Review Asta Italian Restaurant - Stellenbosch

Celebrated my son's birthday and it was really lovely. Can't wait for the next dinner date there. Waitress was really professional and friendly. Food was delicious and portions very good. If I may just critic one thing and that's the pricing of the soft drinks. Please be slightly more realistic with your pricing.

We picked up pasta to enjoy on our patio and enjoy the sunset. They forgot to add our salad to the order and brought it to us personally. That is what you call great service! The food was amazing!

My first time at ASTA and it was a great experience, the food was superb, I had the Mafiosa pasta, without the rocket and added mushrooms, just amazing, as was the service. The decor and setup it lovely to, I'll definitely be popping in again!

Glad we booked as it was full on Friday evening. Pasta is alright - a little inconsistent as both hubby and I ordered the same yet it looked and tasted differently (mine was more “eggy” carbonara and his was very buttery and the sauce split), the upcoming cocktail menu will be great. Prosecco Negroni was my go to.

What a great find on our evening walk around Stellies. We found this place by chance on our dinner search on 12th July 2023. It's a cozy little place with an open view of the kitchen; without the noise of banging pots. The host at the front was warm and welcoming; and thanked us for choosing them. We requested a table near the ceiling heaters and that made the chilly Stellies evening more bearable. We were served by a fantastic waitress who provided great suggestions. We had the Asta pizza (with bolognaise sauce) which would satisfy the hungriest. My partner had the Pescatore (Prawn) with Tagiatelle; and she was not disappointed. We skipped the starters as we eyeing dessert. They have homemade gelato with a scoop of chocolate and vanilla each. Great way to end off our meal. The service was brilliant with the amazing waitress; and an attentive but non-intrusive manager. PS: We were told only the pizzas are gluten-free; not the pastas.

What a quaint little Italian spot! Very misleading entrance as it looks very small, however when you walk through the doors there is a beautiful and romantic courtyard. Very warm welcome, our waitress Leah was fantastic and gave an all around great service! The pizza with a thin crust was delicious, the pasta left some room for improvement, but tasty nonetheless. The only critic I have and what kept me from giving them 5 stars was the coke zero...it got served in a high ball glass (approx 200ml) and I saw that it got poured out of a 2L bottle?? My first glass was flat and they had to bring me another one. When going to a restaurant you expect a can...you are looking for food and drinks you can't have at home, but then to make matters worse - R40 for the glass of coke zero. FORTY RAND!!! Are you joking? That's beyond ridiculous and a rip off! Other than that we had a lovely evening

Great service and phenomenal food! We had an array of the the pizzas and the pastas and not a complaint was heard! To top it all of they had a superb wine list! A perfect setting for dinner on a cold winter evening or enjoy the beautiful pattio on a warm summer night!

I spent my birthday evening at Asta and I had a great time. There is parking right next to the venue, the service was personalized and the venue was intimate and cosy. The manager came to our table to see if everything was fine, he ensured that the lighting and music selection was top notch for the evening. The only critique I have lies with the food. The pizza we had was very clean from a flavour profile perspective which for some people may be adequate but if you're coming to dine with a more 'refined pallet' then you may feel that the food lacks richness, especially considering the pricing. I respect the venue and what it offered, but I just wish it wowed us a bit more from a food flavour perspective. All in all, we had a great time and I wish the owner and staff all the best. I will definitely be returning in the near future with the hope that the flavor profiles improves. Give this venue a try, especially if you are into clean eating and enjoy cosy intimate settings with great service.

Wow! What an experience!! The vibe was fantastic, and lovely service with the owner checking in regularly and greeting you at the door. Food was fantastic, couldn't fault anything. Definitely worth a visit.

Generous plates of delicious traditional Italian food. Lovely atmospheric restaurant with excellent service. What more can I say?

Fantastic food, excellent service. A winter's evening might not be the best date night idea if you get cold easily. Fortunately, the warm, friendly staff make up for the crisp weather. Seating is tight so be prepared to overhear a conversation or two. Nothing like the courtyard view, to make you believe you are elsewhere in the world.

