These restaurants are keeping it in the family

Five spots where you’ll feel like family too.

By Jade Taylor Cooke

What is it about a family-run restaurant that turns it into a neighbourhood gem almost automatically? You know the type of place: the cosy corner spot where you and the owners’ children grew up alongside each other. Or the Italian favourite now in the hands of the third generation of a family that traces its roots back to Naples. Or the place where that husband-and-wife team serves couple goals alongside meals…

We all have our family-run favourites. Here are five that were nominated by chefs:

Garlington’s Bistro
Garlington Estate, Hilton

Set on the lush Garlington Estate overlooking the rolling hills of Hilton, this family affair is run by a brother-and-sister team. Chef Alex Poltera creates magic in the kitchen while his sister, Stephanie Poltera, takes care of front of house. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame those verdant views, while outdoor tables invite long, leisurely lunches beneath the trees. Alex is particularly known for his clever, creative starters, and for creating vegetarian dishes that are anything but a menu afterthought.

The Alma Café
Rosebank, Cape Town

Fifteen years in business have turned The Alma Café into a much-loved Rosebank institution – impressive longevity for a restaurant/live-music spot in Cape Town. Family-run and warmly welcoming, it serves generous, comforting food you can rely on, from farmhouse breakfasts to daily pies and old-school bobotie made according to a family recipe.

Franco’s Pizzeria & Trattoria
Parkview, Johannesburg

Since 1987, Franco’s has been serving authentic Italian food to Parkview locals, earning its affectionate nickname of the neighbourhood’s “dining room”. The family-run restaurant revolves around patriarch Franco Forleo and his iconic red pizza oven. Add generous portions, a lively atmosphere and a relaxed Italian approach to lingering over dinner, and you have a local institution for good reason.

Kole & Deeg
Tulbagh

If you’re in Witzenberg at breakfast time, you’d be remiss not to stop at Kole & Deeg (“coals and dough”), which is steered by the Abrahams family – mom, dad and the kids! The name refers to the baking method of their most popular item: roosterkoek. We’d recommend the smoked-salmon Sammy or the BBQ-basted beef-and-egg Leeuloop breakfast. Friendly service and a strong sense of community make it easy to see why locals keep coming back.

Natti’s Thai Kitchen
St George’s Park, Gqeberha

Since 1997, husband-and-wife team Mark and Natti have been serving fragrant, flavour-packed Thai food to hordes of local regulars. Natti, who hails from Thailand, presides over the kitchen, which sends out a daily changing menu of curries and stir-fries. Meanwhile, Mark takes care of the dining room, where the atmosphere is so delightfully unfussy and “home-away-from-home” that patrons often help themselves to drinks from the fridge.