Our Story
Three generations of our family's traditions, served up our way
Lello's is basically a look into how we grew up eating and living. Our main love is traditional Roman food, but we also throw in a sprinkling of other regional favorites that have real meaning for us.
Nonno Lello
The man behind the name
Our Nonno, Raffaello Turilli, was affectionately known as ‘Lello’. He landed in Cape Town after WWII and set up a mechanic shop in Woodstock, fixing up classic Italian cars — Alfas, Ferraris, and Fiats. But the real magic happened in his workshop dining room, where he'd cook traditional Roman lunches for friends, family, and Italian expats (even the Italian consul) who just needed a taste of home.
In the early 2000s, our dad convinced him to step into the kitchen as head chef at his restaurant, Andiamo. He bloody loved it. We still remember him teaching us his gnocchi recipe. He always said the secret was working the potatoes while they were roaring hot. Easy for him and his tough ‘mechanic's hands’ — but our young hands got burnt straight away! Today, we use those same traditional recipes, molded over years of laughs and antics around the family table, to share the beautiful nuances of how he taught us to eat and live.
The Scarpetta Connection
The Big Boss Ricky, our late father
We call ourselves restaurant babies. Growing up with a dad who owned a serious number of restaurants in his lifetime, we actually tried our best to avoid the industry. Chiara became a food stylist and Danillo a fashion photographer. But eventually, we succumbed — and ‘The Big Boss’ was absolutely chuffed.
Scarpetta was our dad's final masterpiece. Our gracious mother, Melissa (Mamma Turilli), told him from the start: “make it small and make it great.” While we were all involved, it was entirely his baby. He lived for that restaurant and his customers — it was his true calling, and he loved it as much as he loved his family. Dad focused on the traditional Roman recipes from our family in Rieti. We learned (almost) everything from him, from his fierce kitchen ethics to the way he poured his soul into the food that brought us so much joy growing up.
Dani & Chiara
The Third Generation, us
We always joke that we never wanted a restaurant — yet here we are, watching our deli evolve into a full blown trattoria. What's a trattoria, you ask? It's just a relaxed, family run eatery where you can sit down to seasonal, home style cooking. We like to call it ‘family-style eating’.
It all started four years ago with Lello's Deli, a tiny 55m² spot in De Waterkant serving Roman style focaccia panini and Italian groceries. From there, we opened Lello's Caffé inside Maison Mara, serving a custom dark roast coffee blended just for us by an Italian family back home. When our dad passed away, something shifted. We knew we had to keep the family traditions alive, so we started hosting wholesome monthly dinners in honour of Scarpetta, alongside our Pasta Tuesdays. Our customers naturally became close friends who wanted to be part of the journey.
Today, we're proud to run Lello's Trattoria and Lello's Caffé. Chiara, Danillo, and Mamma Turilli work side-by-side (through all the usual family antics) to keep the flame burning. We've flown to Italy multiple times over the last few years just to perfect the menu: the 72-hour Roman focaccia panini, the pizza al taglio, our dark roast espresso, and our naturally dried, bronze extruded pasta. When you're at Lello's, you order at the counter. You grab your own cold drinks from the deli fridge. You're part of the family. And that's exactly how Nonno Lello and The Big Boss would have wanted it.
Meet Nila
Every trattoria needs a principessa
Nila, the principessa of Lello's
No visit to Lello's is complete without a greeting from Nila, our vibrant, outspoken Australian Shepherd and the undisputed principessa of the trattoria. You'll usually find her holding court by the counter, keeping a watchful eye on the pastries and welcoming everyone with joyful barks and tail wags.
In true Italian fashion, family means everyone, including the fur babies. We're proudly dog friendly, so feel free to bring your doggo. After all, the best tables are the ones shared with the whole family.
Well behaved doggos are always welcome, and we've always got fresh water bowls ready.
We Love Telling Our Story
In the Press
Dani and Chiara Turilli share the full story of Lello’s — from Nonno’s Roman kitchen to Cape Town’s most authentic Italian trattoria.
— A Table in the Corner, 2024
Lello’s represents exactly what Cape Town’s food scene needs — honest, uncompromising Italian cooking rooted in family tradition.
— Cape Town Food Guide, 2024
The 72-hour fermented focaccia alone is worth the trip to Three Anchor Bay.
— Eat Out Magazine, 2025
One of the most authentic Italian dining experiences in South Africa, run by a family that genuinely lives and breathes this cuisine.
— Good Things Guy, 2025
Lello's is our whole life. We're a family-run trattoria and espresso bar right here in Cape Town, built on roots that trace back to Rieti — a small town just outside Rome where our nonno Lello was born. We're completely obsessed with quality, sourcing the best local and imported Italian ingredients we can find. Drop by for 72-hour fermented Roman focaccia panini, fresh bronze-extruded pasta, our signature dark roast Italian espresso, or a couple of artisanal Italian cocktails.