Review Mamma Roma - Newlands

Warm and quaint dining experience. This is a family run business, which is obvious in the manner in which this restaurant is run and how good the food is. Its the kind of place where you spend your money and walk away feeling fulfilled, knowing your money was well spent. Definitely a place I will come back to, and next time I'll bring my kids.

Went with friends for their last dinner in Cape Town. The pasta and gnocchi were splendid and very filling. Great salad bowl and delicious dessert, especially the sorbet which highlighted the end to a wonderful evening. Loved that it's a family run business, and that the owner checked on everyone and made sure we were all comfortable and enjoying the experience. Do book in advance and know that there is parking in the basement or on the road for you. It was lovely to see many local elderly ladies and gentlemen having dinner. We could see they were mostly regulars who grew up with the restaurant itself and enjoyed every moment of their stay. Thank you for the great memory created for everyone. Their will definitely be mentions of Mamma Roma when anyone wants delicious pasta. Take care...

Love this place. Steaks always cooked to perfection. Main meals always served with wonderful fresh vegetables. You know you are going to leave happily satisfied that it was money well spent. Management and staff are on the ball and we are always made to feel very welcome.

Went with friends on Valentine’s Day. The waiter (Nick, if I remember correctly) and owners were impeccably hospitable and the food was excellent and generously portioned . I loved how perfectly cooked my seafood pasta was and the prawn pasta sauce was absolutely delicious. The pesto gnocchi? 👌🏾. We got cheesecake and tiramisu for dessert. Unfortunately the cheesecake was too sweet for my liking but the tiramisu was good. Highly recommend.

Food was fair. Service was excellence. My wife had a calamari dish and then in turn had an upset stomach. A rather bad experience. The location is superb, the atmosphere is very good and great to have underground parking.

Beautifully owner managed restaurant where the waiting staff are phenomenal. I was treated like my support was important to them. That made me feel special. Lovely menu options and food quality and pricing are aligned

First time I went to Mamma Roma they were fully booked and now I understand why. One of the Best seafood pasta I had in Cape Town (perfectly cooked seafood) and amazing service. Super excited to go back!

Really good. The mamas Roma chicken has this velvety mushroom sauce that's just amazing... My wife had the ladies filet, and and what a good cut of meat, well seasoned and grilled. Nice ambiance, good and fast service too.

Such a great restaurant, good, hearty Italian food. The service we received was exceptional and our waitress was friendly and engaging

Way better than I expected. My parents took my wife, and I. Excellent Italian food. I had the best restaurant lasagne I've ever tasted. Atmosphere and service unobtrusive and conducive to good conversation and good food.

Lovely authentic Italian dishes. Warm and inviting environment. Highly attentive and friendly staff. Would highly recommend. Delicious food. Overall an exquisite experience.

Most amazing evening with fantastic service and incredible food. Will definitely go back.

They've spoiled me - will I ever enjoy a pasta again without comparing it to Mamma Roma's? Their panna cotta is also unrivalled. Chef's kiss* Service was quick and the place feels very intimate.

The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. The restaurant is run by Italians, which makes everything so much more authentic. The food is excellent, to say the least. The desserts just need a little TLC to keep up with the impeccable standard of the food. Other than that, we have eaten here twice and will definitely come again within the next month!

A lovely family orientated italian restaurant with a personal touch and authentic dishes. The staff and owner were very hospitable and made sure that we were comforable at all times. The pastas were made to perfection and the wine selection was great. I will definitely be back🍝🍷😘

One of my favorite spots, The best carbonara I have ever had and the service is amazing and fast! Really nice for dates and special occasions

Since I enjoy a glass or two of de-alcoholised wine, I asked whether they had any on their wine list as soon as I arrived at the restaurant. They advised me that they did not. I then asked whether I would be charged corkage if I drank my own, seeing as they had none to offer me. The waitress assured me that no corkage would be charged. However, when I received the bill there was an item of R 50.00 corkage on it. I questioned this with the waitress and she then told me that she did not have the necessary authority to agree to this. I asked why she had not said so in the first place, but we were interrupted when the wife of the owner (I think called Christina) suddenly appeared at the table and began to take over what became an unpleasant and loud argument in the full view and hearing of surrounding tables. Despite having been given the assurance that I would not be charged corkage, she still argued the toss and arrogantly challenged my right to tell her how to run her business. I said I was not telling her anything of the kind, simply expecting her to honour an agreement. Needless to say no agreement was reached. I then took the R 50.00 off the bill adding in excess of 10% for a tip. The waitress proceeded to strike out my calculation of the total and reinstate the original total but reducing the tip. I paid her my original calculation and we left. I was breathtaken by the brazen refusal to waive the corkage even though the waitress had assured me at the beginning that it would be done. The proprietress, of course, will simply penalise the waitress by taking the full bill and reducing the tip. Perhaps poetic justice in the circumstances. De-alcoholised wine lovers, don't expect any mercy from Mamma Roma !!

