BOCCA – The hot new Italian spot on the corner of Bree & Wale

So while the rest of Cape Town is banting (aka that Tim Noakes diet), I’m out stuffing my face with pizza… Yup, life’s not too shabby over here on my side. 😉   The pizza in question was provided by the all new BOCCA which is situated on the corner of Bree & Wale St in town.   Maybe you’ve spotted it already?  It does have quite the sexy exterior:

But I can happily report that the interior is equally sexy:

Now BOCCA (which actually means “mouth” in Italian) is all about Neopolitan pizza and Italian-inspired food.  They have a hand-built pizza oven that’s come all the way from Naples – the birthplace of pizza for those who didn’t know – and they also prepare freshly pasta daily.

Their menu is smallish, but with a little something for everyone.  From snacky things, to big plates, and even something sweet to round it all off.  But on this particular night I joined a small group of fellow food lovers to work our way through pretty much their entire pizza selection.  (I know, it’s OK to hate me sometimes… my bum hates me like all the time already)

We did however kick things off with a small sampling of snacks:

And then we kicked into full carbo-loading mode…  Here are some of the pizzas we got to try:

From those 4 I would say The Commercial & Lady Zaza were ones I was really drawn to (and would happily order again), but my personal favourite has to be the Bandera:

For people who do love a crispy thin crust pizza, the Neopolitan style might be a little strange at first.  The base is quite a bit softer than you anticipate, and therefore it becomes a bit tricky to pick up a piece and hold it in your hand.  BUT I think once you get over that, you’ll really fall in love with the amazing flavours.  I particularly loved the slightly charred edges and felt overall that their pizza offering is really delicious.

I’m looking forward to going back and having a full sit-down meal.  There are a few other things I spotted on the menu that I’d really love to try, but for now I can tell you that this little eatery is already a top hotspot.  Every time I drive past there it’s buzzing.  I think it’s a mix of good food, a relaxed vibe, great location and the fact that the owners are already well-versed in the restaurant business.  In fact one of the owners is Neil Grant, owner of Burrata over at the Old Biscuit Mill.  I haven’t yet been to Burrata myself, but they have been voted Best Italian Restaurant by EatOut, so you know these guys know a little something about serving up some great food.

Do yourself a favour and have a look at their full menu over here – I’m sure you’ll spot a few things that’ll tempt you.  Then take note of these need-to-knows:

• They’re open Mon – Sat from noon to 10pm
• And you can contact them on 021 422 0188 – however, they’ve already gotten so busy that they’re actually not doing reservations anymore.  It’s a walk in and try your luck kinda vibe, so do try get there early.

xxx