It seems like there’s a pizza place on every corner these days and this often becomes the lazy go-to when we think of eating Italian. But, that is incredibly shortsighted, as Italian food is so much more than that. This is clearly evident at Zenzero Restaurant in Camps Bay, where Italian food is celebrated with all the delicious glory it deserves.

Italian food runs the gamut from cosy, hole-in-the-wall rustica, to contemporary and stylish. Dining at Zenzero is on the top end of the stylish spectrum and dining there reminded me a bit of being in Monaco.

As the staff will tell you, at Zenzero, it’s all about La Dolce Vita – the good life. So the the decor is slick, the food is modern and the service we received was impeccable.

We visited on a quiet winter weekday lunch, so we were spoilt with the best seats in the house – on the deck outside, which is currently covered in thr front to protect from inclement weather. Come summer it’ll offer respite from the sun and stylishly clad diners will be the envy of passers by.

The menu really does celebrate great Italian food. There is a good selection of pasta dishes to choose from; don’t expect your creamy westernised options here, these are pared back, simple dishes like real spaghetti carbonara and linguine alla vongole. There are of course lighter fish dishes and a carne section, with saltimbocca and veal picante and the like.

For starters we opted to have a real treat and try the Razor Clams and they absolutely wowed. Gratinated with chilli, fennel, thyme, garlic Parmesan and a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, they were a powerful punch of flavour that would be hard to replicate. We also had the Calamari Fritti, dusted very lightly with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper and fried. This is served simply with fresh cut lemon and it was perfect as is.

As the saying goes, when in Rome… so for the main course I enjoyed the Asparagus Risotto. The risotto was incredibly well-seasoned and the perfect consistency and anyone who’s made this dish knows that that is no mean feat. My partner enjoyed the Seared Tuna on recommendation from our waiter, Joshua, and it too was delicious.

For dessert we chose the White Chocolate Cheesecake and the Frozen Nougat dishes, both were so pretty, plated with finesse and just the right portion size. The cheesecake was honestly a slice of heaven and is at the top of my dessert list of late.

We rounded off our divine meal with another recommendation from Joshua, an ‘African cappuccino’, served with a shot of Amarula. What a revelation and the perfect way to end off a great meal.

Zenzero Restaurant has the benefit of an excellent position on the Golden Mile that is Camps Bay. It also serves up really tasty food making it a really popular spot for tourists in summer and a great place for locals to sneak off to year round too.

Experience a taste of the good life at Zenzero restaurant.