Da Vincenzo Restaurant review, Kyalami (JHB)

Dotted all around Johannesburg you will find family restaurants which offer amazing food, along with lovely surroundings.
Da Vincenzo in Kyalami achieves all of this and brings along with it fantastic authentic Italian fare, all the while keeping the kids in mind as well.

Date last visited

December 2011

Location and Setting

Da Vincenzo Restaurant is situated at 29 Montrose Rd, Barbeque Downs, Kyalami, in Johannesburg.
From the gardens of the restaurant, you get a great view of The Castle, which sits up on a hill and overlooks Kyalami racetrack.

You can view a map here (Google Maps) or here (PDF).

For the kids...

First off, some history.

Da Vincenzo was recently rebuilt, after a fire which all but destroyed the amazing venue.
Thankfully, business is booming again, and the newly rebuilt restaurant now features a kiddies play area, a lovely garden, and even a small aviary complete with white doves freely flying in and out.

The combination of swings, slides, open space to run around, and great food all adds up to contented kiddies :)
Speaking of great food, on our last visit we had 5 kids in our group, and they all loved the food that was served - pizza, pastas, juice, and ice cream for dessert.

For the adults...

To put it plainly, the food at Da Vincenzo is simply fantastic.
Vincenzo himself (the owner), sees to all the dishes personally, and no meal leaves the kitchen without getting past him.

This all adds up to a fantastic culinary experience - from the antipasti (starters), to pizza, pasta and meat dishes, to desserts and coffees.
There is also plenty of space if it's a large group that you need to feed - 3 exclusive venues are available for hire.

Anything else?

There are changing facilities for babies, and the toilets are clean and well-maintained.
Please note that children must be supervised by an adult at all times.

It is also probably a good idea to book a table in advance on weekends and public holidays.

Final words

Many people have supported Da Vincenzo for many years, and it is easy to see why.
Their kid-friendly facilities, consistently great food and wonderful hosts will keep customers coming back again and again.

Getting in touch

Telephone:

+27 (0)11 466 2618 / 42

Fax:

+ 27 (0)11 455 3925

Email:

info@davincenzo.co.za

Website:

www.davincenzo.co.za

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Primi Piatti Fusion review, Stoneridge Shopping Centre (JHB)

I am a firm supporter of the Primi Piatti brand, mainly because every visit has been a pleasure.
Their food is consistently great and their menu offers a good variety for all.
Top it all off with their ability to keep the kids in mind, and it earns them a spot right here, on Plebs with Kids.

Date last visited

July 2011

Location and Setting

Primi Fusion
Shop 24A
Cnr Hereford & Modderfontein Rd
Stoneridge Lifestyle Centre
Modderfontein

Click here for a map - scroll down and look for "Location Map" on the right side of their page.

For the kids...

While you wait for your meal to arrive, Primi Fusion makes sure that the little ones are kept occupied.
Near the back of the restaurant you will find a kids activity area, which Primi calls "Primi Pods".
Here they can sit in front of the colourful mosaic counter, and engage in some enjoyable entertainment, in the form of pizza making and biscuit baking :)

Caregivers are present to assist the young ones, and also to facilitate the process of baking, once the kid-masterpiece-creations have been prepared :)
When the baking is all done, the kids get to try out their very own creations - super cool!

The area is visible to parents, so you can keep an eye on the kids as you enjoy your starter / drinks / coffee / whatever it is that you order :)

Primi also really scores high when it comes to the kids menu.
They offer a colourful and funky "Spaghetti and Ladders" menu, which resembles a game board.
It offers a great choice, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the pricing too.

Get a PDF version here, or a JPEG version here.

For the adults...

This one is all about the food, and in our experience, Primi always gets this very important aspect right.
Their breakfast menu offers great variety - from good old traditional eggs, bacon and the trimmings, to eggs benedict, to health breakfasts, check it all out on their breakfast menu here (PDF) or here (JPEG).