Located on a quiet stretch of the heritage site that is Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, this lovely restuarant is a hidden gem behind a modest facade. Entering through a cozy and modern entrance area the main dining area is warm and atmospheric, while being well-lit and cleanly decorated. For those that know about this restuarant it is well sought after and it is almost always necessary to book a table well in advance. Though the service was a little slow to get our drinks order they recommended a truly delicious and well-priced bottle of italian variant red wine, from the Cape Interior. The Rosso, Idiom - Sangiovese, 2018. We had a melt in your mouth Margherita pizza, which arrived straight from a flaming pizza oven, within a very short period after placing our order. Thereafter we had the Napoletana and Burro Parmigiano pasta with tagliatelle. These dishes are both very classic and simplistic dishes, with few ingredients - leaving nowhere for the chef to hide. They were both truly exceptionally made. We spent the evening engaged in conversation over good wine and food. Suspended lights, strung up in a glass-walled courtyard frame a beautiful tree against the backdrop of the night sky. I highly recommend a visit to this exceptional restuarant for an authentic Italian experience. A must try for locals and visitors alike. Though I offer a word of caution to the restuarant - service could be slightly faster and the manager could offer friendlier reception.

Lovely setting , wine and pizza . 😊 It’s a nice place for dinner .

Asta is our favorite local spot! Last night we had a bruschetta starter with fresh tomatoes on olives. For mains we had the Roma and the Asta pizza. And then we shared a tiramisu for dessert. We brought our own wine and the corkage was only R50. Like usual, the service was exceptional and everything was really delicious! Parking at the back is also a plus since usually that's a big problem in Stellies. Overall we had a really good date night! If I could I would give 10 stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Firstly, from what i experienced it's great The atmosphere is calming and altogether enjoyable the smell of the great food in the air and the soft music playing in the background, On to the food and wow the food i really can't complain the pizzas were just made to perfection.

When we arrived (just two of us), the manager served us and I found him to be quite rude and uninterested. We were one of two tables of customers at the time. We sat waiting for service for 15-20 min, when the manager finally returned, we could take a look at the menu. I placed an order specifically without a certain ingredient.<br/> I then waited an hour and a half for our food to arrive. I had to complain to a different person, a waitress who had come in. Once our food arrived, my order was scattered full of the ingredient I asked several times to be left off of my meal. <br/><br/>My partner enjoyed his pasta though but I feel my pizza was underwhelming. <br/><br/>A while after our lunch, both my partner and I experienced symptoms of food poisoning (stomach cramps and so on). <br/><br/>Very disappointed in the experience, especially after all of the raves we have heard about this place.

If I were to base it on food and portion size alone, Asta would get a much higher rating. The flavor and quality was like no other, and the food arrived very quickly even though it was clearly freshly made. <br/><br/>But due to the “authentic” Italian owner who is actually just incredibly rude, my experience has been brought down to a two. After my previous attempt at visiting Asta, my group was 5 minutes late for our booking due to an accident, and we were rudely brushed aside even though the restaurant wasn’t full. This time was no better when it came to the service, even the waitron was unenthusiastic. Don’t expect any good customer service.

We heard amazing things about this place. And we are so grateful we came. The food was great. The portions were great, the staff were friendly and the vibe was very intimate.

Heard that the food was good and we booked a table. Unfortunately we were running a little bit late and well ... grumpiest and rudest owner ever.

We shared some starters which were tasty and beautifully presented. I had the paezanna pasta and it was divine, the portions are healthy and the flavours were well balanced. We sat in the courtyard, it was a lovely, quaint atmosphere. The tiramisu was also delicious, authentic Italian tiramisu. We will definitely be visiting again when we are back in Stellenbosch!

Excellent pasta! Don't expect the owners to be too chatty, but definitely go for the best pasta in Stellenbosch! The building and interior is beautiful.

Asta seemed like a great Italian restaurant as we entered, the food was fine and the dessert was amazing. The only real complaint is that all the pastas had the same base sauce and there was no variety of pasta flavours. Service was ok, could be better as we were hardly tended to but the experience wasn't an overall bad one

Great food, great service. I come here a few times a year and am never disappointed! Both their pizzas and their pastas are to die for! Also try their bread with your pasta :-)

Wow what a place small and intimate!! Good food and good service the best pizza I ever had in Stellenbosch will def be back its my number 1 Italian Restaurant! <br/>

Great food, nice and cosy atmosphere. All in all a good place. Will definitely be back again.

Asta la Pasta, as I know it, is my favourite pizza and pasta spot in Stellenbosch. The variety of dishes is quite impressive – from traditional to trendy. I have visited this restaurant quite a few times and I've never been disappointed in the food. The atmosphere is very nice – minimalistic and clean. The fireplace is quite exceptional on a winter’s night, with a nice long table right next to it. The service is, however, a bit of a letdown for this gem: friendliness is not high on the list. The food always comes quickly, but not with a smile – leaving a bitter taste for such a great Italian spot!

