Asta Italian Restaurant

5 Ashley van der Merwe - 4 months ago

Great service and phenomenal food! We had an array of the the pizzas and the pastas and not a complaint was heard! To top it all of they had a superb wine list! A perfect setting for dinner on a cold winter evening or enjoy the beautiful pattio on a warm summer night!

5 Izak Buys - 4 months ago

Located on a quiet stretch of the heritage site that is Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, this lovely restuarant is a hidden gem behind a modest facade. Entering through a cozy and modern entrance area the main dining area is warm and atmospheric, while being well-lit and cleanly decorated. For those that know about this restuarant it is well sought after and it is almost always necessary to book a table well in advance.

Though the service was a little slow to get our drinks order they recommended a truly delicious and well-priced bottle of italian variant red wine, from the Cape Interior. The Rosso, Idiom - Sangiovese, 2018.

We had a melt in your mouth Margherita pizza, which arrived straight from a flaming pizza oven, within a very short period after placing our order. Thereafter we had the Napoletana and Burro Parmigiano pasta with tagliatelle. These dishes are both very classic and simplistic dishes, with few ingredients - leaving nowhere for the chef to hide. They were both truly exceptionally made.

We spent the evening engaged in conversation over good wine and food. Suspended lights, strung up in a glass-walled courtyard frame a beautiful tree against the backdrop of the night sky.

I highly recommend a visit to this exceptional restuarant for an authentic Italian experience. A must try for locals and visitors alike.

Though I offer a word of caution to the restuarant - service could be slightly faster and the manager could offer friendlier reception.

5 Eljoh Hartzer - a year ago

Asta is our favorite local spot!

Last night we had a bruschetta starter with fresh tomatoes on olives. For mains we had the Roma and the Asta pizza. And then we shared a tiramisu for dessert.

We brought our own wine and the corkage was only R50. Like usual, the service was exceptional and everything was really delicious! Parking at the back is also a plus since usually that's a big problem in Stellies.

Overall we had a really good date night!
If I could I would give 10 stars! ????????????????????????????????????????

1 Prenita Lingham - 10 months ago

My fiancé and I reserved a table for 5pm on November 19th at this spot. They have parking on the side. Should perhaps put up a sign to indicate this as we had to ask people where we could park.

When we arrived we were of the first people to arrive as they had just opened for dinner service. Our waiter was friendly but could have been more attentive.

I ordered the Margherita cocktail and it was nice. My partner had a cool drink.

For the mains, we chose the Asta pizza and the pescatore pasta but chose to have it with gnocchi. My summary of the food is as follows:

1. Pizza - it was OK. It actually tastes like lasange but on a pizza. It did lack seasoning and even though the pizzas are woodfire pizza, the ends were burnt far in and those parts were inedible. Management should be mindful of checking this as it affects the quality of the pizza.

2. Pasta - the worst food I have ever eaten in my life and I am so shocked that this was served. As can be seen in the picture, this is a tomato based sauce. To explain the taste, the sauce simply tastes like a can of tomatoes were opened and put over the pasta. The gnocchi tasted very very weird as though it was made a long time ago. And finally, the prawns. Absolutely shocked that this is marketed as a prawn pasta. We counted 5 shrimp, not prawns, in this entire dish and it was overcooked. No seasoning at all. We literally just gulped it down without chewing and tasting because we were so hungy at that time - that should indicate how horrific the taste was. For R140 per plate, I cannot believe it and my skin crawls just thinking about it.

I honestly believe that quality control is required at this spot and I urge management to pay attention to the food being served and consider that the chef needs more training. It is not great to read a bad review about your restaurant, but it is very important to realise when things are not as consistent as they should be. Make sure you are regularly tasting the dishes to make sure that it is fit for your customers. I read a lot of the reviews before reserving here, but thought to give it a chance even though the previous reviews were a hit and miss.

This is definitely far from authentic italian food and I would definitely recommend giving it a skip.

4 Neal AltonSA - 11 months ago

Wonderful vibe, very accommodating and friendly helpful staff. The food was excellent and well worth a visit.

5 Marizanne van Wyk - 2 months ago

I loved Asta. The interior is beautiful, the vibe is great, and the food was amazing. I had the contadino pasta, and I would definitely recommend it. The only problem I encountered, was that I called to make a reservation, but when we got there, there was no reservation in my name. Luckily, the staff were very helpful and immediately found us a table! I would definitely recommend Asta!

5 Laura De Candia - 4 months ago

I am Italian so very critical about italian food and restaurants. I can honestly say, this place will definitely see me again. The staff were super friendly and efficient. The food was AMAZING and portions were perfect. Highly recommend.