South Africa’s favourite pizza restaurant is in Cape Town. Bardelli’s Restaurant in Kenilworth clinched the top spot in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge.
South Africa’s favourite pizza restaurant is in Cape Town
According to the organizers of the competition, it was a stunning comeback for the restaurant which had to bow out of last year’s competition after a fire devastated a part of the building where it is located. This led to the closure of the eatery for 9 months. This allowed for the rebuilding and refurbishing of the restaurant.
Consistency and attention to detail
The Owner of Bardelli’s, Grant Hawkins says that he and his staff were ecstatic about the win. Their trademark is a Roman pizza which is characterised by a thin and crispy base.
He says, “After the tough time last year we entered the competition firmly believing that this was our year and we were determined to win; we are thrilled to have done so.”
Hawkins says he believes Bardelli’s strength is in its consistency and attention to detail. They’re also generous in the use of top-quality ingredients for its toppings. This includes premier-grade mozzarella and the finest tomato pulp imported from Italy.
“It’s a thinner yeast-based dough which we make ourselves and not bready which means people can comfortably finish an entire pizza and not feel uncomfortable and bloated,” he added.
Meanwhile, another Cape Town restaurant came second; Ferdinando’s Pizza in Observatory. Ferdinando’s Pizza was also the winner in 2022 in this hotly-contested competition. The third place went to Oukraal Restaurant in Potchefstroom.
Another Cape Town restaurant came second
The Sales & Marketing Manager for Porcupine Ridge Wines, Lynton Kaiser says they could not be happier for Grant and his team after the disaster that forced them to pull out of the competition last year.
“It’s a real testament to both Bardelli’s fabulous pizzas and its loyal patrons who have voted them the country’s favourite pizzeria,” he elaborated.
He also thanked the other establishments that took part in the competition.
Kaiser added, “It was fantastic to see so many new entrants and participation from restaurants across the country – from Kalk Bay to White River and all the towns and cities in-between.”
Pizza-loving South Africans from across the country were the main judges. They supported their favourite restaurants and took the time to vote.
Here are the Top 10 restaurants for 2024:
- Bardelli’s (Kenilworth)
- Ferdinando’s (Observatory)
- Oukraal Restaurant (Potchefstroom)
- Julia’s Eatalian (Potchefstroom)
- Corlie’s Italian (Somerset West)
- Toni’s Fully Furnished Pizza Co. (Pretoria)
- Gino’s (Stellenbosch)
- Fochville Coffee & Bistro (Fochville)
- Al Pescatore (Ballito)
- Fat Harrys (Kenilworth)
The competition organizers say Bardelli’s was voted the country’s fourth-favourite pizzeria in the 2021 contest. It jumped one place to take third place in 2022. The restaurant was started in 1992 in the southern suburbs. It was a small eatery with the proprietor living on the property. Current owner Grant Hawkins has been in charge for the past 17 years. It is the epitome of a favourite neighbourhood establishment.
Bardelli’s is located on the corner of Kenilworth & Wessel Road, 51 Kenilworth Rd.
For more information: Visit their website
