Review Osteria Tarantino - Cape Town Central

This was some of the best food I have ever eaten in my life. The flavours and attention to detail were amazing. Every dish was excellent and the service was good too. I tried 5 different dishes and they all were perfect. Truly, I can't recommend this place enough.

Italian food made with passion. Quality ingredients and bags full of flavour. Small, cute and cozy. Only 10 tables. Run by the owner. Well worth the visit. If you go once I am sure you will be back again

Definitely worth a visit. Meet the owner. Wine recommendation was lovely. Food was different but absolutely delicious. Atmosphere was proper Italian. Will definitely go back with some friends.

This place is fantastic. Reservation is a must. You are personally attended by the owner, Enrico. Home-made pasta. Generous potions. You feel at home. Comprehensive South African wine list.

One of our favourite spots in the Waterkant. Their pastas are made fresh and are absolutely delicious. My Favorite is the 4 P’s and the truffle Arancini. Enrico who owns the restaurant has been making delicious food for the area for many many years. An absolute hidden gem.

The restaurant is conveniently located in De Waterkant and gives off authentic traditional Italian vibes. The food is outstanding. The pasta is homemade and cooked to perfection. The sauces are traditional, use quality ingredients and are unbelievably well executed. The service is friendly and attentive. Great option for a good quality Italian meal.

Great little place to get some real Italian pasta for a grate price. The owner is very nice and the staff is attentive. I had the 4 P's bianco which was full of flavour and saucy. I'd also recommend some buratta and ham for side dishes. Osteria Tarantino is lovely! Have a blessed day! @abusnaakie

This is a quaint Italian style restaurant with very few seats so getting a reservation was a bit tricky but it was so worth it! The space is really small and cosy, with menus on the board. Food was incredible, service was great too. Will definitely be visiting again

We stayed in an VBRO about a block away from the restaurant. The home owner happened to be Italian and when we asked for recommendations for where to eat the best Italian she said Osteria Tarantino. Well, after she said her kitchen, lol. She was spot on; the food and service were very good. The owner came over several times to explain dishes and even ensured that our orders were taken before a large party so we wouldn't have to wait too long.

Best pasta I had in my life, all home made with the best flavors. A gem of a little hidden restaurant near Bo- Kaap. Will most certainly be back.

We struggled to find the place, Google Maps did not much help because we didn't realise that it was upstairs. Sadly, the veal hadn't yet been delivered, which meant that quite a few of the menu items weren't available. However, the food that we had was excellent and the service was very good too. A great, intimate little venue which we will certainly visit again. 😀

A fantastic place to eat in Cape Town, highly recommend you plan in advance and make a reservation here as it’s a smaller place! I had 4Ps bianco and my partner had tagliatelle and both were delicious! Serving the pasta in the pan is the way it should always be served, keeps it warm throughout the meal. Customer service was spot on and ambience was great. We wish we could have had the dinner experience there!

Amazing restaurant and service. The owner is very friendly his name is Enrico. For starters we had octopus carpaccio and veg buratta. We had da Luca to drink and Prosecco and some burr ate. For mains gnocchi and delicious lamb pasta. Highly recommended! Great vibe very cosy for winter,

Food was good. I went there by myself and i for me the service was a little too inattentive. But I would definitely recommend to go there. But better reserve a table. The place is pretty small

This is a great little authentic Italian restaurant, it deserves all the accolades it receives. The pasta dishes are delectable, freshly made and quite inspired, not the usual run of the mill stuff. I had the 4P's pasta which was excellent. Portion sizes are spot on, and the personal service is friendly, genuine and welcoming. A must visit when visiting Cape Town and on my list of top 3 Italian spots in the city!

Another OMG hidden gem. Italian food at its best from starter to desert. Our party group had an exclusive experience. Balanced flavours a must try and experience. Cost efficient worth every cent. Meet Enrico the owner, gotta love old school cooking experience and expertise.

