You’ve embraced the Banting lifestyle, but still crave pizza? Here are nine spots where you can tuck into a pizza without feeling Tim Noakes glaring at you.
In my mind you simply don’t mess with the Italians and their pizza and I am not a fan of Tim Noakes either. So when I was tasked with finding Banting-friendly pizza places in Cape Town, it was a true challenge! I saw my way through almond flour bases, cauliflower bases, butternut bases and zucchini bases. I ate soggy pizza, chewy pizza and crispy pizza. After all of that I still maintain that you should just enjoy the occasional pizza with a standard Italian-style base, but here’s my choice of the better spots to tuck into a pizza without the guilt if you’ve embraced the Banting lifestyle.
1. Bardelli’s, Kenilworth and Gardens
Average pizza cost: R100
Banting base additional cost: R22
Banting base: Cauliflower
Contact: Visit their Facebook page
Ever since I can remember driving down Kenilworth Road, Bardelli’s has had a board saying “Banting? We’ve got you covered!”, which is why they were one of my first stops on the Banting pizza base search. The Kenilworth branch has a charming and cosy courtyard with a fireplace and plenty of dim lighting to make for a romantic evening! Smokers will be pleased to know they can also puff away in there. If you are sharing a pizza, they thoughtfully bring it to you on separate plates, and their parmesan is grated, not crumbly. The wine is a little dearer than other spots, but you can take your own and pay a corkage fee if R160 for a bottle of house red is a bit pricey for your wallet. The cauliflower Banting base was very good and I highly can recommend The Don with smoked chicken, peppadews, caramelised onions and avocado.
2. Casareccio, Hout Bay
Average pizza cost: R90
Banting base additional cost: R25
Banting base: Cauliflower
Contact: Tel 0217900200
A lovely authentic Italian restaurant with chandeliers, typical Italian red tablecloths and a rather large wine selection (what’s not to love!) and a relaxed and friendly vibe. The service was impressive too – I had my pizza within minutes and like the other dishes I have enjoyed there before, it did not disappoint. In fact there was so many avocado slices on my Al Pollo that they must’ve used more than one avo! They also offer a cauliflower base and it’s both crispy and tasty.
Other pizza options include Peasano (traditional village style) with salami, olives and artichokes; Three Cheeses with gorgonzola, pecorino and mozzarella; and a Vegetarian Delight with brinjals, baby marrows, peppers and mushrooms. Parking is usually no problem either with plenty of parking spots right outside the restaurant.
3. Col’Cacchio Pizzeria, Cape Town
Average pizza cost: R120
Banting base additional cost: None
Banting base: Cauliflower
Contact: colcacchio.co.za
Col’Cacchio has 10 restaurants in Cape Town, from Camps Bay to Canal Walk and Durbanville, so you are bound to find one near you. They also deliver if you don’t feel like going anywhere. I have had their pizzas before, sans the Banting base, so I can vouch for delicious toppings. Their pizza has some interesting variations, like Millamoo’s Meatball Pizza with basil, meatballs, roasted cherry tomatoes and Italian parmesan, or the Inferno with prawns and peri peri. They also have vegan-friendly dairy-free cheese and offer half-half options if you can’t decided between two pizzas.
4. Da Vinci’s, Harfield Village and Gardens
Average pizza cost: R100
Banting base additional cost: R15
Banting base: Flaxseed and Psyllium husks with herbs and spices
Contact: davincis.co.za
Having lived in Harfield Village for a few years, I already knew that Da Vinci’s made excellent pizzas, but had never been to their Kloof Street branch. It turned out to be a wonderful new discovery and could become a new favourite of mine in the city centre. It’s light and airy with colourful cushions, fairy lights and plenty of outside seating for balmy summer evenings. Their Banting base was excellent and if nobody knew it was Banting, they would think it was a standard thin-based pizza. I shared with a friend and went for the half-half option, tucking into their Rembrandt (roast butternut, spinach, roquefort and peppadews) and the Yamamoto (Teriyaki chicken, mushrooms and peppadews with sesame seeds). From Monday to Friday between 16:30 and 18:30 it’s Happy Hour with half price beers, house wine and frozen cocktails, along with half-price starters if you don’t fancy pizza.
