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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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Big Route – A Bit Disappointing!
Submitted by Bianca Fernandes
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The best pizza!
Submitted by Morgan Trimble
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The best pizza!
Submitted by Morgan Trimble
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The best pizza!
Submitted by Morgan Trimble
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Craft Beers on Draft and the Best Wood-Oven Pizza in Cape Town
Submitted by Becca Blond
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Killer Pizzas
Submitted by Grant Richardson
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
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“I am obsessed with this place, Italians doing it right.”
Submitted by Aniela Swider
105 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town Central 8001, South Africa
Good for:
Bar Scene, Breakfast/Brunch, Dining on a budget, Dinner, Late Night, Lunch, Reservations
Rating Summary
Food4.4 rating based on 5 ratings Value4.0 rating based on 5 ratings Service4.0 rating based on 5 ratings Atmosphere4.2 rating based on 5 ratings
Expert Review
Big Route Pizza is 100% the best pizza in Cape Town. The pizza is light, healthy and with 54 selections (you...
Big Route Pizza is 100% the best pizza in Cape Town. The pizza is light, healthy and with 54 selections (you can also make your own), it is wildly popular with locals and tourists alike. Two of the three partners are Italian, and the other is the chef who is a well-renowned local. The place is brimming with Italians, which is a good sign. You will hear people laughing and speaking Italian, Spanish, French, German, English etc… in this cozy and busy spot on Greenpoint Main Road. If pizza isn’t your thing, there are plenty of salad, pasta, fish dish of the day and flatbread sandwich options to make you happy. I had a salad and a pizza and both were phenomenal. Every single person I saw ate their entire pizza of plate. Big Route offers gluten free options at no additional cost. During the day, Big Route welcomes coffee drinkers who want to lunch and work using free WI-FI. The restaurant does take-away as well, so after eating out for many nights you can enjoy a topnotch meal in your hotel or apartment. The locals that frequent go multiple times per week to dine on affordable and delicious food in a friendly environment, whether alone or with a Brady Bunch family. If you go more than once, they will greet you like a family member. Because the crowd is so diverse, you can get some great information on where to go and what to do in Cape Town. The servers will also provide friendly advice on a myriad of topics from tipping to reputable taxi services. Use the opportunity to stay there for the night, imbibe on specialty cocktails, eat high quality food and chat to the patrons and staff.
Expert Review
With a name like "Big Route" I was not sure what to expect from this place. I had however heard...
With a name like “Big Route” I was not sure what to expect from this place. I had however heard that their pizzas were quite something.
My day had come, so in I went only to discover they were not serving food until after 11.30am. Off I went and wandered around the neighborhood killing time, determined to have some pizza.
11.30 arrived and in I went in. My waiter arrived speaking with a heavy Italian accent – a good sign, I thought to myself, and ordered a cappuccino while I took a look at the menu. Pizza was clearly the speciality, although various pastas were available as well as chalkboard specials. Since I got there early there were only two other couples, who soon enough were ploughing into their own pizzas.
The pizza selection is extensive and has a few exotic options. For better or worse I played safe and order the La Moga. The La Moga is a fairly simple classic pizza, ham, salami, mushroom and olives with mozzarella cheese. Feeling hungry from my walk, I chose the large.
La Moga arrived. The pizza was massive, served on a wooden board. Without ado I dove in. The thin base was perfect, thin and crispy, the topping all exploded with flavour. The pizza as a whole had the traditional slightly smokey taste only a wood fired oven is capable of delivering. As much as I tried, I knew there was no way I would be able to finish this pizza on my own. Halfway through, the white flag was raised. I asked for the rest to be boxed to go.
The service was perfect, attentive without hovering. The interior is unlike any other, a couple of tables, but for the most part, huge sofas with matching sized tables in a sunken lounge type area. Tables are also available outside. For a large group, Big Route would be a perfect venue – it would resemble a large family sharing a meal in a big room together.
Later at home I demolished the remains of my pizza, equally good cold as it was hot. Big Route is definitely recommended when in Greenpoint if you’re looking for a good Italian meal at an equally good price.
Expert Review
This Italian owned pizza and beer bar serves the best wood oven pizza in Cape Town. Seriously, whatever you order...
