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SetteBello: Where Neapolitan Pizza Meets Jozi’s Love for La Dolce Vita

Published

2 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Chiraag

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A slice of Naples in the City of Gold

There are plenty of Italian restaurants in Johannesburg, but few carry the kind of cultural weight and warmth that SetteBello does. Nestled at 7 Marais Road inside the Italian Club, this restaurant is more than a place to eat pizza. It is a hub of tradition, hospitality, and celebration, carefully shaped by co-owners Pino and Miro.

Both trained in the art of Neapolitan pizza at the prestigious Pizza School of Naples, their chefs bake pies at nearly 400 degrees in a wood-fired oven. The result is pizza with a blistered, bread-flavoured crust and toppings that feel as if they were prepared in a kitchen somewhere on the Amalfi Coast.

Where celebrations feel like family

SetteBello is designed to host life’s biggest moments. From birthdays and anniversaries to weddings, baby showers, and corporate gatherings, the restaurant and its adjoining venues can accommodate anything from an intimate dinner to a lively festa. Indoor and outdoor spaces give diners the choice between cosy warmth or a breezy, relaxed setting.

In true Italian style, the emphasis is not just on food but on the people who gather around the table. Pino and Miro often describe SetteBello as a second home, and their greatest joy is watching generations of Joburg families and friends make memories together.

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Image 1: Facebook/SetteBello at the Italian Club

What’s in a name?

The name SetteBello translates as “The Beautiful Seven,” a title rich in meaning. It reflects the restaurant’s physical address but also draws on wider symbolism. Seven is seen as a number of completeness, found in the notes of music and the colours of the rainbow. In Italy’s traditional card game “Scopa,” SetteBello is the luckiest card in the deck. At this restaurant, it is a reminder that food, family, and fortune are meant to be shared.

Beyond pizza

While the pizza is the star of the show, SetteBello offers far more. The menu stretches across creamy pastas, juicy steaks, seafood from the grill, and a rotating selection of freshly made gelato. Guests are encouraged to linger, order another bottle of wine, and enjoy food that feels home-cooked in spirit if not in labour.

For many Joburg diners, this is where Italian food shifts from being a meal to being an experience. You do not leave SetteBello with just a full stomach but with the sense of having taken part in something bigger: a table that celebrates la dolce vita.