5 Best Italian Restaurants in Johannesburg (2026)

The 11th Floor sits eleven storeys above Bedfordview and pairs a rooftop cocktail bar with a kitchen that draws its menu from Florence by way of the Mediterranean coast. Truffle pastas, flame-grilled seafood and a wine list built for the view are the draw, alongside live piano and saxophone under the open sky. It's part of the Alpha building complex and pulls diners from across Johannesburg for birthdays, anniversaries and dressed-up nights out. It's open seven days a week and takes bookings through its own site.

Modena is a family-run kitchen in Parkhurst named for the Italian city known for balsamic vinegar and Parmigiano Reggiano, and the menu leans into that heritage. Chef and owner Vassilios Holiasmenos makes pasta, bread and sauces from scratch, and the Napoli-style pizza gets singled out by reviewers who've eaten the real thing in Italy. It's open late seven nights a week in the heart of Randburg's restaurant strip.

Franco's has served homemade Italian food from the same Parkview shopping centre location since 1986, and regulars mention the family behind the counter, including Franco's sister, by name. The menu is straightforward trattoria fare, pastas, pizzas and daily specials, without the fine-dining polish of some of the newer rooftop spots. It's tucked upstairs in an older Randburg shopping centre, open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Pronto runs as both a sit-down restaurant and an Italian foodstore and deli in Craighall Park, selling frozen ready meals, pantry products and freshly baked goods alongside table service. The Alfredo and tiramisu come up often in reviews as standouts, and the deli counter means you can pick up ingredients on the way out. The dining room recently went through renovations, with new flooring replacing what one reviewer called a noisy construction period.

Cafe Picobella is a small, rustic trattoria on 4th Avenue in Melville with a covered veranda that looks out over the Johannesburg hills. It runs on Facebook rather than a dedicated website, and reviewers describe a menu built around pasta, pizza and antipasto served in a warm, family-style room. It's open daily from morning until 10pm.