The Cousins Trattoria

This is one of Cape Town’s best spots for authentic Italian in my opinion. Run by three Italian cousins (hence the name), it has a warm, homey feel, and the staff treat you like family. Their pasta is handmade daily, and you can taste the difference. I highly recommend the infamous signature Cousins Pasta - a creamy tagliolini with truffle sauce that they mix in a giant Parmesan wheel right at your table. It’s a must-try experience! Their menu is extensive offering a variety of meat and meat-free options for all occasions. Prices are above average, but for handmade pasta this good, it’s absolutely worth it and incomparable to similar establishments.

One of the highly recommended spots from a local friend. We liked the red pasta more than the signature one, found the signature one too dry for my liking. Their desserts were excellent.

If you go out to dine these days, you need to forget about the cost. My son’s birthday yesterday and he wanted to go to this restaurant as he thought their Lasagne was the best. They follow the new 2 seating dinner. They managed to turn the tables unobtrusively. The Maitre D was excellent as he monitored the rooms and controlled the waiters. He knew what stage people were at and how long they would still be. 2 hours is pushing it a little and I would allow 2.5 hours at least. However the tables changed and new faces were apparent every time I looked around. The Parmesan wheel went out often and people obviously love this way of serving pasta table side. I personally think it’s touristy and superfluous but its popularity is high judging by the amount of times it was wheeled out. More and more people came into the restaurant and all the rooms were full. We finished quicker than normal due to the pressure of people waiting. I had a margarita R50. Nice but unremarkable. I chose the vegetarian platter as a starter R160 The 6 or so aubergine slices were cooked to perfection, as were the 4 or 5 slices of Baby marrow. The 4 slivers of red & yellow pepper were delicious, I could have done with some more. There was half a tomato which I didn’t eat. That was an added cost that wasn’t required. Total waste of time. Should have put cherry tomatoes on instead The hot spinach was a treat and equally as enjoyable. The “bread” was in a league of its own. It was unique. I’ve never had anything like it. The kids had beef carpaccio and my best friend had caprese salad. The tomatoes were small and lovely and I adore rocket. I had a margarita & while chilled, was unremarkable. My main was a linguine with langoustines, butter, lemon, lemon rind and lemon juice. I missed the part that said limoncello. It didn’t work for me at all. I generally fry prawns in shell and make a little sauce from that. The langoustines were not cooked properly and the pasta was sweet. The combination of butter, lemon rind and sweet limoncello offended me intensely. I have never eaten sweet pasta with seafood before. I took two mouthfuls and on reflection I should have sent it back. It was really revolting R260 I should have opted for the tomato option but I wanted different. I was torn between that and the Involtini. Should have had that. My son had the lasagne which was delicious, my daughter had a dish I’ve never seen before. It was like rolled thin pasta with a smoked and cured pork cheek. She said it was absolutely delicious and loved every mouthful. My BF had the spinach, feta & nut ravioli with butter and sage. I found the spinach ravioli to be very one note. The butter and sage was plain as well. Burnt butter would have been much tastier and I didn’t taste sage. The feta seemed non existent but the mix was nice. It just wasn’t a perfect dish though. I would have done 2 butternut and two spinach ravioli and as I said, burnt butter and sage. It was nice but not exceptional. My son had the pistachio fondant and it was delicious. Very different. The three of us opted for tiramisu. The tiramisu was not the best I’ve had. Quite a few layers of cake or something and the mascarpone mix was lost. There was no coffee or rum at the bottom of it, which I missed. It would have gone a long way to improving it. It was nice enough though and I finished mine. The coffee and grappa was also nice. The grappa was Nonino and although smooth was still like jet fuel. The restaurant was chock a block full and there was a lovely atmosphere. It is a popular restaurant and I think it will always be full. But for me I doubt I will go again. The bill came to R3500. I had forgotten why I didn’t go out 😂😂😂

I've been waiting to try this place out for a while. Unfortunately it didn't meet the hype created but it's not a bad choice for a night out. I loved the traditional deco & storytelling, adds a lovely dynamic however the food is definitely pre-made. Our food was out within minutes. I prefer my pasta al dente, unfortunately only some of the pasta dishes we served that way. With that being said, you can taste the difference in the pasta. I enjoyed some Italian wine with my meal. Parking was easy because we were early. Staff were eager to please, l haven't received a takeaway in foil for decades, the waitress was funny enough to call it a Gucci bag.

What a little gem of a place. Service was prompt, food was absolutely amazing, great atmosphere. Will definitely recommend this place to everyone, and will definitely be back. True Italian restaurant.

Absolutely as primo wonderful as our very first visit in 2012🙏🙌… minus the bomboloni 😭 PER FAVORE RIPORTARE I BOMBOLONI!!!! Exceptional service, food & wine, as always thanks to Andrea & Carmen ❤️ Recommend The Cousins Pasta, truffle gnocchi & squid ink seafood pasta. 🤤👌 Ps. Thanks for putting up with my American father all these years 😅😋 -The McGintys love you! But please, we beg you… BOMBOLONI!!!!

The pasta here is great, I’ve had it a few times, however on this day I had what was by far the worst steak I had ever eaten in my life. It was not cooked how I ordered it and it had no seasoning whatsoever it also tasted like it had been frozen. The side spinach also lacked flavour. If you go here I do not advise getting anything that isn’t pasta.

The meal and wine were good, and the ambiance was pleasant. One of the owners came over and greeted us. Our waiter was nice and attentive.