Mamma Roma Italian Restaurant located in the Dean Street Arcade, Newlands is by-far the best Italian dining experience I’ve had in a while and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area. From the service to the atmosphere to the delicious food, I couldn’t think of anything that could be better than Mamma Roma. It’s a quiet, classic Italian family restaurant that can be described as “old-school” but really does the trick when you’re craving a wonderful dining experience. There menu mains consists of seafood, pasta and grills (no pizza here, kids) but you’ll find some rare dishes done perfectly that are worth returning for.

For starters, I had the fried calamari tentacles in a spicy Cajun sauce. The homemade tartar sauce was the star of this dish, but that doesn’t mean the crunchy calamari wasn’t delicious. I love calamari tentacles and these may be some of my favourite. What a great starter!

For mains, I ordered the veal schnitzel with chips and vegetables. My thin but large piece of crumbed veal was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth tender and crispy. If schnitzels aren’t your thing, they also serve other veal dishes that I would highly recommend as well.

From the huge selection of desserts, I ordered the Crème Brúlée and also decided to try the Trio of Sorbet. The crème brúlée was light and not too rich so perfect after a heavy meal. The trio of sorbet was so tasty that I can’t wait to go back and try it again.

A classically tasty meal like this is not easy to find in Cape Town, so head out to Newlands and enjoy everything that Mamma Roma Restaurant has to offer. I truly experienced some of the best service I have ever had at Mamma Roma and I would high recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal.