The venue for Giorgio Nava’s 95 at Parks is a well-known spot in the southern suburbs. Located at the corner of Alphen Hill Road and Constantia Main Road, the corner space has been home to a couple of successful restaurants previously. The homestead, with its signature striped metal awning and surrounding gardens, make it the ideal suburban spot for a relaxed eatery.

95 at Parks brings Giorgio Nava’s signature Italian food to the area, serving lunch and dinner. The style of the interior reflects its suburban garden location with botanical inspiration. This flows out into the glass conservatory and an outdoor seating area that will prove popular in the coming summer. A lovely outside shaded pergola also offers a unique outdoor lunch experience.

The menu at 95 at Parks includes a selection of antipasti and primi dishes right through to fish, grills and of course, dolci for something sweet.

The beef tartare antipasti kicked off our meal. It is hand cut, served with capers and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Alongside it are crispy slices of toast to scoop up all those fresh flavours. The primi menu offers a selection of pasta dishes such as ravioli, and gnocchi, of which a favourite is the Ravioli di Angnello al Burro e Salvia – slow cooked Karoo lamb shoulder with sage butter and Parmesan. The ravioli is a portion of four pieces, so it’s a great interim dish to share before you move onto your mains.

There are plenty of options to choose from on from the Pesce and Le Carni menus. Giorgio is well-known for his premium meat cuts (Carne restaurants are also part of his portfolio) and the Le Costine di Manzo – slow-cooked short ribs with root baby vegetables was hearty and fall-apart tender.

If you find it hard to choose from so many tasty sounding options then the ‘Italian Experience’ 6-course tasting menu is a great option. Starting with a Caprese Salad of fresh burrata mozzarella with tomatoes, anchovies and fresh basil. You then have the option of choosing a ravioli, the choice includes the above-mentioned lamb shoulder, or for a vegetarian option, the butternut ravioli with ricotta and sage butter. The pasta is paper thin and cooked beautifully.

For mains on the tasting menu, you can choose from pan-fried sole or flank steak with bearnaise. The steak was juicy and well-cooked and the bearnaise a perfect example of what this buttery rich sauce should be. These courses are punctuated with a sample of the gnocchi and other tasty bites. Dessert is a classic tiramisu – a light and airy version with delicate coffee flavour. Priced at R330 a head, it’s really great value.

95 at Parks is situated at 114 Constantia Main Road and is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and Sunday lunch, with secure parking on the premises. For bookings call Tel: 021-7610247 or email parks@95keerom.com.

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