Just had a delicious meal at this quaint little piece of Italy. We shared a starter of mozzarella sheets filled with parma ham, sundried tomato and rocket, which was oh so tasty, then went on to ravioli - one with a yummy tomato based sauce with a hint of chili, and the other with to-die-for truffle cream. Dessert (why not?) was handmade ice cream. It's a small space, hidden in a side street in bustling De Waterkant. The decor is tasteful, the food (portions focus on quality not quantity) is fresh with well-balanced flavours, and the service is exceptional - especially from owner, Enrico, who feels like a long-lost close friend within minutes! This is a brand new spot, so they're still waiting for their liquor license and credit card machine. If you go soon, take your own wine (no corkage yet) and cash. Enjoy!

I was consistently impressed from the moment I walked into this restaurant! This is an authentic family run Italian restaurant - the service was excellent and the food is out of this world� I highly recommend it to anyone that is passionate about good food.

Dear Enrico, Teresa, Michele & Jonathan, We're back in Philippines & missing Osteria Tarantino very much. We will toast to your good health & continued success when we drink Madonna coffee Pinotage. Enjoy your well deserved rest & holiday! Take care, Love Dina & Sean xx

Our second meal here. Fantastic! The menus are on a chalkboard but just ask the owner Enrico for suggestions and you won't be disappointed. A family run business if you are in Capetown highly recommend visiting this establishment.

It is my favorite restaurant in CapeTown!!! More than a meal, it was a touching experience, a great memory ! They are so kind and lovely.. and the food is délicious! I can't wait to be back! As soon as I land in CapeTown I'll stop there!

Went last night to the first time & was extremely happy! Delicious spinach & ricotta ravioli in an incredible truffle sauce. Quite unusual, haven't had a sauce like that before at an Italian. Hubby had very tasty gnocchi. Nice cosy vibe. Nice gin. Will be back!

these beautiful gems really tickle my fancy. the passion really shows, in a variety of ways. firstly, the venue is quaint in an on-trend, yet rustic way. it's full of ambience - you can tell that the place was done with thought and care. and then the little careful, considered touches, like the quality wines served, the sensational olive oil, the fresh crusty bread, the chalk board menus, the sugar sachets in painted enamel mugs (a little local flavour) - all of these little touches go a long way to adding to the overall enjoyment of the experience. and the service was informative and friendly and top notch. but the star is the food. all courses were simply delicious; just the way Italian food should be prepared and served - the flavours and textures were truly excellent. but, it's more than that - it's elegant in its simplicity. I left with a spring in my step. well worth a visit or more. I know I will be back.

Osteria Tarantino - What a treasure! Enrico and his family really deliver excellence. The food is lip-smackingly good and will have me back for more. I can't wait to sample every dish on their well-curated menu.

Small and cozy restaurant, great traditional food and amazing people! Thank you Osteria Tarantino for the great night!! I highly recommend them!

Thank you Teresa, Enrico and Michele for a great evening with your delicious food, the Tiramisu is for sure the best I had in a South African restaurant in the past years. A cosy restaurant with a family touch and great value for money!

The best Italian restaurant in Cape Town, possibly South Africa- the most authentic and delicious experience combined with great service!

Exceptionally beautiful hidden gem, had a wonderful meal. Great service with a personal touch! Can't wait to come back

Gorgeous quaint little Italian place in Waterkant St Definitely worth a visit for authentic superb quality Italian cuisine! Super service! Take yr own wine until they get their license.

Best authentic Italian in Cape Town by a long shot! Try the home made fresh pastas - Ravioli with Truffle cream sauce and 4P's pasta. Both exceptional dishes loaded with fresh ingredients and packed with flavour. Definitely a top spot, but don't forget to book as this cosy little Italian eatery is becoming increasing popular, justifiably so....

The best kept secret. Amazing setting, beautiful authentic Italian food, great service.. Wonderful place.

