your..."

Lize

"Perfect place for a breakfast alongside the water. All components of the breakfast was cooked exactly as requested and we also did not had to wait..."

Johannes

"Lovely place ..nice staff.. good vegetarian options and great taste..We were turned away the earlier day as we did not have reservation....."

Satkaj

"Great setting with good service and beautiful food made with love. Very cosy. Would certainly go back again and again. Most..."

Helen Rossouw

"Pizza???Huge it wasLike 4 people can have a heartbeat mean. Also it was delicious and had an amazing flavour of cheese I will..."

Avneet Kohli

"A nice cozy coffee shop in the heart of Knysna waterfront. The place was full of people and it tends to be quite noisy but the service received was..."

'Alessandro Cernuschi

"The waterfront in Knysna is where you find the hub of Restaurants, and Cafe Mario was my favorite.They serve delicious pizzas and garlic..."

Pratik Goel

"Really loved the vibe and atmosphere! The Pizza and drink was good , only thing That was a downer was they didn’t have Dom Pedro’s . Other..."

Julanie J Kok

"Delicious pizza, great view, friendly waitress! The only flaw I can comment on is the wait for our pizzas which was a tad too long & we even joked..."

Megz Mackintosh

"This is our go-to place in Knysna for tasty simple food. The food is tasty, the atmosphere is friendly and the owner can always be seen somewhere..."

Elizna Fourie

"Caffe Mario is the most popular restaurant in Knysna Quays on the waterfront. When we visited them last evening, the restaurant was packed with..."

Megsblogged

"After reading the reviews, I decided getting pizzas to go would be the way to go. We weren't disappointed! 5 people, 5 different pizza's and 5 happy..."

Redarmyrecruiting

"Delicious pasta! Wonderful vibe and really great service. I quite enjoyed the Italian theme and the warm lighting. The huge portions are so worth the..."

Nastasjia-Leigh Pillay

"Fantastic experience from start to finish. The ambience was warm and felt like an authentic Italian restaurant. The food was perfect, and the service..."

16341317r

"Just stopped by for some cake and tea. Beautiful place with Italian style decor. Try coming on a sunny day and enjoy sitting outside by the river...."

Heinri Van Zyl

"Trendy small restaurant , great service , pizza was very good , fair size , when sharing salad and pizza they brought pizza and salad already shared..."

Russel Roth

"Really tasty food at a reasonable price . Restaurant very busy on a week night so that speaks for itself of the good quality food wine and service,..."

Michelle Elliott

"This quaint cafe was walking distance from our hotel , Boy Oh Boy , it did not disappoint. It's authenticity makes you feel at home like you're in..."

Azrah Kadwa

"Nice little lively joint in the happening part of Knysna. We went there since they happen to have a decent selection of vegetarian dishes. The food..."

Subramanian

"Fundi was our waiter this year. Please ask for her when you are waiting to be seated. Fundi means intelligence. And was she a pleasant, positive and..."

Kari-Mari

"Really awesome. Grennaro (Mario's dad) managed to squeeze us in at the very last minute after a really bad experience upstairs at O Pescador. His..."

Justin Asher

"This now was a good place to go to. We were shocked as we couldn't even get a table we waited and waited and finally something came up. We had our..."

Abdullah Mahamed

"I think it's a great place to hangout, especially on rainy days. Warm atmosphere, professional staff. The service was a bit slow, however the..."

Chelsea Natalie Le Roux

"Cafe Mario is a beautiful little restaurant overlooking the water at the waterfront in Knysna, with a great vibe and quaint feel to it. The menu is..."

James Marsh

"The best pizza I've had outside of Cape Town . Amazing owner, lovely friendly staff. True Italian atmosphere and food. Would definitely recommend..."

Chelsey Kayla Matthys

"Caffe Mario is brilliantly situated to catch the sun at on a chilly winters morning. The pizza with Buffalo Mozzarella is really good. Just..."

Marentia Van Kasterop

"Am visiting Knysna with family. Over the last 2 days we had a lunch and breakfast at Caffe Mario. Have to admit they are the most hospitable hosts...."

