Cafe Latte

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
This part of Malvern Road is a great stretch for foodies with an excellent butcher, baker, greengrocer and a few other must-know places. Cafe Latte fits into the neighbourhood very comfortably. It’s a small place that makes maximum impact. There’s a big central bar and the walls are hung with prints, framed reviews and awards with a giant blackboard proclaiming the Italian quote of the week. The tables are set with white cloths but it’s far from formal and stuffy.

The style of cooking is mainly southern Italian, from Puglia, at the boot’s heel. The pasta dishes here are excellent: try the cavatelli with meatballs and tomato sauce. A model of how the dish should be cooked, a flavourful, almost fruity tomato sauce binds the pasta and the light meatballs. All the cooking shares the same attention to detail and flavour, and everything is well presented. The mood is friendly, the waiters professional and there are wines by the glass in addition to the list. Outdoor tables offer a vantage point of the goings on in the street, and the upstairs dining room is a good function space.

Rita Erlich