Little Italy Trattoria, Kleine Hopefield Farm — Restaurant in Saldanha Bay Local Municipality

Let's start from the point that I am Italian 100%, born and raised so I know what I am talking about. The place including the restaurant seems to be teleported (courtesy by Star Trek) from Texas directly on R45 in Western cape, not far from Langebaan. A massive collection of vintage PCs', Macs, monitors straight from a NASA lab in the 60's; the biggest chair in the world, an airplane supposedly from the D Day....You can say this place is unexpected. The real "hidden gem" is Chef Fabio, another 100% Italian who is the driving force in the kitchen. Real Italian Pasta and pizza in a wood fire oven; don't ask for anything else! Strictly 4 sauces for the pasta (I suggest ragù better known outside Italy as Bolognese). Be smart and ask for the regular cooked pasta "al dente" not the partially pre cooked; you wait for 10 more minutes but have the chance to taste the real thing outside Italy. Pizza is flat and thin (more northern Italy style); tasty and well covered by good ingredients. You can also have it as flat focaccia (salt and oil) to share. Chef Fabio promised that by the end of February 2025 he should open a new venue in Langebaan, Nautica shopping center. Follow Fabio in this...

Owner Flavio was charming and welcomed us. We shared a filled pasta with bolognaise sauce. This dish was excellent and perfectly made. A winner. We then had a pizza to share. The topping was delicious, the pizza base was in a more northern Italy style, my personal preference is for a softer Neopolitan style base. The restaurant is not licensed but alcohol is available at the beer garden. No rose wine and the only white is a chardonnay. I do...

Ordered 2 coffees. Returned one as the cup was filthy. After almost finishing her coffee my wife found a dead fly at the bottom of her cup. Ordered 2 x mozzarella and tomato baguettes. What a rip off. A little bit of grated cheese and 3 thin slices of tomato at R89 each. Owner was away in Cape Town so couldn't speak to him Awful place. Best...