Cape Town’s Bardelli’s Restaurant has clinched the top spot in this year’s Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge and taken the title of South Africa’s favourite pizza restaurant
Yummy!
It is a stunning comeback for the Kenilworth-based restaurant which had to bow out of last year’s competition when a fire devastated part of the building causing it to close for nine months in order to rebuild and refurbish.
Ferdinando’s Pizza (Observatory, Cape Town) – which took the hotly contested title in 2022 – was placed second and Potchefstroom’s Oukraal Restaurant claimed third place.
Grant Hawkins and Marketing Manager Antoinette Lassen
Owner Grant Hawkins says that he and his staff were ecstatic about the win: “After the tough time last year we entered the competition firmly believing that this was our year and we were determined to win; we are thrilled to have done so.”
Its trademark is a Roman pizza which is characterised by a thin and crispy base.
The winning team
The menu features more than 30 different topping combinations – from traditional Margherita to Tre Formaggio with thinly sliced seasonal tomatoes with the best-seller being the South African favourite of bacon, feta and avocado. Signature pizzas include the Figaro (bacon, blue cheese and fig preserve), the Club Italiano (chicken mayonnaise, bacon and peppadews) and the Olympia Range – with four pizza toppings, divided into into quarters on one base.
The winner!!
Says Lynton Kaiser, Sales & Marketing Manager for Porcupine Ridge Wines: “We could not be happier for Grant and his team after the disaster that forced them to pull out of the competition last year. It’s a real testament to both Bardelli’s fabulous pizzas and its loyal patrons who have voted them the country’s favourite pizzeria.
Classic interior
For its win, Bardelli’s received the winner’s pizza paddle, Porcupine Ridge wine for a year, R40 000 worth of marketing materials, R1 800 in vouchers for its staff and three cases of wine to award to its top Porcupine Ridge-selling server. And of course – the ultimate bragging rights!
The Top 10 restaurants for 2024 in order are:
- Bardelli’s (Kenilworth)
- Ferdinando’s (Observatory)
- Oukraal Restaurant (Potchefstroom)
- Julia’s Eatalian (Potchefstroom)
- Corlie’s Italian (Somerset West)
- Toni’s Fully Furnished Pizza Co. (Pretoria)
- Gino’s (Stellenbosch)
- Fochville Coffee & Bistro (Fochville)
- Al Pescatore (Ballito)
- Fat Harrys (Kenilworth)
Throughout the competition, the public voted for their favourite local pizzeria via a dedicated website, with eight lucky voters, drawn at random and winning prizes of Porcupine Ridge wines and EarthFire pizza accessories. One lucky voter was selected Grand Prize Winner and presented with an EarthFire Tabletop Pizza Oven, pizza for a year from their favourite pizzeria (to the value of R2 000) and five cases of Porcupine Ridge Wines, for a combined value of R10 000.
Bardelli’s, Cnr Kenilworth & Wessel Roads, 51 Kenilworth Rd, Kenilworth, Cape Town. Telephone: 021 683 1423. Website: Bardelli’s