Old Town Italy
Where:
39 Meridian Drive, uMhlanga Rocks
Call:
0315665008
Open:
7am to 6pm (5pm on Sundays)
Every time I go to Old Town Italy I find something new to admire in its stylish and eclectic decor. I was taking a friend there for her birthday and she was a first-timer. I enjoyed her awe at the set-up.
Part deli, part coffee shop, part gelateria, supermarket, and part eatery, it’s a lovely mix of different people doing all sorts of different things in a well-designed and beautifully decorated space.
While an uMhlanga shopping strip might be far removed from the traditional Italian high street, it certainly creates that ambiance.
The food, too, manages to create that simple traditional Italian feel. It’s a limited selection, livened up with daily specials, but it takes in most of the Italian greats.
I’ve had the gnocchi Gorgonzola here a few times and always found it good, as is the fettuccine with Parma ham and peas, and the mushroom risotto. A pasta special took in a selection of seafood, and we contemplated that.
For light meals we saw some good-looking burgers coming out the kitchen, and a number of pizzas. The pizza oven is there for all to see, next to the bakery section.
Instead, we relaxed to a leisurely lunch, creating a massive board taking in an array of traditional Italian meats and cheeses - so no cooking here, but a pleasure to sample such variety. And it was all washed down with a bottle of dry rosé. But then the decision as to what to choose from a selection that fills one side of the menu.
There was a very good and garlicky sopresa salami, coppa ham, Spanish serrano ham, olives and some excellent marinated artichokes. We ordered a second bowl of those. Drunken pecorino cheese, too, was good. As was the gorgonzola. The selection came with baskets of home-made ciabatta bread, which is always a treat.
The risotto balls can be recommended. I’ve had those before.
We debated chicken liver paté and one of the five or six other salamis, but we were simply too full.
Old Town Italy is known for excellent coffee, so one cup sort of blended into two. And we did find room for one of the bite-size Nutella doughnuts, which were beautifully fresh.
Food:
4
Service:
4
Ambiance:
4½