Just like Dean Martin said “like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”. It really is love! Tell me who doesn’t love pizza. Whether it’s a Napoletana style pizza or a classic thin crust and it is made in a wood-fired pizza oven, it most certainly is a love affair. Joburg has a pizza restaurant for everyone. Here’s Minkys guide to the best pizza spots in Johannesburg.
Franco’s Pizzeria and Trattoria
First up we have a little hidden gem of a real proper trattoria just like in Italy. Hidden in a little shopping centre in Tyrone Street Parkview, you will find the best little family-run old fashioned style Italian restaurant that just oozes atmosphere. Better than Franco’s you won’t find. The pizzas are made in view of the diners. You able to see them go straight into the oven and come straight out piping hot. The pizzas here are real perfection, trust me!
Address: 54 Tyrone Avenue, Parkhurst
Cafe 28
Known for serving the best Neapolitan style pizza in Johannesburg, in an outdoor setting, Cafe 28 uses quality ingredients most of which are imported from Italy as well as fresh organic produce grown in their own garden. Before you start googling, a Neapolitan pizza has a very thin crust at the base, with dough that puffs up around the sides and provides for a very airy crust. It is known for its simplicity as it is a style of pizza made with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
Address: 54 Wierda Rd E, Wierda Valley, Sandton
READ: NEAPOLITAN PIZZA – WHAT IS IT? WHERE CAN I GET IT?
The Saint
Put on your Sunday best and head to The Saint, one of Sandtons most fanciest dining establishments, for gourmet pizzas fresh out of the gold mosaic pizza oven. The pizza menu takes inspiration from Milan’s pizza-masters with some of the chefs having spent time specially in the kitchen of Gennaro’s where dough has been rolling out since 1935! You can choose between tomato based pizzas or a no-tomato cheese only based Bianca pizza. Both kinds are mouth watering good!
Address: The Marc, Corner Rivonia and Maude Street, Sandton
Trabella
If ultra thin crust pizza is your jam, then Trabella Pizzeria in Illovo is an absolute must visit. The pizzas are thin and crispy and menu selection is exciting! A must try is the Porcini Mushroom Pizza – it is extremely tasty. As delicious as the pizzas are, so are the salads. Especially the artichoke, avocado and cashew nut salad.
Address: First Floor, Thrupps Centre, 204 Oxford Rd, Illovo, Johannesburg
Settebello at The Italian Club
Settebello offers an undeniable authentic Italian experience and serves some really really good Neapolitan pizza. So good that a weekly visit here has become a habit! What makes these pizzas absolute perfection is that the dough is made using only four components. The pizzas are topped with artisanal cheeses and mozzarella and a signature sauce of Italian tomatoes. The bread-flavoured crust takes a mere 90 seconds in the wood-fired oven, at close to 400 degrees. Remember to save some space for some homemade gelato after!
Address: Italian Club Johannesburg, 7 Marais Road, Bedfordview
There you have it, the best pizza spots in Johannesburg. Which is your favourite?