Rallid73

"Food was so good and very well priced ! Delicious cappuccinos and the trammezinis are just delicious. Paintings are fantastic ! Service is only..."

Jean Baard

"Nice italian place overlooking waterfront and near the Quays. Not a bfast place of course but decent selectio. The Super mario is filling and will..."

Kudzai Maeresa

"Wine by the glass selection was poor. Service good, food - one great dish (chicken livers)- one okay (melanzane parmigiano)- really nice vibe and..."

Janice Scheckter

"Brilliant desserts and the tiramisu that they serve can definitely not be missed if you are visiting knysna. The margarita pizza is also worth..."

Vasundhara Sikaria

"I ate breakfast at Caffe Mario's not long ago and again recently, to meet a local friend who swears by it and have some of their great thin base..."

Lauras World

"Came here years ago and was in Knysna again and just had to come back. Supper was gorgeous. I devoured a baked pasta dish that I even enjoyed the..."

Cait McWilliams

"Fantastic dinner at Marios in Knysna. Feels just like home-cooked Italian with a South African twist. Great setting on the knysna Waterfront -..."

Ryan Goodman

"By far the best restaurant in Knysna! We make sure to go each time we visit! Only small 'problem' is that you need to book WAY in advance if you hope..."

Kirsty Metcalf

"Quaint little italian place with a very nice atmosphere. Friendly staff and really good food, with good service. I will go again. Very nice pasta and..."

Arno Van Staden

"We had a team dinner here for the Big 5 Sports Challenge and we absolutely loved the pizzas, wine and cake we had. Our waitress was fantastic and..."

Emilie Van Baalen

"Delicious food (try the veal dishes) with large portions and competitive prices. Warm atmosphere with helpful staff. This venue is immune to..."

Ulwin Hoffmann

"It's certainly one of the better restaurants in Knysna.One can either sit inside or outside and it has a nice ambience.I find the food..."

Martini

"Best pizza in Knysna. The restaurant has a lovely ambiance as well, but not over the top and child friendly. Everyone really enjoyed their meals...."

Andrea P. Diaz

"Lovely restaurant, great decor and vibe. We order focaccia and a pasta each. They did forget the focaccia and the food did take a while to arrive,..."

M B

"Caffe Mario will always be my go-to recommendation for a spectacular dinner in Knysna. Italian food, prepared with special care and attention. a..."

Hendre Visagie

"Very tasty food, incredibly attentive staff and thoughtful atmosphere. A new favorite and must visit in Knysna especially if you are looking for..."

Stevie Hoesel

"I had a wonderful evening at Mario's. Everything was perfect, staff, food and atmosphere. Very friendly waiters! Best pizza ever! Will..."

Heidi Smit

"Very happy we decided to eat here. The smells coming from the food around us was so delicious and we were not disappointed when we got our pizza,..."

Veronica Noakes

"Great food and friendly service. Best kingclip I've ever had. So good, we went back the next..."

Lee-Ann Smeed

"Wonderful service! We called in our order in advance. They waited for us at the door and as soon as they saw us they started taking our food to the..."

Duhne Liebenberg

"Brilliant gem of a place. Great Italian..."

Kevin Dabinett

"Cafe Mario's is consistently good, with very friendly staff along with a relaxed and informal atmosphere. They have been making great tasting Italian..."

Richard Kopman (RSK London)

"We had a great experience at Café Mario. Staff were exceptional and we had the best customer service. Food was prepared with organic ingredients and..."

Jan-Harm Steenkamp

"Another wonderful experience at Mario's. Loved your pasta dishes. Great atmosphere and a high 🙌 to our host Patrick.....you are a..."

Reynier Kapp

"Absolutely fantastic! We made sure we tested all the food pizza ,pasta,peppery veal and waffles! Food was well prepared, with lots of flavours..."

Jurilee Du Toit

"The food and atmosphere is wonderful. The waiters are full off life and are enjoying what they are doing. It is such a refreshing difference to the..."

Pierre Rossouw

"If you like pizza or pasta then this restaurant for..."

SoS Traveler

"This was a really great Italian restaurant! The food and atmosphere where great. Worth making a booking - we went on a Monday and it was very busy...."