Booked at 11am for supper at 6.30 and specifically asked for a table inside and was confirmed as such. Got to the restaurant and was shown a table on the outside. Mentioned I asked for a table inside. Here is the response:<br/>“We are fully booked and this is the only table available. There are no other tables.” I say you confirmed a table on the inside and was ignored. <br/>Arrogance only lasts for the moment but the unpleasant experience lasts forever!! I’ll <br/>Watch this space.....

I came here for dinner last night with my family we ordered The pasta cabarane with penne and we orders chops with mash potato and carrots along with chips for the side plate as mains, fish and duck. The desserts was delicious last night we had Italian kisses Dom Pedro and the creme brulee. The service was pleasant 😀

Italian Food + Great Atmosphere + Great Music = 5 stars.<br/>Highly recommended for families and definitely a first date venue ;)<br/>Also a MUST HAVE : The Italian Kisses!

Unbelievable food, every, single, time!!<br/>Have always had a fantastic experience here, and have been visiting for over 15 years! Owner run restaurant with unparalleled quality.

When anyone in Cape Town hears of Mama Roma Newlands they think of Chris Barnard who was involved in it in his hey day! An old traditional Italian Restuarant that has been going for years and apparently maintained its standards. I popped in for lunch on Friday and was surprised it was so empty. They have very heavy wooden chairs with dated upholstery but crisp clean white table clothes. I had the Veal Masala with a large portion of chips. It comes with vegetables which today were spinach and grilled vegetables. The veal was thin and tender, well cooked and tasty with a dark gravy and mushrooms. The spinach was ok but the roast vegetables were great. Good to see a restaurant still serving good good after so many years.

Once more let me review this restaurant. I arrived for lunch and ordered their Bologna . I stand by the food was unseasoned and bland. The taste of the tomatoes was watery. The mince bland. I opted for the fresh taglierini option and it tasted store bought. This was my experience. (Normally you still season food before serving it)<br/><br/>The staff were friendly and attentive as can be on a Saturday before rugby at Newlands. The venue lends itself to a family or larger group environment and is well decorated.  Maybe the kitchen was slow or the Bolognese is not the correct dish to choose. I was just disappointed in what I believe to be a simple Italian dish. My rating is on the food. I am happy to be recommended a house favourite and rerate this establishment.

A completely disappointing experience. We were a table of 6. I ordered one the the specials which was Melanzane Parmagiana. My food only arrived 15 to 20 mins after everyone else's. The dish was hot but the food was stone cold. Obviously it was not freshly prepared. I sent it back and by the time it had been reheated, everyone had finished eating. I sent most of it back to the kitchen. When we asked the female owner for the charge to be removed from the bill, she was extremely rude and said that no one else had complained. A completely unacceptable response. We paid the bill in full and will never return.

A lovely, warm and friendly restaurant with tasty food and great service. Classic Italian dishes alongside crowd-pleasers like steak and fish. It's a bit old-fashioned, maybe, but in this case that's a compliment.

Our favourite local Italian spot. Meals are always consistently good and service very personal and warm. Veal to die for and the ox liver is also quite special.

This has been our family restaurant since I was about 4 and it will always remain a favorite ☺️ lovely staff and lovely food! Have the pasta al forno 😍

Mamma Roma is such a lovely restaurant situated in Newlands. My friend and I were bypassing when we decided to try the restaurant out for dinner. Even though they were fully booked and we did not make a reservation, they still happily accommodated us. The restaurant has an authentic European feel to it. <br/><br/>For starters we ordered their Greek salad, which was so refreshing and crisp. For mains, I wanted seafood platter, which they did not have on their menu. We spoke to the chef and told him exactly what we wanted. His special seafood platter for us, exceeded our expectations. The platter included kingklip, grilled and friend calamari, queen prawns and cray fish. It also included a portion of rice, chips and butternut and spinach. The food was spicy as requested. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Mamma Roma.

I've been going to this branch of Mama Roma for years and always alternate between the chicken schnitzel or a delucious veal dish. Service is top class and all the sides are yummy too. On the expensive side but so worth every cent if you want authentic Iralian. Homely feel just make sure you get a table insude and not in the passageway.

