As I wind up the work for the new print edition of Rossouw’s Restaurants, I re-visit some of the places that have made an impression, just to make sure. Of course, this puts them under some further pressure – of my own expectation – but at a really good restaurant an off-day is relative. Consistency is after all the cornerstone of any truly good establishment.
One of my correspondents previously referred to Magica Roma as a “blue chip” spot – where your investment pays off time and again. Yesterday for lunch with J, and the point was again proven. A reservation was as usual vital, and I called at 10am only to be given probably the poorest two-seater in the house, at the front door. The rest of the place was full. For a restaurant where a plate of good pasta costs R60-odd (not many pastas for less about), the service is warm, efficient and owner-assisted. As example: we never had to pour our own wine – a detail you don’t expect from a trattoria. The food is consistently good to very good, and if you get to know the owners (as many repeat patrons clearly do) you get spoilt by specials spontaneously created. This is no leaden colour-by-numbers kitchen. While I can fault my chilli-spiced calamari (hardly any heat), the mushroom risotto was superlative and J’s linguine with a veal sauce was fantastic. Tiramisu good too. Magica Roma is a place that delivers on its promise time and again.
Magica Roma, 8 Central Square, Pinelands. 021 531 1489
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4 Comments
I am very upset you got risotto! I thought I was the only special one getting this, but do not try and order risotto after 21h00 in evening. One of the owners once came up to me furious and told me: “This is Pinelands, NOT Portofino (Italy), how the hell can your order risotto at this time in the evening!”
Plus they have some exceptional wines, you cannot find anywhere else.
Well you needed be too upset since I didn’t get the waterblommetjie risotto that I was hunting after you mentioned he makes it… was promised that one next time.
I am starting to get a complex about Magica Roma. Everybody raves about it and we have been twice and were twice disappointed. We like Italian food very much and have been to Italy several times (to eat).
The antipasti we had at Magica R. were terrible (limp canned asparagus, olives, salami and cheese tasted as if they were obtained from the supermarket), the primi were mediocre and for the espresso (with no crema) they would have put a contract out on them in Italy. Interestingly they offered bagna cauda as a cold salad with sweet peppers. I know it as a vegetable fondue from Turin using olive oil containing garlic and anchovies for frying. Maybe there is another type of bagna cauda in Italy somewhere.
Clearly we must have had two bad nights and have to try again.
I have been once . Was treated like outsiders and had an incredibly mediocre meal. I will not go back and waste my money if this is the initial experience. What are you people going on about. I know my food and i love simple well cooked meals the food we had was just not good.
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[...] my recent positive post about Magica Roma, a few people have begged to differ. One regular commentator, Jurgen Seier, took the trouble to [...]