Cafe Picobella Trattoria — Restaurant in Gauteng

Nestled in the suburb of Melville, Johannesburg, lives a family-run traditional trattoria with a divine menu, extensively packed with pastas, and pizzas as you may expect from an Italian restaurant but includes a huge number of choices of bruschettas, insalatas, and meat plates that pronounce the restaurant’s flair, creativity, and attention to excellence.

Eating as I am trying to do now Ketogenically (pace Nora Gedgaudas: no dietary starches, no carbohydrates; just good-quality fats, moderate proteins, and plenty of leafy vegetables) I have been faced with challenges ordering satisfying dishes in many places that successfully avoid what I need to avoid and provide an attractive meal, but here it was easy and the trattoria is more than accommodating when it comes to responding to requests to alter or substitute specific ingredients on the menu.

On our first visit I chose the chicken liver pâté, on lettuce rather than crostini, together with the large avocado caesar salad, minus the croutons. I doused it in garlic, perfect for my taste. Mum ate chicken breast rolled in sun-dried tomato with blanched vegetables. Ian ate pizza, and put too much chilli on it which gave him hiccups.

For our second visit I ordered the pork belly, substituting the mash for a salad. This dish is delicious and had me thanking the heavens I was choosing it nearly by necessity as regards my new eating regime. Again I ladled it with garlic from the pots they provide as extras. Mum ate baked macaroni cheese, commenting that she had never had a version of the dish so good (until reminded with a pointed look that she had been prepared this dish many times by individuals sat around the table). Ian had the meatball spaghetti, sensibly avoiding the addition of too much chilli this time and washed it down with a carafe of red Sangria. All dishes struck perfect pitch.

The trattoria is festooned in Roman Catholic art and iconography, adding to the rich feast for the senses. We have been to the restaurant twice now and on the second occasion, a rainy day in Johannesburg, we sat inside under the image of Madonna of the Sacred Heart.

I regret not finding out the name of the waitress who served us on both visits, she was kind, helpful, friendly, and perfectly attentive – from Malawi to Melville: she will know who she is if she reads this and Picobella, we will certainly be back the next time we...

Picobella is the local go-to spot in Melville. Situated on 4th Avenue, it benefits from being just far enough from the main drag to go incognito in Melville, if such a thing is even possible.

The welcome is always warm, smiles abound, nothing is too much trouble, the food is consistently good, beautifully presented and relatively affordable. Vegetarians are well catered for, there's a good wine list although the good stuff costs (as it does everywhere) and the non drinkers generally have a choice of fresh juices.

Breakfast is served all day, which is an all too rare thing to find these days. The choices range from simple (eggs florentine) to fantastic (eggs & lamb meatballs in a ragu). They also offer the very American thing of bottomless coffee if you're working from there for a few hours - which you can do on weekdays in the lull between service times.

The pizza is legendary and makes the must-try lists almost every year but the real gems are the platters. They come in vegetarian and meat options and are loaded with fresh vegetables, dips, breads, cheeses, olives and a selection of good quality cold meats. Pair one of these with a bottle of South African bubbly, settle back and enjoy the sun going down while people watching and you've got an early evening made.

Highly recommended and dearly missed...

A delightful place where one steps from the ordinary world into a little Italy with the blink of an eye! The old wooden floors and ceilings add to the magic of being at the Café Picobella Tratoria. Not to mention the good times to be had on the verandah where tablecloths move on a cool breeze. Add good food and good service to good company, and you are at the right place. The waiters are always friendly and very neat. Piccabello has lovely specials like the half price pastas on Mondays and then there is the Sunday lunches that has always left smacking our lips and very satisfied. Who wants to slave away at a hot stove for family and friends on a Sunday, when you can have it easy at Piccobello where there a fine choices: Karoo lamb roast, rosemary chicken or pork belly and some delightful trims on the side.

Follow Piccabello on Facebook to check on any of their other special offers like Father-or Mother's day etc.

Ps Our group was there (again!) last night and we had prawn pasta, roast pork belly (with crunchy crackling!) And a very delightful pancetta, pear and gorgonzola salad.

Guess who will be back as the choices on the menu never fail to surpize and we cannot get enough! Thank...