Alhough the food was really good, the service left a bad taste in the mouth, and we were basically evicted by the owner who gave us the bill obviously signalling that they want to close shop for the night.

"Asta La Pasta", as it used to be called, is the real deal - unlike the saucy American "Italian" us South Africans are used to. It is a little family-run restaurant and before they moved to their new location, one used to be able to see the whole family in action in the open kitchen. The restaurant is now situated on a prime spot next to the Slee Gallery in Dorp street. It has a clean, modern feel to it and a small outside area at the back. <br/><br/>But it's the food that steals the show! The pasta is obviously home made and the sauces traditional Italian, made using only the finest ingredients. One can identify each component that went into the meal, as one should. Their pizzas are also exceptional with a relatively thin base. And the few times that I've been, their specials were different each time. <br/><br/>Unfortunately, the service was pretty slow the last time hence the 4 and not 4.5 rating from me. The owner did apologise profusely himself, though we couldn't make out much of what he was saying due to the accent. Haha. Definitely make a reservation before you go, the restaurant is small and very popular.

This is definitely one of my favorite dinner spots in town. I have been there a few times and have never been disappointed with the food. I have had a variety of their pastas but always seem to go back to the gnocchi with the zozzona sauce, an absolute win. Simple Italian dishes made to perfection. Their pasta portions are generous and they are not stingy with their pizza toppings. It is good value for money and definitely a place you could enjoy with the whole family. This restaurant has a very relaxed atmosphere and good wine that often has me staying there for a few hours. I highly recommend this little Italian spot.

Asta came highly recommended by friends. Everything was great up until We were served our mains. I ordered a special, a carbonara and when it came with beef instead of pancetta, as described - I enquirer about the substitution and the owners wife (a South African) threw a fit, and treated us with no respect. <br/><br/>However, the Italian owner did compensate by not charging us for the mains. He was sweet. <br/><br/>A little respect goes a long way, and I don't tolerate unsubstantiated disrespect. I'm sure we would have had a great time, had it not been for the owners wife. Asta la pasta, baby. Pity.

We had a very enjoyable relaxing and peaceful evening at this quaint and very Italian restaurant. The Classico and Parmigiana starters were great, quite filling but a good selection of meats and bread. For mains I had a very tasty Amatriciana Nepoletana pasta that was full of flavor and some delicious cuts of meat. The vibe is great and romantic, the service was good and the owner stumbles around adding a great touch of Italian to your meal. Overall a great experience and a perfect place to sit down and have a good conversation over a great Italian meal Trinka Mynhardt

I love this place! The vibe, the food, and the authenticity makes this the best little Italian restaurant in the area. For starters we had the Classico platter with an assortment of Italian meats, cheeses and grilled vegetables. Simple but tasty. We also had the Parmigiana bruschetta which was delicious and very large for a starter. For mains we had the the Pescatore pasta with cherry tomatoes, prawns and chili- so fresh and so delicious! We also had the Amatriciana napoletana pasta, mouthwatering and full of flavour. Portions are big, the pasta is incredibly fresh and the owner adds an Italian charm that sets this little romantic restaurant apart from others. Loved it!

The food is truly exceptionally good! You would have to look far and wide for flavor of this caliber. However, it is important that you bring your own atmosphere, and that you do not take the stoicism of the owners personally. Maybe they're considered gregarious folks elsewhere? Good, good food.

Felix' understanding of Italian flavours allows him to present magical pasta dishes with the flavours in harmony. Our favorites are the Russa and Mafioso pastas. I've read some ignorant reviews about the Italian owner, but my advise to those individuals are to phone and book two days in advance as Felix limits the number of guests to make sure it is a pleasant experience for all.

We were chastised for not phoning to make a booking, even though we phoned at least 5 times throughout the day with no answer. I don't know how the food is, nor will I ever.

The rudest manager/owner I have ever experienced at a restuarant. Good quality is irrelevant when faced with such poor behaviour - we will NOT be back!!!

Carefully considered Italian menu, honouring fundamental combinations and flavours. Tasty tomato sauce on a crispy wood-fired base, fresh, flavoursome toppings. We sat in the courtyard, will definitely be back when next in Stellenbosch.