Kate Allen

"This is one of the best spots for really good Italian food,I highly recommend their Pizza's and their ice coffees,best in town. My favourite Pizza..."

Average Gamer

"Stumbled across this little place looking for a late afternoon lunch with an outside area. Tucked away off the main road (yet very easy to find) is a..."

Laralee Aldridge

"Great food and friendly staff. The thin crust pizzas were fantastic and well topped without being soggy. They had such a vast variety of vegetarian..."

Vivek Rendall

"A lovely little Cafè situated near the Quay’s in Knysna. It is constantly buzzing with happy customers as well as upbeat energetic waiters..."

Jessie Watson

Chatters

85/100 (5378 ratings)

Restaurants

Wine Bar

Gluten Free Options

Pizza

Italian

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Pizza

Gluten Free Options

Vegan Options

Vegetarian Friendly

Dinner

Lunch

Wine

Pasta

Desert 3in1

Vegetarian Pizza

foccacia

Salad

Beef & Bacon Burger with Fries

Belgian Waffle

Cheesecake

Chicken Liver Parfait

Greek Village Salad

Chocolate Tarte

Trio of Mini Desserts

Garlic Olive Oil

Cheesecakes

Waffles

Burger

Potato Bake

Cheesecakes

Chicken & Avocado

Lasagne

Salat with Chicken

Pesto

Ice Creams

Laimi Billtong Pizza

Spaghetti Bolognese

Popeye’S Pizza

Sit down

Pizza

Gift Cards Available

Digital Payments

Accepts Credit Cards

Takeout

Accepts Mastercard

Accepts Visa

Accepts American Express

Drive Thru

Dinner

Lunch

Mid-range

"What an awesome place... from the moment we got there, service was definately 5 star. Our waitor, Lance, was a breath of fresh air and the food was..."

Emelia Brown

"Absolutely love this place. Very nice vibe and pretty scenario. Also the service is wonderful and the pizza delicious! Would definately recommend..."

Leana Lourens

"We are on holiday from Sydney and tried to find a restaurant who understands the importance of gluten free especially for coeliacs. I am glad to..."

Brenda Van Rensburg

"great friendly service & delicious pizza’s! & Limestone Hill unwooded chardonnay! my fav. wine! how did they..."

Jenni Parfett

"Rob, Clare and his folks are tremendous restaurateurs who understand the importance of quality family service and a superior pizza time after time to..."

Phil Golson

"Our 'Have to'-stop in Knysna. Amazing pizza with friendly..."

Lorette Terry

"Ordered some take outs tonight and had a glass of wine while I waited. Friendly staff members and great pizzas. Keep up the good..."

De Vries Cronjé

"One of the best. Always exceeds expectations. The pasta is out of this world and atmosphere is awesome. Been here several times and will keep coming..."

Wouter Gerber

"Y U M M M ! Best pizza in Knysna, heck best pizza in the Garden Route, and the desserts are to die..."

Kobus Kruger

"Best pizza...lovely spot..will definately be back again..."

Lauren Stead

"The best Pizza ever!! Excellent Service, friendly staff, my favorite restaurant in the Garden..."

Mandy Houston

"Loved the Pizzas, and the servise but my husband chose wine that cost R412. by mistake without his glasses on. I was the only one amused. We will be..."

Veronica Grundlingh

"Everything made on site fresh, including bases that cater for every intolerance. Pasta is fantastic as well as..."

Dougie Collin

"Quality of the food exceptional..."

Sue Peacock

"Homely Place, Good Music, Friendly+Quick Service and the best part... Amazing Food!! Decent amount of vegetarian options. Must Try - Popeye’s..."

Dr. Swapnil Mahade

"This bistro came highly recommended in the internet and seeing as we felt like wood fired pizza we decided to try. It's a beautiful set up on the..."

Wayonette Schreiber

"Outstanding! Their pizza truly is so delicious! Had the gluten-free base with the Warner pizza, and couldn't be more impressed! The management are..."

Nici Romy Avzaradel

"Incredible service with a smile , amazing atmosphere here and the food is on a other level. Thoroughly enjoyed every bite. Definitely will be back..."

