Words and images: Kit Heathcock
For a port city with beaches and ocean its life blood, Cape Town has surprisingly few specialist sea food restaurants. When Italian chefs and childhood friends Nicoló Rovarini and Federico Rocca, travelled here two years ago they were wowed by the vibrant and varied food scene, but saw a gap for a typical Italian seafood restaurant. Having cooked a series of pop-up events, including a risotto menu with Giorgio Nava at 95 Keerom, they finally found their new home in a red-brick heritage building on Napier Street, De Waterkant. Riva’s high ceilings, tall windows and huge old fireplace immediately give a feel of stepping back in time, the whitewashed wood tables, stripes of ocean blues, and rustic decor reminiscent of seaside small-town Italy.
“What we’re doing here is using beautiful local produce with an Italian touch,” says Nico. “Italian cooking is 80% about finding the best ingredients.” They were excited to discover the Abalobi small scale fishers programme, which they use as often as possible. “Wow, it’s super fresh and high quality.”
Tasting my way through the antipasti, it’s easy to see that this is where the two chefs exercise their creativity. Staying true to the Italian philosophy of letting the ingredients speak for themselves, they play a little here. A bowl of creamy stracciatella mozzarella held perfect cubes of Norwegian salmon marinated in lemon and beetroot with a touch of rosemary. Marinated Saldanha mussels topped light and crunchy slices of polenta with a hint of paprika, and the yellow-fin tuna tartare featured black olives and thinly sliced radishes sprinkled with pine nuts.
Fresh pasta is made in-house daily for dishes such as pumpkin ravioli, tagliatelle al pomodoro, rigatoni with roasted octopus and fresh tomatoes. And the home-made potato gnocchi are next on my list to try, currently served with Napolitana sauce, capers and scallops, although this may change with the forthcoming new summer menu. Mains keep things simple to showcase the fish at its best, grilled with olive oil and lemon, or as a fritto misto with tartare sauce, with the chalkboard menu featuring the latest catch.
And true to Italian form they have perfected their tiramisu, using Fede’s mom’s recipe, which has the perfect balance of creamy mascarpone, cocoa and coffee-soaked sponge.
Riva Italian Fish Restaurant
021 418 0657
facebook.com/rivacapetown
