SA’s favourite authentic Italian restaurant group, Lupa Osteria, comes to Cape Town

All images courtesy of Lupa Osteria.

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The Clock Tower is a landmark at the V&A Waterfront, and it was not too long ago that it marked the outer limit of the tremendously popular shopping and dining destination. Now, with the expansion into the Silo District, jam packed with galleries, museums, trendy bars and hotels, the Clock Tower finds itself right at the centre of the action. Right beneath the Clock Tower itself is where you will find Lupa Osteria, the newest Italian restaurant to open its doors in Cape Town.

The dining room faces the pedestrian plaza to the outside, where the Robben Island ferry terminal is a few steps away. The interior wall of the dining room is made up of an open pizza prep area with a roaring, wood oven and next to that is a gleaming room dedicated to fresh pasta! Throughout our meal, a chef was working away patiently kneading and rolling and cutting fresh spaghetti and fettuccine.

The room is warm and welcoming, even though we had arrived quite early. Leather benches and brass lamps add to the comfort, as our friendly waiter chatted to us and talked us through the menu. Offering all the usual suspects, Lupa Osteria is a multi-course Italian restaurant with a menu that is varied but compact. A young family across from us chose to share three pizzas for their meal, while we chose to sample some of the lighter options, skipping over the pasta and pizza sections.

We shared two starters, the grilled artichoke with lemon aioli and an anchovy crumb. We were quite unprepared for how delicious the arancini was – crispy and hot on the outside, with a creamy risotto and cheese filling that was heavenly. We selected two seafood dishes for the main course – the wood oven baked kingklip was packed with flavour and moisture, while the fried calamari and truffle fries was a classic combination, well cooked. 

TRY: Baked pasta shells with ricotta

The wine list is a familiar collection of mid range South African wines, with a sprinkling of Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese offering some Italian flavour. We ended of the meal with a crème brûlée which again, being mostly a restaurant standard, was executed with care and attention. 

Lupa Osteria is the kind of restaurant that can be whatever you want it to be: a quick family meal, a quiet aperitivo after work with a few snacks outside, or a celebration dinner with a group of your friends – the menu has versatility and scope, without compromising on quality. 

Keep an eye out for their daily cocktail specials between 3-6pm, and a R75 lunch menu that is already proving to be very popular with the Foreshore office crowd. Reservations and menu details on their website.

TRY: Mushroom and beef short rib ragu tagliatelle