Ryan Bomb

"Can I just say that this place has the most amazing pizza! Woodfired and thin crust, real italian style. The choices of pizzas are endless and they..."

Rache De Goede

"Lovely food, great ambience and good service. Enjoyed a quiet dinner with a child. Worth a visit when you are in town. Quite a few options for..."

Subramanian

"Very good pizzas made with fresh ingredients and available in smaller sizes which was great. Delicious home made ice cream and friendly, attentive..."

Andrea

"Upon a night time stroll, we stopped by this charming little bistro for a quick dessert. The dessert menu changes daily so you know that everything..."

Genevieve Law

"Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Lived up to their great reputation with every bite. Will definitely be back..."

Dheshia Govender Kanniah

"Great food , great place , great service. Worth visit again and again!They have got Nice range of pizzas -'brunos' is my favorite with the taste..."

Amol Birar

"Out of all the pizza joints we tried out in the knysna/plet area, this was definitely the tastiest and best prepared pizza of our trip, beating out..."

Pieter Van Der Westhuizen

"Looking for a quiet and relaxed atmosphere? Tasty milkshakes? Amazing Pizza? Then you are at the right place :) Chatters Bistro all of this plus..."

Melissa Van Der Westhuizen

"It was very nice to find such an amazing Italian restaurant that could accommodate us on very short notice during The Oyster Festival. The waiters..."

Julian Smith

"Chatters Bistro is situated in central Knysna at a really nice spot. Woodburning pizza oven..... Good wines... What more to..."

Marentia Van Kasterop

"Best pizza's in knysna. Amazing atmosphere. Awesome service when not to busy. But mad house when busy. Definitely a must when in..."

Christopher Fernandes

"The true test of a good place to eat is where the locals go to eat!! When they say best pizza in town they mean it.Can not fault the food or..."

Dave Haigh

"We are real pizza snobs. Probably one of the best pizzas I had ever eaten. Excellent vibe, great food with huge variety of pizza topping. Crispy thin..."

Thea

"It can become overwhelming trying to decide where to eat, I'm extremely glad we stubbed across this gem. The service and food was simply outstanding..."

Lusantha

"Had a impromtu pizza break after leaving the waterfront. Loved it so much we returned to knysna 2 days later for another round. Enjoyed the pizzas,..."

Zakz M-V

"We dined at Chatters whilst on a mini holidayat Knysna, and being a Monday evening, expected it to be quiet - it was anything but! Within 30min all..."

Megan Bellinger

"Food was top quality. Ordered pizzas and they didn't disappoint. Service was not as good as the food though. It may have been due to how busy they..."

Ben Wikner

"This was a really random pick of choice for a lunch stop but we saw a sign that said best oven pizza and it sure was 😊 despite the humid heat the..."

Kendra Gypsy-Princess Hughes

"Chatters Bistro is seeped in history as when Knysna was still a railway town it was used as a railway house for the train workers, the owners of..."

Courtney StarBerry

"We went to this restaurant as a family on holiday. We are seated outside in a very pleasant setting. The menu offers mainly pizza and pasta dishes,..."

Johan Vorster

"On a rain drenched day in knysna, we decided on take-out pizzas ( and a pasta) from Chatters. Located in a quaint old house in Gray St., the..."

Ryan Goodman

"Simply the best pizza in the area. The service is good too. Kid friendly and great ambience. Only negative is the street view with beggars always..."

Mike Duplessis

"This is the place to be on the evening prior to the Knysna Half and Marathon. You will require a booking to be seated. Great pizza and an even better..."

Travis

"The best pizza in Knysna! We're here for the Big 5 Sport Challenge and Oyster Festival and we've had it a couple of times already. Really friendly..."

Emilie Van Baalen

"Really good pizza restaurant with takeaway. Very quick, very tasty and it's nice place to have a glass or two whilst waiting for your pizza. Highly..."

Darren Franks

"Just popped in for some lunch, best decision of the day. There was 6 of us and they were packed but made a table up for us, the incredible service..."

Toby S

"The pizza was amazing. I follow Jain diet strictly i.e. No onion and garlic and they customized the pizza for me. I was so happy and satisfied with..."

