Cape Town’s much-loved Balducci restaurant has entered a new chapter. Now known as Caffé Balducci, the restaurant opened its doors at Piazza St John in Sea Point on 13 September 2026, marking 30 years since the original Balducci first welcomed diners in September 1996.
Previously a familiar fixture at the V&A Waterfront, Balducci closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its return brings the name back to Cape Town’s dining scene, this time with an all-day café concept that combines Italian classics, Asian-inspired dishes, coffee, cocktails and an extensive wine list.
Located at Piazza St John on Main Road, Caffé Balducci draws inspiration from European café culture, with two outdoor terraces and tables extending into the piazza. The restaurant is designed for everything from a morning coffee and leisurely breakfast to lunch, sundowners and dinner.
An all-day menu with Italian favourites
The menu brings back some of Balducci’s familiar dishes while introducing new options across breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Early risers can choose from smoothies, granola with Bulgarian yoghurt and seasonal fruit, power bowls and more indulgent breakfast options, including brioche French toast, Eggs Benedict and the traditional Balducci Breakfast. Coffee and ceremonial-grade matcha also feature, with options such as iced matcha and a matcha flat white.
Later in the day, Italian favourites take centre stage. The antipasti selection includes a sharing platter, melanzane alla parmigiana and venison carpaccio, while the wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas are made using imported Italian Caputo flour. Options include double pepperoni and chilli, prosciutto, smoked salmon and rocket, and flaming prawns.
Pasta and gnocchi dishes range from arrabbiata and primavera to pasta con salmone, butternut ravioli and ostrich lasagne. There are also freshly prepared salads, paninis served on focaccia or bagels until 17:00, and handmade beef burgers, including a Wagyu option and the vegetarian Eastern Burger.
Seafood is another feature of the menu, with sustainably sourced Cape linefish, kingklip, calamari, queen prawns, grilled crayfish, Norwegian salmon and Balducci prawn curry among the choices. Mozambican shellfish also features in the offering.
For those after something more substantial, the meat selection includes dry-aged beef supplied by sister restaurant Belthazar. Fillet, rump, rib-eye, T-bone and tomahawk steaks sit alongside lamb shank, barbecue beef or pork ribs, and scaloppine di vitello.
Sushi, desserts and something sweet
The Asian Noodles & Sushi Bar adds another dimension to the menu, with wok-tossed noodles, robatayaki, tempura, teriyaki and poke bowls alongside an extensive sushi selection.
Sushi options include lemon salmon rolls, dragon rolls, tempura soft-shell crab, torched nigiri and sharing platters. According to the restaurant, the fish selection includes Norwegian salmon, with vegetarian sushi options available too.
Dessert is worth leaving room for. The menu includes Biscoff tiramisu, baked Philadelphia cheesecake, chocolate fondant and malva pudding, while the pasticceria serves European favourites such as pastéis de nata and pain au chocolat. For something more extravagant, the signature thick milkshakes come in flavours including Cookies & Cream, Oreo Cheesecake, Biscoff and Dubai Chocolate.
A wine list worth lingering over
Wine remains central to the Balducci experience. The list showcases wines from the Cape alongside Champagnes and Proseccos, while a specialised nitrogen-infused system allows the restaurant to serve 60 premium wines by the glass. Riedel glassware and the assistance of experienced sommeliers round out the offering.
The drinks menu also includes cocktails made with fresh fruit juice, as well as whiskies, brandies, Cognac, Armagnac, liqueurs, craft beers and ciders.
The restaurant’s new setting is part of the appeal. Piazza St John is an open-air shopping and lifestyle precinct with a Mediterranean-inspired atmosphere, a Woolworths Food Market and undercover parking. It is also a short walk from the Sea Point Promenade, making Caffé Balducci a convenient stop before or after a seaside stroll.
A new chapter for a Cape Town favourite
For owner Ian Halfon, the return is about more than bringing back familiar dishes.
“Balducci has always been about more than just food,” says Halfon. “It’s about the experience – the people, the atmosphere, the memories and that feeling you get when you walk through the doors.”
The restaurant also participates in the Slick Restaurant Loyalty programme. Members receive 10% of their bill total credited to their loyalty card, redeemable at participating Slick restaurants, including Belthazar and Gibson’s at the V&A Waterfront. A R200 birthday voucher is also included, and existing loyalty points remain valid.
Visit Caffé Balducci
Where: Piazza St John, 395 Main Road, Sea Point, Cape Town
Opening times: Daily from 08:30 until late
Bookings: Advised
Website: balduccis.co.za
Instagram: @balduccis_capetown
Contact: 021 200 5821
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Feature image: Balducci/Facebook