AMAZING! Delicious authentic pasta and brilliant service! We will definitely be back when in town again ❤️

Osteria torentino - if you want to have a pasta that will send you into the abyss of another realm, you need to pop into ostero tarantino. The 4 P’s is an absolute show stopper. I have never in all my years seen my partner(who is super appropriate) pick up the dish and scrape it out to enjoy every last morsel. Home cooked meal by the owner who personally comes to check if you are being taken care of and if the meal is to your liking.

Best Italian restaurant in Cape Town. From start to finish everything was just right. Not perfect - just right. For starters we had the burata, and I can guarantee you won't find better anywhere else in the city. For mains we had the house speciality (4 p's pasta) and Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Poetry on a plate.

While searching for a definitive Italian spot in the mother city, I stumbled across Osteria Tarantino. I have to admit I was expecting more. The presentation of the food was great and the variety definitely places it above some other less authentic options, but it's still didn't hit the mark.<br/><br/>Although their starters do well, the gnocchi are slightly over-done and not quite the right texture. For a plate of pasta I'd rather stay home. Their tiramisu is not bad, but a little more coffee in the mix wouldn't hurt.<br/>The place has a great setting and the staff is very friendly, but the size of the place left me feeling boxed in.

The best pasta I've ever had in Cape Town! The place is small and we were luck to get a table after booking the day before, but the atmosphere is absolutely incredible. The wait staff are friendly and helpful, and the owner/chef is a delightful, attentive and quick guy. My partner had their signature 4 Ps pasta, which he loved, and I had the most beautiful carbonara I have ever encountered: light and flavourful. Definitely looking forward to going back and trying their other dishes!

Intimate atmosphere with fantastic service. Food portions are just right and the tiramisu is to die for. Be sure to book, this is place is booked up well in advance!

We've been lucky enough to eat here twice now, and loved the food all round. Deficits don't feature, simply delicious. More importantly though is the pace of things here. You can relax and enjoy your meal, no rush, sip your wine while sampling food and yakking away. This place helps create experiences of what it must have been like in times gone by. Deliciously slow to savour the whole.

Delicious food- out of this world! Little Italy in the heart of Cape Town. Hands on owner and friendly staff, I would recommend anyone to go visit.

Been so looking forward to finally get in at OT's.. Acclaimed as the best Italian restaurant in Cape Town... The setting was perfect... Back street.. Yet just around the corner from everything.. The people, staff and Owner were awesome.. the food and wine was a fantastic and refreshing treat... As it was perfect too... A must do.... Book at least two week in advance...

This place was excellent. I have been trying to get in every time I go down to Cape Town but you need to book long in advance. I expected it to be a bit snobby because of this but I couldn’t be more wrong. The staff were so lovely and welcoming. <br/>The food was also fantastic. Smallish menu but we still couldn’t decide what to get so completely over ordered and got 3 mains for 2 of us. The veal lemone and the 4 P pasta were the favourites but followed closely behind by the truffle ravioli. <br/>

I’ve waited to visit Osteria Tarantino a long time.... getting in there without booking a week in advance is pretty much impossible. It was well worth the wait! The pasta’s were all excellent - the gnocchi is the 2nd best in Cape Town - and the restaurant is small and intimate. Portions were not huge, but enough for me. I’d recommend Dinner there soon.

Intimate and authentic Italian tucked away in De Waterkant. Great pastas and affordable wine options. Try the 4 P's signature dish and home made tiramisu<br/>

Best meal of the year. Definitely my best restaurant for now. Having just returned from a trip to Italy, I can honestly say it does does not get more authentic Italian than this. Small, perky and quaint. Only seats 38 patrons. Each and and every dish is cooked fresh from scratch. Menu selection is small yet varied. The starters were superb, main course awesome and desserts so good I had to have 2 (don't tell my trainer). It is family run and the service was warm, welcoming most efficient. I can't wait to return. Book well in advance.

