Massimo’s Pizza Club in Hout Bay serves some of the best pizza in Cape Town, although some may argue that it is indeed the very best our city has to offer.

Just a short, coastal drive outside of Cape Town, you’ll find the relaxed beach town of Hout Bay. This is where owners Massimo and his wife Tracy decided to start their very own Italian restaurant straight from Italy. I took a drive out to Massimo’s on a Saturday afternoon and it was great to get out of the city and enjoy some great, Italian comfort food. The service was great and I couldn’t wait to order something new from the menu.

For starters, I ordered a focaccia with extra virgin olive oil, rock salt and rosemary and no cheese. The base was thin, crispy and just how it should be. I love starting a meal with a focaccia and this one was extraordinarily tasty. It’s great to share around the table and get the atmosphere, conversation and food rolling.

For mains, I couldn’t decide which pizza to order but luckily Massimo’s offers a half-and-half pizza that allows you to order two pizzas in one. I went with the montagna, which is garlic butter, cacao cheese, black forest ham and mushrooms, and the zucca, which was topped with tomato, feta, mozzarella, roasted butternut, chili and garlic. My pizza was tasty and the toppings were delicious but unfortunately it wasn’t as good as usual. I don’t know if there was a problem in the kitchen or if it was just an off day, but hopefully the next time I visit Massimo’s the pizza will be just as mouth-watering as usual.

For dessert, I thought I’d try a sweet pizza with cream cheese, banana, almonds and honey. It was a real treat having pizza for dessert and I must say, it was even better than I expected. What a great way to end a meal – sweet, decadent and oh, so delicious!