An Italian-ish feast at Club Kloof, the Mother City’s new vibrant and vibey Italian-style bar and restaurant

If you, like myself, are a sucker for Italian food, I would recommend you treat your tastebuds to the mouthwatering dishes to be found on the pages of Club Kloof’s menu.

The eatery opened their doors on 25 March in Kloof Street, right behind another favourite, Our Local. In fact, the two are owned by one in the same duo, Shayne Shutte and Michael Carter.

‘Although neither of us is Italian, a love of travel, Italy and the Mediterranean has influenced how we cook, entertain and eat.’

Bold scarlet hues, upholstered seating and crisp white tablecloths take you back in time upon entering the vibrant space. What is now the home of Club Kloof had been destroyed by a fire in December 2021, which gave Shayne and Michael the opportunity to start from scratch and create what they felt was missing in the Cape Town food scene.

If you’d ask them today what words best describe the Club Kloof mood, they’d answer, ‘Flavourful, memory-making, intriguing, vibes.’ And as someone who was lucky enough to experience the eatery and what it has to offer first-hand, I couldn’t agree more.

After our visit to Club Koof, I am convinced that if you were to ask me to choose a dish to eat for the rest of my life, I would most likely name one of the dishes that we ordered (and best believe it would be hard to choose, as each and every plate offered a flavourful experience).

The menu allows people to curate their dining experience as opposed to having to commit to a single dish. We had one of the pizzettes – a garlic confit base topped with marinated tomato and buffalo mozzarella. We also tried one of the daily schiacciatas, the beef fillet with triple fried wedges with herbed butter, and their grilled zucchini fries. Our dining experienced came to an end with the tastiest, dreamiest decadent chocolate mousse dessert.

Michael explains: ‘We focused on flavour and produce, and on celebrating Shayne’s unique combinations and layering of flavours. We brought in Motherdough and their 113 year old starter fransina to help us train and perfect our sourdough recipes and processes in our new small bakery, looking at Italian classics you’d find in the heart of Milan.’

Details

• Location: 84 Kloof Street, Cape Town
• Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday 8 am til late
• Reservations:
  • Main dining room: bookings from 12 pm for lunch and 6 pm for dinner
  • Front terrace: no bookings/walk-ins only
  • Back courtyard: no bookings/walk-ins only
• Contact: email [email protected] or call 072 415 3752

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Feature image: Ulrich Knoblauch