Their main menu offers pasta, pizza, chicken, fish, burgers and of course a decadent selection of desserts.
Download it here (PDF) or here (JPEG).
While I have not yet had the time to try out all of their menu offerings, everything that I have had was of a consistently high quality.

I trust that you will enjoy the same experience :)

Anything else?

The other great thing here, is the staff. From the managers to the waiters, to the kitchen staff and caregivers for the kids, they all just do what they do, with a big smile on their face.

Just look up on the wall as you walk in, and you will see the quote "Work is love made visible...". Clearly these guys practice what they preach.

Keep up the great work guys!

Across the parking lot there is also an Adventure Golf course - something to help you either work up an appetite, or walk off a meal :)

On weekends when we visited Primi Fusion, there was also a jumping castle inflated in the square in front of the restaurant, and we even saw a few clowns walking around entertaining passers-by - it all made for good fun :)

Final words

Primi Fusion @ Stoneridge Shopping Centre is a great idea if it's mainly great food you're after, but with the knowledge that your little ones will also get some educational fun out of it, and a great kids meal to top it all off.

Sometimes you just want to enjoy great food, but you don't really want to venture out to a kids theme park or a place where kids are just bouncing off the walls (sometimes literally :) - and that's where a place like Primi Fusion fits in perfectly.

Getting in touch

Telephone:
(+27) 11 452 2732

Fax:
(+27) 11 452 2732

Email:
fusion@primi-piatti.com

Website:
http://www.primi-piatti.com

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Papachinos, Silverlakes (Pretoria)

First off, thanks to Luschka van Onselen for contributing this article to Plebs with Kids :)

...and now, onto the review!

Papachinos is a restaurant, but it is one of the most child-friendly places I've come across.

Need to sit and work, but have your child with you? Try Papachinos. 

Need to have lunch with a friend? Try Papachinos.

Need some time out and want someone else to take care of the little one for you? Papachinos.

Date Last Visited

March 2011

Location and Setting

Near Lynnwood Road or Hans Strydom Road, in the Silverlakes area, Papachinos is attached to the big 'Seven' building, nestled nicely on the cool side of the building.

The physical address is: Cnr Silverlakes and Graham Rd, Silver Lakes, Gauteng 0054, South Africa
There's a map here.

For the kids...

 

There's a good sized, covered outdoor area, with a large-ish play area/climb frame with six slides of different sizes, heights and configurations, steps, a tunnel and a turret. It's partially shaded too – a big plus for me in the scorching summer sun.

What differentiates this from your standard Wimpy is that there are staff on duty specially there to entertain and play with the children while you can still keep a watchful eye, your kids can see you and yet you can get on with what you're there to do.

There's also a gorgeous stone-baked pizza oven, and a child-height counter where little ones can create their own pizza with help from the staff on duty. A dash of flour on the table, a pre-rolled circle of pizza dough and children can 'roll out' their pizza crust, and add the topping of their choice. 

In the oven and a few minutes later, lunch is served – food and activity for just R28. A bargain in my mind.

For the adults...

Ah! For me, it's all about the coffee. 

South Africa is the only place I've been where you can ask for a cappuccino with cream, so that's what I indulge in when I'm here, and Papachino's do a good one. 

Lunch in a shaded area with a cool breeze, lovely music and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere, and someone to look after my child under my supervision – well, let's just say you wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for Papachinos.

That's right – I'm sitting here right now, sipping on my creamy coffee and watching a member of staff slide down the slides with my little girl, who is loving it.

Anything else?

Yes! The bathrooms! They are beautiful, and there's a baby change (and a very cute toddler potty) and plenty of room. The internal décor is very Mediterranean, with (admittedly fake) grapes hanging from the trellises.  

The food is great, and well priced, considering your location and everything you're getting for it. 

My cappuccino was R14.95, my calamari starter – I didn't need a main after it,  was a very generous portion for R48.95.

Final words

 

Well, I think my thoughts on Papachinos are pretty self-evident. I think it's great and I wish there were more dotted around Pretoria.  In fact, if they moved one into my garden that would be fine with me too. 

Getting in touch

Telephone:

012 809 3539

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