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.
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.
Bardelli’s was voted the country’s fourth favourite pizzeria in the 2021 contest and jumped one place to come third in 2022. The restaurant started in 1992 in the southern suburbs as a small eatery with the proprietor living on the property with current owner Grant Hawkins in charge for the past 17 years. It is the epitome of a favourite neighbourhood establishment.
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.”
Hawkins says he believes Bardelli’s strength is in its consistency and attention to detail and the fact that it is generous in the use of top quality ingredients for its toppings including premier grade mozzarella and the finest tomato pulp imported from Italy.
Its trademark is a Roman pizza which is characterised by a thin and crispy base.
“It’s a thinner yeast-based dough which we make ourselves and not bready which means people can comfortably finish an entire pizza and not feel uncomfortable and bloated,” explains Hawkins.
He says 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.
“Don’t knock the Club Italiano until you’ve tried it – you don’t taste the mayonnaise which changes consistency in the oven. We started off with the Original Olympia (Figaro, Pepperoni, the Don and Club Italiano), and it proved so popular that we’ve introduced two more four quarter offerings.”
Does he believe that anything can go on a pizza? “It’s a whole debate in itself but we cater for all tastes and palates without being outrageous. In the end, everything is balanced and delicious.
“I feel blessed on a number of levels. We are delighted to have won the Porcupine Ridge Pizzeria Challenge this year, and received the recognition, as it a validation that our customers enjoy what we do and we thank them for their fabulous support. I am also delighted to be back in business after a challenging last year in which we were fortunate to be able to keep all our staff, many of whom have been with us for more than a decade.”
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.
“Also, well done to all the other establishments that took part this year. It was fantastic to see so many new entrants and participation from restaurants across the country – from Kalk Bay to White River and all the towns and cities inbetween. And finally, a huge thank you to all those pizza-loving South Africans across the country who supported their favourite eateries and took the time to vote.”
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.
