Yellow lights shining out from star-shaped holes in wood panels give Cornuti Stella e Luna an inviting warm glow. This little Parkhurst eatery promises patrons the moon, the stars and some pizza, as well as refuge on a Monday night.

Food

The Cornuti Stella e Luna menu has a strong focus on pizza, with a few interesting choices like the Portuguese, with chorizo, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes and olives; the prawn teriyaki with pesto, coriander and chili and the Thai, with green mango, coriander, coconut and caramelised onions. The bases are decent and thin, but beware of vegetable toppings like eggplant, which can be undercooked, and steer clear of the goat’s cheese until the restaurant finds something that tastes less like feta. On the upside, Cornuti Stella e Luna has quite a few non-pizza options like pizza breads with dips, salads, pastas and meaty main dishes, offering variety to those who have had their fill of pizzas.

Finish your meal with a refreshing lemon sorbet and a shot of Campari, or indulge in a little traditional affagato – ice cream and coffee make an irresistible pair!

Wine

The wine menu pays homage to South Africa’s wine industry, with a whole section of the menu dedicated to bubbles from the Cape. Look out for wines from Villiera, Arra, Secateurs, Tokara, Muldersbosch and Paradyskloof. The restaurant also has a great selection of cocktails to kick things off and fine whiskies to wrap it up.

Service

The answer to how many waiters should serve a small restaurant is always, “As many as it takes to provide good service”. Unfortunately the service Cornuti Stella e Luna suffers for a lack of waiters.

Ambience

The ambience at this restaurant is its saving grace. The warm atmosphere provides respite on a gloomy, rainy Monday and the restaurant is just trendy enough to make sitting on the sidewalk worth it when the weather is fine.

By Kristia van Heerden

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