Lello’s Caffè is the closest you’ll get to Italy without a plane ticket, Robyn Simpson discovers.
For a slice of Europe closer to home, De Waterkant, with its street-side restaurants and boutique shops, does a great job at satisfying wanderlust, especially if Italy is on your travel bucket list.
The cobblestone roads are reminiscent of those further afield, where ciaos are exchanged between each breath. And there’s Lello’s Caffè, which embodies all things authentically Italiano.

To get there, you’ll have to do more than admire the pretty streets and stores that line them. Prepare to march up calf-crunching hills, unless you’re one of the lucky few who find parking near the always-buzzing spot. I was less fortunate and, while on my quest from a faraway bay, considered rolling back down the hill like a human armadillo. Before I could tuck and roll, a strapping gentleman holding a crate so large his arms were stretched to capacity effortlessly strolled into view at the top of the hill. He’d done this before.
The crate was packed with freshly baked and filled cornetti en route from Lello’s Deli to Lello’s Caffè. (Cornetti is an Italian version of a croissant, made with vanilla and citrus.)
The deli came first, then the caffè. Both are born from Turilli blood and both are fantastic. But I wanted to sit and sip espressos like they do in the movies. So, the caffè it was and the sweet aroma wafting from that crate is what got me there in the end.

The Turilli famiglia has been synonymous with Cape Town’s finest Italian food for generations. Anyone who knows anything about fine pasta will be familiar with Scarpetta, owned by Ricky, aka The Big Boss. Melissa, Mama Turilli, is the brunette beauty whose warmth and baking skills take ‘mom’s cooking’ to new heights at the Woodstock restaurant.
It’s no surprise then, or rather destiny, that Chiara and Danillo (Dani) Turilli have landed themselves in the business of feeding the people. Rafaello, or Lello for short, started the Turilli/Cape Town takeover generations ago when he, too, celebrated the joy of togetherness through food… from his garage. He was a car mechanic for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. Lello’s, then, is a fine ode to the family’s history and longstanding service to flavour. And aren’t we all so lucky… grazie!
Lello’s Caffè, trademarked by its petit tables and chairs with wafting white linen, is so charming that you’ll have to resist the urge to kiss strangers on both cheeks as they arrive. Inside is small, with only a few more tables tucked against an original stone wall. At the back of the shop, about two big steps from the entrance, is an espresso bar, which you’ll only notice after gawking at the freshly made, 48-hour fermented Tuscan foccacia, all stuffed to perfection with a variety of fillings and aptly framed in a glass display case (this is art, I tell you). Then, finally, those cornetti were in dirty-paw distance.

I arrived, as one should when you want to taste everything, with an entourage. Four of us huddled around a tiny table outside, soaking up the first of this summer’s sun. Self-control went with the wind and we all ordered coffee or espresso, foccacia and cornetti of all kinds, all at once. There was no place to put anything down, so I held onto my lunch before anyone could nab it (after I discovered that the classic roasted caprese focaccia was my favourite – there was much rotating before that).
We also tried a version with mortadella and fior di latte (fresh mozzarella). Speaking to Chiara and Dani’s ethos – combining the best of Italy with the best produce from local artisans – trying the porchetta foccacia should be mandatory. Their relationship with Luigi, the artisan behind the heavenly eight-hour roast, is just one example of the family-style network on which Lello’s has built its foundation.

I couldn’t truly focus on the pleasure of that caprese with three cornetti staring me in the face. I took a risk and placed what was left of my focaccia between coffee cups and silver plates. There are three options: crema (Italian custard), pistachio crema and hazelnut chocolate. Each is equally delicious and is, without a doubt, the reason I’ll be back (enduring those hills and all). Oh, and someone ate my focaccia, so I’ve got unfinished business.
Details:
Lello’s Caffè:
- Location: 5 Jarvis Street, De Waterkant
- Times: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm | Saturdays, 8:30am to 4pm
- Contact: @lellosdeli on Instagram
Lello’s Deli:
- Location: 106 Vos Street, De Waterkant
- Times: Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 6pm | Saturday, 9:30am to 3pm
Also read:
Picture: Habari Media Images