We love this hip little bistro, and would go back time after time for the ultra-thin pizzas, smoky vibe, and friendly service. The Ant was one of the first restaurants to open in arty Melville – a residential Johannesburg suburb about 20 minutes drive from downtown in good traffic – and we suspect it will be around long after the other eateries that are popping up on Melville’s fashionable 7th Street catwalk.
The Ant opens for dinner and drinks every night, and for lunch on weekends; push back the door and you’ll find yourself in the intimate main room, which looks more like a rustic bar than a restaurant. You can eat here (it’s great when the sun streams through the windows on long summer evenings) or head to the skinny back terrace room, where there are long tables for groups and cozy corners for two. The service somehow manages to be efficient but laid-back, there’s low-level lighting and nice touches like a wine rack you can wander over and choose from.
Famous for its pizzas, it’d be a crime to go for anything else here, but if you do, we’ve heard that the linguine is pretty good. The bacon and avo (drop the ‘cado) pizza is excellent, made with a fine Italian crust and served on a slab of bark. If you’re more of a pizza purist, the margherita has just the right amount of oil and basil, while the biltong pizza is surprisingly good, made with South Africa’s most famous culinary creation. Pizzas start at R48, dropping to R40 on Monday nights. The dessert list is as short and sweet as we like them (we ate the cheesecake.)
With the best pizza in Melville, nice wines, beers and spirits (the bar staff make a mean gin and tonic) and a laid-back, intimate atmosphere, what’s not to love about The Ant Cafe? It’s great for group dinners, works for catching up with friends, and is the perfect spot for a casual but nonetheless special date. Sometimes places just get it right without seeming to try too hard, and The Ant Cafe is among them. Book ahead on weekend nights.
Expert Review
We love this hip little bistro, and would go back time after time for the ultra-thin pizzas, smoky vibe, and...
We love this hip little bistro, and would go back time after time for the ultra-thin pizzas, smoky vibe, and friendly service. The Ant was one of the first restaurants to open in arty Melville – a residential Johannesburg suburb about 20 minutes drive from downtown in good traffic – and we suspect it will be around long after the other eateries that are popping up on Melville’s fashionable 7th Street catwalk.
The Ant opens for dinner and drinks every night, and for lunch on weekends; push back the door and you’ll find yourself in the intimate main room, which looks more like a rustic bar than a restaurant. You can eat here (it’s great when the sun streams through the windows on long summer evenings) or head to the skinny back terrace room, where there are long tables for groups and cozy corners for two. The service somehow manages to be efficient but laid-back, there’s low-level lighting and nice touches like a wine rack you can wander over and choose from.
Famous for its pizzas, it’d be a crime to go for anything else here, but if you do, we’ve heard that the linguine is pretty good. The bacon and avo (drop the ‘cado) pizza is excellent, made with a fine Italian crust and served on a slab of bark. If you’re more of a pizza purist, the margherita has just the right amount of oil and basil, while the biltong pizza is surprisingly good, made with South Africa’s most famous culinary creation. Pizzas start at R48, dropping to R40 on Monday nights. The dessert list is as short and sweet as we like them (we ate the cheesecake.)
With the best pizza in Melville, nice wines, beers and spirits (the bar staff make a mean gin and tonic) and a laid-back, intimate atmosphere, what’s not to love about The Ant Cafe? It’s great for group dinners, works for catching up with friends, and is the perfect spot for a casual but nonetheless special date. Sometimes places just get it right without seeming to try too hard, and The Ant Cafe is among them. Book ahead on weekend nights.