This restaurant is a hidden Italian gem. <br/><br/>It is tiny, intimate and felt incredibly authentic. We were served by a lovely Italian gentleman with a passion for his food. It's an ideal place for meaty pasta lovers but my vegetarian pasta definitely won the greatest food envy at my table. The 'cream of truffle ravioli' was recommended to me and is the most beautiful pasta I have had in a restaurant - it was perfectly balanced and not actually creamy which I preferred. My friends had the gnocchi and the 4Ps ravioli which were also superb. <br/><br/>I will definitely be back!

Osteria Tarantino was incredible. Having spent much time eating all the pasta in Italy, we can say that this is hands down "The Italian" restaurant. We spent R1600 for four people for three courses and wine-this was without even looking because everything on the menu looked and sounded amazing. Heading back in a week! Make sure you book!

Superb evening out with friends at this small, authentic Italian. It was packed when we arrived at 7:30pm and we were the last to leave at 11pm, so that's a double endorsement. <br/><br/>Limited but authentic menu, with veal a prominent ingredient (carpaccio, meatballs, scallopini). Our table of 6 had primi of antipasto, caprese, burrata, truffle tortelli, and secondi of 4ps (two different versions, veal meatballs, veal scallopini with mushrooms. We drank Edina Chardonnay and Nativo red, and finished off with Tiramisu, Cassata, and a couple of coffees. <br/><br/>It was a very relaxed and fun evening, with attentive staff, and the table behind us was almost as noisy as ours. We'll be back - but it's closed for 2 weeks from 11 June while the owners have a break in Rome. <br/><br/>The picture of our table says it all - busy hands, full plates, and wine quaffing.

Brilliant!<br/><br/>My absolute favourite type of restaurant. Small, simple menu that serves great ingredients that are perfectly prepared. The chef/owner is an absolute delight and his food will put a smile on anyone's face. <br/><br/>The wine list, like the food, is small and simple but compliments the food completely. <br/><br/>The cannoli is the best I have ever eaten!

I have died and gone to heaven! Brilliant Authentic Italian cuisine! Had the 4 "p"'s and Ravioli with cream truffle sauce! Truly out of the world! Small restaurant with personal service... will be back for sure! The Veal Meatballs - outstanding with flavor!

Where to begin... well, three days later and I am still drooling over this meal! The restaurant is small, so book ahead. But, wow. The food. WOW!! Run by four people, it feels as though you are sitting at your friends house, and eating a family meal in Italy. Every ingredient was carefully selected to make this meal one of the best I have had. I hope to book again soon and come back. Amazing value for money, great staff, amazing environment and really really insanely good food. Thank you!!

Best Vongole made by Papa, good food great people. Thank you for the lovely lunch.<br/>Lovely afternoon in the sun. Great to have family run and operated businesses.

Top notch. Wonderful food. Portions not too big or small. Great desserts that even habitual non-dessert eaters can't resist. Decent prices. Winner!

Midweek Birthday lunch at this homely italian restaurant tucked away off Waterkant street. The owner in attendance is always a good sign and the food certainly had that homemade feel to it although it did, in general, lack the consistency of flavours of a few other top local italian eateries.

It’s been a while since I was in Italy but if I take a bite of Osteria Tarantino pasta it brings me right back to those warm nights by lake Como. This is the real Italian way of making and eating pasta. The chef came by our table to ask if everything was alright and I am quite certain he is authentic ;)<br/><br/>We shared a tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil starter. This was accompanied by fantastic Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegar. <br/>The main meal was amazing; my friend and the gnocchi with blue cheese sauce (I thought the blue cheese might be too overpowering but it was subtle and yum). I wish I had chosen this looking back. But, mine was also nice: The PS pasta which had a creamy tomato sauce with Parma ham and cheese. The waiter came by to grate even more cheese over our cutely plated dishes, I will never say no to that.<br/><br/>They don’t have their liquor licence yet so you can bring your own bottle of wine, always a pleasure.

