Tucked away in the Heritage Market in Hillcrest, Durban, Stretta is a little cucina (kitchen) and cantina (winery) duo that knocks the socks off the concept of regular Italian. Design mavens Visi review Durban's hottest new spot.

Stretta Cucina is a pared down restaurant doing “simple fresh Italian”: pizza, pasta, vino and birre, as they call them. Their no-fuss approach utilises classic components such as Italian flour, fresh homemade tomato sauce and a wood-fired oven, while their bar area – equally honest – focuses on craft beers, a small wine selection, and expertly pulled espressos.

What stands out about this eatery is its minimal, stripped interior where floor screed shines bare, plain white tiles are used in abundance, and scores of pygmy light bulbs hang exposed off a raw concrete ceiling. Industrial minimalism plays a nice contrast to the generous dishes emerging from the kitchen.

This is indeed design redemption for Hillcrest, whose largest housing estate is as 'Tuscan' as they come.

Add to this the smells of roasting garlic, freshly ground coffee and the chatter of a casual crowd, and you have an eatery that's fast becoming the go-to spot of the Highway area.

The name Stretta comes from the Italian for “narrow”, named after the long shape of the room. Stretta Cantina, an offshoot of the Cucina, has more recently joined the family in the adjacent space next door. Strangely it is one of the few bars in Durban where there is more standing than seating area, which makes for a very social night out.

The industrial aesthetic of the main restaurant carries through to the cantina but is upscaled with pegboard cladding on the walls, deep-buttoned booth seating, and black mosaic tile on the floor. It's still a little playful, though, as pegboard pieces can be moved around to hold pictures, coats, or, behind the bar, wine bottles.

Interior architect Kevin Boyd had some more fun with minimalism and created a mock chandelier over the bar with 35 small bulbs in a formal grid layout. He's also a bit of a typography genius and his graphic menus, posters and T-shirt designs for the restaurant are becoming collectors' items themselves.

By Georgia Chennells

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