Casa Bella Montecasino — Restaurant in Gauteng

I was invited along with some of my favourite people to join in the 1st celebrations of Casa Bella Dining

There is also a branch at Mall Of Africa, but we were here to celebrate 12 months of "delizioso" at Monte.

A lovely decorated long table awaited us, with the menu featuring fresh, authentic and carefully considered cuisine made from the finest quality ingredients such as imported Italian flour, 100% Durum wheat and locally sourced fresh food. We had no idea of the feast that was in-store for us.

We were welcomed by Johan - the owner, who talked us through some of the preparation time and care taken to make their authentic Italian cuisine. It definitely showed in some of the food.

To nibble while waiting on guests to arrive we were given these delectable little complimentary Fritters (it's like Mini Vetkoek) with Chilli and Garlic, i swear i could have eaten a whole bowl of them and i would be satisfied. Along with the beautiful sounds of a Saxophone.

Starters comprised of Caprese Salad, Greek Salad, Peri Peri Livers, Cheesy Prawns tails and Cheesy Italian Bread/Pizza. Great start to the evening, everyone tucking in and sharing meals. The food was paired with your choice of "Great Expectations" Sauvignon Blanc or Crane Red Merlot.

Mains - Wow. Not only were we already slightly full but the food just kept coming and such a superb variety for all. Whether you are a meat lover or not thete is something to satisfy every picky eater. We were given a broad selection of Pizza's and Pasta's namely:~

•Frutti de Mare - (Seafood Pizza Calamari tubes and heads, prawns) mussels and seafood dressing. AMAZING •Sardinia Pizza (Sweet pulled pork with jalapeños) a bit too sweet •Lamb Pizza (Deboned roast lamb shank, fresh rosemary, Danish feta and tzatziki.) YUMMY • Capri Pizza (Oven-roasted vegetables, Danish feta, dressed with wild rocket, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar) •Spaghetti Bolognese •Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli (Delicious filled ravioli in a creamy white sauce) •Creamy Pork Fettucini (Pulled pork, mushrooms and caramelised onion in a creamy white sauce.) Quite different •Pasta di Pollo ( Spaghetti, chicken, brown and Portabellini mushrooms, red peppers and Parmesan in a creamy white sauce) DELICIOUS •Chorizo Fettucini (Chorizo sausage, brown and Portabellini mushrooms, red onions and olives in a creamy Napoletana sauce)

Yes... we had THAT much of a selection to choose from and everything was cooked perfectly. Some items i favoured more than others but thats personal preference. I am definitely coming back to try some of their grills if the Pizza and Pasta is that mouth watering.

Dessert platters were brought, to end off the evening on an absolutely sweet note. Tiramisu, Banoffee Pie, Limoncello Cheesecake, Fudge Picasso and Chocolate Torte.. The desserts were a bit too rich for me, but if Dessert is your thing then it's a proper indulgence.

FYI - To honour this special occasion and thank their loyal guests for the amazing support over the past year, the restaurant is hosting a dining extravaganza featuring a delizioso selection of hand-pressed and wood-fired pizzas, fresh pastas, salads and expertly prepared grills for only R85 until 31 October.

Now thats a reason to give them a visit, so take advantage while its...

Disappointed is the understatement of a lifetime.

Delicious food, but the poorest service I've ever received.

We visited Casa Bella at Montecasino on the 27th December for my daughter's 19th birthday. I told the staff it was her birthday and that I wanted to make it special. We saw our waiter twice in a 45 minute period, my daughter eventually had to ask the waiter to clear our table of all the clutter after their little bread/dough starters, we also struggled to get our order in. We finally got our order in for the mains and 5 minutes after my daughter ordered a glass of wine-said to compliment the food, we waited patiently for our food, but only 1 out of the 3 of us received cutlery when it came. My son and daughter waited another 10-15 minutes for cutlery, but the wine never showed, we had waited nearly half an hour for the wine and the food had gotten cold as she really wanted to taste it together. My daughter was emotional by that point as her last 4 birthdays were tragic and she so wished for the last to be different. I requested the manager from a different waiter that passed us and she showed up after a while. She brought the wine after a few minutes later although I said to just leave it at that point. My baby drank her wine and we went straight to the register to pay. The manager persisted and wanted to offer us a dessert and kept insisting even after our refusal, my son-annoyed and embarrassed by the drama chose one eventually. She asked for my number which I declined, she then begged my daughter for hers which she eventually gave, she apologised and promised to be in touch with an explanation. I decided to wait 10/11 days which is why I'm only writing this review today. The bad part is there were waiters and waitresses standing around and wiping down tables at a helluva slow pace through the whole time we were waiting- more interested in looking busy than actually serving customers.

It is actually sad to think that this is what service at a so-called esteemed place has come to considering I've received better...

Been to this particular restaurant close on a monthly basis and the waiters never disappoint. Had both my daughters birthday's there being 18th and 21st and both were magnificent. Would strongly recommend the restaurant as a venue. You would think one would say it is the food that makes this place but i hope this message gets back to the owner or HO that it is actually the waiters that bring me and my family back. They have got to be some of the friendliest staff you will ever find tending over their customers. They are well spoken, friendly and always willing to help and are patient with their customers. Not to take anything away from the menu as well - the food on offer is fantastic - the meat is always done as we request - i am a fan of the RibEye - the family love the prawn tail starter - that sauce is to die for.

Only one small criticism i will offer - we were there this weekend and ordered the queen prawns x 6 - was a little disappointing that the prawns were a little overdone that the meat stuck to the shell making it a little hard to enjoy a full proper prawn. Prawn meat should just fall off the shell. Try the prawns at " 1920 Restaurant " in Hyde Park and you will see what i mean. So i recommend maybe looking at how that is cooked - i had garlic butter flavour and there was not much taste nor any dripping garlic butter sauce for me to dip the prawn meat into - so 2 recommendations for that dish a) do not overcook the meat and b) some extra sauce in the plate would be most welcome ...... but that being said, let me reiterate again, a gem of a place with the best ever waiters i have ever experienced across Monte Casino and some excellent options on their menu too - STRONG RECOMMENDATION TO GIVE THE PLACE A TRY ........... Regards...