Its location in a non-descript shopping centre in the far from glamourous suburb of Randburg isn’t a deterrent for the legions of loyal customers of Café del Sol, many of whom eat here once a week. Started by a South African-Italian family six years ago, Café del Sol has made it onto the top of many Joburgers’ restaurant lists, no mean feat in a city with scores of Italian eateries.

It has something to do with the restaurant’s modern and airy design (think minimalist décor of white chairs and tables with splashes of bright red and inspirational quotes painted on the walls) and its relaxed, casual ambiance, but a lot to do with the delicious food, which, in the Italian way, is all about ingredients.

The family are still hands-on in the restaurant, with mother Luciana and daughter Chiara behind the menu and in the kitchen, pouring warmth and “sol” into every dish that’s served. Their large menu ranges from classic Italian dishes such as light-as-air gnocchi, risottos (drawing on the family’s northern Italian heritage), Nonna’s ragu (a family recipe of slow-cooked pork and beef stew) to the more unusual, such as pasta with prawns cooked in a cream-Limoncello sauce. With so many delicious-sounding options, it’s difficult to choose what to eat, especially if you go when you’re hungry, like I did.

For the indecisive, you can’t go wrong with one of Café del Sol’s signature specialities – the calamari stuffed with red pepper, olives, ricotta, Parmesan and chilli and served with capellini pasta was a personal favourite. I was warned to leave space for dessert, and was glad I did – the dark chocolate tart was superb, but incredibly rich. Other popular options include Italian crepes smothered in Nutella and orange liqueur sauce and chocolate-coffee affogato.

The wine list offers an extensive selection of choices, from French champagnes and a few Italian wines, to both big-name South African wines and bottles from lesser-known boutique wineries.

Service is flawless: everyone from the friendly maître d’ to the enthusiastic waiters is attentive and efficient, despite the restaurant being fully booked for almost every dinner and for weekend lunches.