5. Enchanted Pizza and Pasta, Parklands
Average pizza cost: R90
Banting base additional cost: R20
Banting base: Almond flour
Contact: Tel 0215569113, enchantedcape.co.za
To be honest, I have never found the suburb of Parklands to be enchanting in any way, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from a pizza restaurant situated in Parklands Shopping Centre. But what a lovely surprise Enchanted was, complete with its fairy lights, chandeliers, herb boxes and, my favourite part, bright pink throne chairs! After enjoying one of their jam jars for R20 (on said pink throne chair) I tucked into what may have been the best salmon pizza I have ever had. It was generously loaded with salmon pieces (covered, to be exact), then drizzled with cream cheese dressing and sprinkled with capers. It was the one time that I really wished that the Banting version of a pizza wasn’t smaller than usual pizzas! The base was crispy and the pizza came with a side salad. They also have vegan options available.
6. Italian Kitchen, Tokai and Newlands
Average pizza cost: R90
Banting base additional cost: R10
Banting base: Almond flour
Contact: italiankitchenrsa.com
The family-owned Italian Kitchen in Tokai has been around for almost 20 years and is one of the most charming Italian restaurants I have come across in the Mother City. It’s well worth a visit, not only for the cosy atmosphere and delightful photographs adorning the walls, but for really delicious pizza, risotto and other authentic Italian dishes. They are so popular that you will need to book well in advance if you want a table on a Friday or Saturday night! Their Banting base was a little chewy, but the tasty topping (de-shelled chilli prawns, tomato, mozzarella and avocado) more than made up for that. Other interesting options include Tuscan chicken livers with red chilli, garlic, rocket and avocado; and a pork belly rib pizza with peppadews and a sweet chilli sauce. The Italian Kitchen’s pizzas are also square, rather than round, and are served on a hot tile which makes them stand out from other pizza places.
7. Red Herring, Noordhoek
Average pizza cost: R100
Banting base additional cost: R28
Banting base: Cauliflower
Contact: Tel 0217891783, theredherring.co.za
The Red Herring has always been a favourite spot of mine and I have enjoyed many a good pizza there with my preferred option being the Red Herring with grilled chicken, caramelised onions, Camembert, rocket and a balsamic syrup. I had the Fab Three with feta, avocado and bacon (almost as good as the Red Herring) and the Banting base wasn’t too bad – bear in mind this was my first Banting pizza, so had no idea what to expect! The base did go soggy after a while, but all-in-all a great tasting pizza at a much-loved, family-friendly restaurant that loves dogs and also caters for vegans.
8. The Toad in The Village, Noordhoek
Average pizza cost: R100
Banting base additional cost: R20
Banting base: Flaxseed
Contact: Tel 0217892973, www.thetoad.co.za
I didn’t even consider The Toad for Banting pizza bases until I popped in there for a sundowner one evening and saw Banting bases on their board. Good thing I like pubs! Pizzas on the menu include many of the popular variations, including the New Orleans with a BBQ base, chicken, bacon, mushroom, sour cream, spring onion and sweet chilli sauce; the El Scorcho with chilli beef mince, onion, red pepper, jalapenos and guacamole; and the Toad Surprise with salami, camembert and green fig. You can also order half a pizza served with a large salad for the same price as a full pizza.
9. Takeaway option: Butlers Pizza, Cape Town
Average pizza cost: R100
Banting base additional cost: R27
Banting base: Pumpkin or zuccini (baby marrow)
Contact: www.butlers.co.za
When I was searching for Banting pizza bases, Butlers came highly recommended by many. It turns out that Butlers offer not only offer a Banting option, but rather two options. So I obviously had to try both! My housemate favoured the pumpkin base (her exact words were, “It’s like eating pizza on a pumpkin fritter”) while I preferred the zucchini base. Although that may have been the build-your-own toppings that I selected! Both were good, albeit a little soggy, but that was bound to happen when you consider the pizzas had to travel a few kilometres to get to me. Butlers have all the standard pizza options, including a Regina, a Carribean, Thai Chicken, Groovy Greek and a Meaty Foursome. Delivery is fairly swift too and it’s not often you get a man in a tux at your door!
Have we missed a spot? If you can recommend any other great Banting-friendly pizza places in Cape Town, let us know in the comments below!
