Unlike Eat Out’s annual Restaurant Awards, which are chosen by a panel of judges, the 2015 Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Best Everyday Eateries are determined by Eat Out readers’ ratings. To find the winners, we calculated the restaurants with the highest average ratings on Eat Out from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2015 – that’s a full year of reviews and star ratings. Café del Sol in Randburg won the award for the best Italian eatery in Gauteng.

Eat Out critic Jodi-Ann Pearton paid them a visit, to find out why Joburg residents keep coming back for more.

Food

Despite the fact that Café del Sol is to be found in a somewhat semi-deserted Olivedale Corner Centre, it is always full and the food never ceases to tantalise the palate. Every item on the menu is inspired from Italian roots and is cooked from first principles, using only the freshest ingredients.

A seafood dish at Cafe Del Sol. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Luciana Treccani, the Italian founder and patron of this fine establishment, can often be seen keeping a watchful eye on her kitchen hands, when she is not walking the floor and taking orders from her clients or sharing the daily specials.

These include tender pasta pockets of ravioli stuffed with roasted butternut and served with crispy sage and beurre noisette, hand-rolled gnocchi and Napolitana sauce, crisp squid heads with aioli, and seared salmon served with hand-cut pasta.

A salad at Cafe Del Sol. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

The à la carte menu is extensive. The perfectly prepared risottos are a testimony to the exceptional skills of the establishment, and the delicate porcini risotto should not be missed. For the health-conscious, the seared salmon, crusted in black sesame and served with avocado mash and grapefruit, is just mouth-watering.

Oh, and do not forget the puds and cakes – all made in-house and totally rich, moreish and over the top.

What a joy it is to dine at such a wonderful, easygoing establishment where the food is so comforting. It is not a cheap night out, but it’s well worth it.

Drinks

The wine list is of a reasonable size, with a suitable selection of both red and white wines within most budgets. There’s a good selection of beers and spirits to choose from.

Some of the decor at Cafe Del Sol. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Service

The service is excellent, but since former host Alex has moved to the Botanico branch in Bryanston it does feel as though the restaurant has lost one thumb. Over time it is sure to grow back, but for now they are regaining balance, even though it has been six months.

The staff on the floor are always kind and friendly and helpful, but be warned they are not always as friendly when you try to book by phone, perhaps because they are terribly busy. Booking via email (and well in advance to avoid disappointment) is sometimes easier.

The interior at Cafe Del Sol. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Ambience

The ambience is fabulous: Feel-good quotes from floor to ceiling inspire conversation, and the patrons are always bubbly and lively. The hum of the busy kitchen filters into the atmosphere and creates a high-energy buzz. At night, candlelight and low lighting create a soft ambience; over lunch time the feel is more street style café.

And…

This is also a great spot to pop in for coffee and cake during the day.

What the readers said:

Here are some of the reviews, which helped to crown Café del Sol Best Italian Eatery in Gauteng.

We celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary at Café del Sol. What an amazing experience! Beautiful evening, delicious food, wonderful atmosphere! – Charmaine Humphrey (8 Aug 2015)

My fiancée and I are frequent visitors to Café del Sol and we are always treated to amazing food. This restaurant is known for its amazing pastas and lamb dishes. I have tried numerous dishes and they are all absolutely amazing, and so is the wine selection. – Alex de Jager (17 Sep 2015)

Dessert at Cafe Del Sol. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

This is definitely one of a kind! The food is always absolutely top quality, and the panna cotta dessert is to die for! – Brian Carter (17 Sep 2015)

My wife spoilt me by taking me out to dinner at Café del Sol. The service from the staff was fantastic and the dishes we ordered were incredibly well presented and cooked to perfection. To the staff and management, many thanks for making our wedding anniversary special. – Vernon Ingram (20 Sep 2015)