Ok so Mamma Roma is a really old fashioned, Italian - styled restaurant. It's classic in its appearance and beautiful. I love the ambiance given off by the dim lighting. The decor is simple and too the point and I love the murals on the walls.<br/><br/>In terms of food, everyone seemed to have a good meal with no complaints. Lamb, pasta alfredo, and duck are all good choices. Pudding was simply divine and everyone loved their picks, those being Creme Brulee, Italian Kisses and Malva Pudding with custard.<br/><br/>Service was friendly and helpful. However it was a little slow because the restaurant it always so busy. Be sure to book in advance to make sure you get a table. Overall a very enjoyable meal for everyone.

A really cute venue with an incredible Italian feel. I felt comfortable and welcomed as the chef shouted orders, and the hostess (the owner) was on her feet making sure everyone was happy. We had a chicken Alfredo with penne, and it was beautiful - a great place to go #TryItOut <br/>Lezanne Janse Van Vuuren

A Newlands institution - one of my favourite Italian restaurants. Husband and wife operated, consistently world class steaks, pastas, calamari and desserts. Highly recommended but reservations are advisable.<br/><br/>Update: one of a growing number of restaurants profiteering from the drought by denying customers tap water and upselling bottled water in the name of "helping" the environment. Repugnant.

Mamma Roma is the real deal if you are looking for amazing, authentic Italian dishes. My wife and I recently visited Mamma Roma as part of a large school parent function and were very impressed. The Calamari starters were delicious and the veal equaled the best I have had in Italy. The excellent Tiramisu was the perfect ending to a stunning dinner. <br/>

First time I've been this hidden gem and wasnt dissapointed! Had the calamari tenticles with a lemon butter sauce for starters and it was amazing! Then onto kingklip which you can't beat. Creme brulè finally capped off a fantastic evening. Cant say I'm the biggest fan of the location being inside a shopping mall - but everything else is good!

Mama Roma is our family's go-to restaurant. The chef/owner Romano produces authentic Italian food and a true Mediterranean vibe. There's a great wine list, an array of specials and fantastic service. What more could you want? I eat the same thing every time I come here- their grilled garlic & chili calamari with grilled veg on the side. My dad (on average) gets the rump steak, my boyfriend gets the veal saltimbocca and we always order copious amounts of Rupert & Rothschild and homemade Limoncello. Their pasta is also as good as my Nonna's- that says a lot. All in all, they are brilliant. Just book yourself a table and go feel at home.

Mama Roma is a very average restaurant! Go there....or don't! Its not a must.I am by no means a fish lover but I will say that the Kingklip was a good choice and very much enjoyed.All 4 of us had the same dish....3 of which ordered the R 79.50 under light meals and 1 ordered the full portion for R 140. I have to say that there were truly a miniscule difference between the full portion and the light one.With the main course one is offered EITHER CHIPS RICE MASH OR VEG. For R 140 one would expect both as opposed to the light option.One of us ordered Malva Pudding for dessert. The presentation was way under par.Service was extremely average. We sat on the edge of the restaurant where spare chairs were stored in a disorderly manner. I have the burning desire to get up and tidy up but restrained myself.Would I go back........well maybe if passing but by no means in a rush or top of my priority list.A tad disappointing.

Mamma Roma is the ultimate. My family has been going there for years. Every time we don't feel like cooking and don't mind going out instead of slugging on the couch, we go to Mamma Roma without a doubt. It is run by an Italian couple Romano and Christina - two of the most welcoming and friendly people I know. They serve the most scrumptious, authentic Italian cuisine- from their delicious homemade pastas (the gnocchi Napoletana being my favourite), to their veal limone with angel hair pasta on the side, to the best grilled calamari and squid heads you will ever have, to their soulful sole and to their veal with artichoke sauce... You cannot go wrong. My mouth is watering at the thought. Mamma Roma is one of the only proper Italian restaurants in Cape Town. Apart from their food, their service is impeccable. I strongly recommend this restaurant. You will leave there with a full belly, feeling content and happy.

We celebrated a friend's birthday. What a great choice. Excellent service all round from a warm welcome to a professional and friendly waitress. Every single meal was delicious and served beautifully. I had the Vitello Al Porcini my clean plate says it all. My husband had the sirloin tagelina -their special menu - this was the winning dish. No pretty view as the restaurant is inside a small shopping mall. But the decor is tasteful and the food experience make up for this. Definitely worth a revisit. Loved it.

In my view, probably the best Italian restaurant in the Southern Suburbs. Friendly staff, energetic owners and unbeatable food. My favourite dishes include the Spaghetti Bolognese, grilled calamari and veal. If you're looking for  an authentic Italian evening, look no further.