This Italian owned pizza and beer bar serves the best wood oven pizza in Cape Town. Seriously, whatever you order here is bound to not disappoint. Right on Main Road across from the stadium in Green Point, has 54 different pizza combinations listed on the menu – they are topped with everything from seafood to veggies. Pizzas come in two sizes – if you are not super hungry two people could split the larger size with a salad, but note the crust is very thin, so you could also easily eat a large on your own. Personally I love the Ti Amo (no pun intended), which is topped with imported Parma ham, fresh arugula, Brie cheese and preserved figs. Whichever flavor your order, expect light and crispy crust, just the right amount of sauce and quality, seasonal ingredients, many of which are imported directly from Italy. Beyond pizza, Big Route does excellent salads and pasta dishes. I loved the pasta with mixed seafood, which was the perfect marriage of flavor and texture. My salad with beets and goat cheese was equally delicious.
Big Route occupies a large space with a number of different dining choices, and a social ambiance prevails throughout. The cozy front lounge room has big sofa seats as well as chairs lining a bar fronting the street. There are more tables on the sidewalk out front and then a traditional dining room behind the U-shaped proper bar in the middle of the restaurant. There is a long cocktail and wine menu at Big Route, as well as some craft beer choices from South African microbreweries offered both on draft and in the bottle. The staff here, from the bartenders to servers, is efficient, friendly and knowledgeable.
When I’m not reviewing restaurants, and eating on my own dime, for true Italian pizza and pasta, Big Route is my number one pick in Cape Town.
Expert Review
The Big Route is a pretty unassuming little spot set on busy Main Road in the trendy restaurant district of...
The Big Route is a pretty unassuming little spot set on busy Main Road in the trendy restaurant district of Green Point. It’s decorated neatly enough, looks new and clean, and there are always people enjoying a craft beer or cocktails at the bar height tables set out on the sidewalk in front. Still, I never gave the restaurant, much of a second thought. That was before I stopped in one weekday for a casual lunch to find the best pizza I’ve had in South Africa!
Pizza and cocktails are the main draws of the restaurant and the menu has plenty of options for both. There are so many pizzas available that I had a lot of trouble to pick one. There are also pastas and salads on offer, but pizza is clearly the main idea. Out of the dizzying array of options, I finally decided on the Abbracciami—with stracciatella cheese, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, gorgonzola, balsamic reduction, and pine nuts. I also had them throw on some salami for good measure. The beautiful, oval shaped pie delivered to my table was nothing short of a miracle. It was definitely the best pizza I’ve had in South Africa and quite possibly ever, even in Italy! The ingredients on the pizza were really top notch; The Big Route isn’t cutting corners on quality! The crust was super thin and crispy with big air bubbles, and it was cooked just right. The cappuccino I had for dessert was also beautifully made.
Service was great and attentive, and my waiter was legit Italian, always a good thing at an authentic Italian restaurant. The restaurant was very quiet at lunch time (and with bonus free wifi!), but I think dinner would likely be very busy, so it would be best to try to get a reservation. Some of the pizzas are a little bit on the expensive side, but the quality of ingredients more than justifies the prices, and there are cheaper options available to suit most budgets. The Big Route is a total win for pizza fans.
Expert Review
So the first time I tried to eat at Big Route this month, they refused to give me one of...
So the first time I tried to eat at Big Route this month, they refused to give me one of their empty tables as they were reserved for bigger groups only. I thought that was incredibly rude and was not looking forward to going back, especially since I kicked up a bit of a fuse and was only treated with more rudeness and impatience. When I returned to Big Route again, they were able to find me a table as I arrived early to avoid the crowds and overwhelmed staff.
For starters, I ordered a salad which was unimpressive and not even worthy of a photo. It was mostly made up of leaves with a minimal amount of toppings. I wouldn’t order it again.
For my main, I ordered the Ben Tornata pizza with oregano, olives, cherry tomatoes, pecorino cheese and fresh basil. I also had it on a gluten-free base which tastes quite awful at most restaurants around Cape Town. The pizza was delicious and so was the gluten-free base. It was very crispy, thin and had a great tomato base which in my opinion, made the whole pizza so tasty!
For dessert, I ordered the White Chocolate Mousse Cake and I was in white chocolate heaven. If you’ve got a sweet tooth that needs satisfying after your pizza, I would definitely recommend this beautiful slice of white chocolate gold.
So all in all, I enjoyed the pizza and the dessert but the service, attitude of the staff and the salad let me down. If you’re interested in finding out how Big Route is for yourself, I would recommend booking ahead of time and skipping the salad.