Authentic and absolutely delicious from start to finish. This family owned and run little gem is brilliant for a work dinner or date night. Simple flavors with generous portions. We will be back again and again.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Faultless.<br/><br/>Enrico is the cutest, most charming little Italian fellow you will ever meet. <br/><br/>The cosy little restaurant is pretty much picture perfect in every way.<br/><br/>Authentically Italian and so very very Cape Town. <br/><br/>Do yourself and try the Tuscan cigars to start with and then the 4ps dish as a main. Going to change your life. Give it a try. You'll be back. <br/>Love and light!

An Italian Gem: The restaurant and the owner! <br/><br/>I have now had the pleasure of eating at Osteria twice within the space of a month and the next return is sure to be in the near future. The decor is simple and elegant with surrounding raw brickface and wood walls contrasted with crisp white tablecloths . <br/><br/>The owner, Enrico, is attentive and charming not to mention, a fantastic cook. Much like the decor the menu is simple, being refined to a few enticing dishes. The obvious highlight is the fresh made pasta which is some of the best I have ever tasted. I had the 4Ps dish and the tagliatelle, at each respective visit. Both were packed with flavour, freshness and attention. Most enjoyably, the food is comfortable, almost like being at Enrico's for Sunday dinner with his family. If you are planning on getting dessert the cannoli's are definitely at the top of the list after having tried all 3 desserts ( incl. cassata and tiramisu). <br/><br/>I sincerely hope Osteria is here to stay, as it would be a shame to see such a balanced yet charming eatery depart.

Very friendly and authentically Italian. The veal meatballs & spaghetti would make your day 9.5 out 10 times!!<br/><br/>Free corkage allows you to add your own little touch to the experience, a perfect way to enjoy a little hint of Italy.

This little restaurant is a gem. It's rare to find a great place such as this. The food was excellent with the customer service being on an equal level. The venue is on the smaller side adding to the charm. If you're in the area I would recommend this place over any of the other restaurants.

This restaurant wow where do I begin... I must say I have been to many Italian restaurants in South Africa and around the world but osteria tarantino is by far the best I have been to.. from the food the amazing quality of there products and to the amazing end result the most amazing flavours...The amazing hospitality me and my wife recived from Michele, Enrico and Theresa wow I will certainly travel 1000 kms to come eat there again... thank u very much to all at osteria tarantino...

What a little hidden treasure! I have never ever finished an entire pasta let alone an entire pasta after starters! The food was phenomenal! The personal one on one service was outstanding! I'll be back in no time 😬 I would give the rating way higher than 5 if I could!

This little restaurant is our own piece of authentic Italy right on the doorstep. I found it by accident whist strolling through De Waterkant Village. The Chef will cook you any dish if you name a few ingredients & he has them in the kitchen. The food is delicious and service quick & friendly. I will be back often. I ate the 4 P's and it was amazing!

A really good Italian family restaurant. Quaint with good service. The 4p's pasta and veal with mushrooms were world class. Definitely recommend it.

I saw some rave reviews of this restaurant on trip advisor had couldn't wait to try it. Tucked away at the top of Waterkant St, the location is quaint and we did not struggle to find parking on a Friday night. This is very much a family run little restaurant and as such there is a very welcome personal touch. Enrico is a charming host ably assisted by his wife and son. The decor is a bit stark but not a problem. Menus are displayed on boards and are quite limited. There is a choice of antipasto which consists mainly of various combinations of proscuitto and mozzarella or other Italian cheese. We had an Italian salad to start which was fresh and tasty, made more interesting by the addition of some sundried tomatoes and gorgonzola. A very limited selection of primi/secondi was on offer- a choice of only 6 dishes. This might be too limiting for some diners. We had butternut panserotti with napolitan sauce. Cooked perfectly al dente- though i must confess to preferring slightly more cooking! The dish was great but not<br/>exceptional. Our veal with mushrooms was tender-seldom the case in SA- and delicious and the mushroom sauce was tasty but again not exceptional.<br/>A shared casatta was again nice bit not anything to get excited about.<br/>The thing is, the lovely folk running this restaurant are really nice and I hope they make a great success of this new place. Try it. The food is good but not as exceptional as I was anticipating and maybe a tad pricey for what you get.