Shaily Shah

"I have not tasted Pizza so good in a long time. I went in because the reviews were great, and I was not disappointed. The best Pizza in Knysna for me..."

Mmenyana Ranku

"Very friendly service, nice and cosy terrace but most importantly... the best pizza on the garden route. Thin, not drowning in cheese and clearly..."

Peter Zentjens

"Love the relaxed atmosphere, The pizzas are great, friendly, and efficient service. Good wines per..."

Martin Reimann

"Fantastic team of people and incredible pizzas and pasta....and I am not even a pasta lively. Just a great place a bit like Cheers...home from..."

pankaj patel

"If you happen to go to knysna make sure you visit Chatters. Their pomodoro pasta was as good as their owners. The restaurant is run by Claire and her..."

Akshita Jain

"Great pizza place, the nicest place in Knysna we know of! I really like that you can effectively make your own pizza on top of a normal margarita. If..."

Niklas Meuter

"The best 5star Pizza and service ever!! They will definitely see me..."

Antoinette Jansen Van Rensburg

"Absolutely the best pizza we've ever had. Thank you for your friendliness and great tasting food. The milkshakes are creamy and..."

Deon Thomas

"Great choice of pizza and an enormous selection of wine. Couldn't ask for.much..."

Stuart Boston

"Always delicious. Freshly prepared wood-fired pizza table-side in the garden at..."

Chantal Bruwer

"Best pizzas in Knysna is a big claim, but Chatters lived up to it! Yum, new favourite..."

Megs Hollis

"The pasta was delicious, and the service was excellent. Small and cosy restaurant, which we will definitely visit..."

Sonia du Toit

"Had the most incredible pizza!! If you're in town you have to try try the "La Jacqueline" pizza and ask them to add Avos to it!!... You can thank me..."

Christian Strydom

"Gluten free pizza was not too bad considering it's SA and not Italy (where we come from)! My husband liked his pizza too. Very good service and nice..."

Martina M.

"We had a lovely meal here on our last night in Knysna. The service was great, and the food was delicious. Their dessert menu looked epic but I was..."

Bianca capazorio

"Delicious pizza in town. The service is awesome. Staff are very..."

Khalid AlShamlan

"The best pizza in town! This time I took it one step further and tried the cheesecake which I had with a cappucino - delicious! Its also very close..."

Reset

There are 6 restaurants

Cuisine

Dietary restrictions

Meals

Structure

Dishes

Italian cuisine: the best places to taste it in Knysna

Ranking

Sort A-Z

near you

Filters

Alyson Van Lier

Marieta Louw

Carla Lidstone

Ferdinand Jooste

John Lynne Coates

Tracey Van Eeden

Mia-Joi Duminy

Terri Wallace

Angeline Joan Strydom

Graham Bezuidenhout

Peter Chong

Joy Wansleeben

Adrian Berry

SONIX69 “Sonix69” Freeroaming

Joe Duff-Smith

Niel Botha

Lynette Barnardo

Nalika

Raadhiya Perin

i4x4 io

Menita Havelaar

James Ross

John Littlefield

Tania

Kent Weyers

Meshaan Naidoo

Martin Rimmer

Bobby Warren

Natalia

Hannah Abdoll

Mpho Mogale

Lize

Johannes

Satkaj

Helen Rossouw

Avneet Kohli

'Alessandro Cernuschi

Pratik Goel

Julanie J Kok

Megz Mackintosh

Elizna Fourie

Megsblogged

Redarmyrecruiting

Nastasjia-Leigh Pillay

16341317r

Heinri Van Zyl

Russel Roth

Michelle Elliott

Azrah Kadwa

Subramanian

Kari-Mari

Justin Asher

Abdullah Mahamed

Chelsea Natalie Le Roux

James Marsh

Chelsey Kayla Matthys

Marentia Van Kasterop

Rallid73

Jean Baard

Kudzai Maeresa

Janice Scheckter

Vasundhara Sikaria

Lauras World

Cait McWilliams

Ryan Goodman

Kirsty Metcalf

Arno Van Staden

Emilie Van Baalen