Antonia Labia of Casa Labia café explains why visual appeal is important in her family’s exquisite heritage building turned cultural centre in Muizenberg.
This appeared in Indwe inflight magazine in Dec 2010
History of Casa Labia on Muizenberg’s beachfront? My grandfather, Count Natale Labia, was the first Italian ambassador to South Africa. He built Casa Labia in 1929, modelling it on Palazzo Labia in Venice. All the art, gilt ceilings, silk wall panels, chandeliers and marble fireplaces were shipped by designer Angelo Zaniole. Eighty-one years later I’ve restored that original splendour.
What is inside the Casa Labia house? We’ve created the café in the original living room, with reception rooms leading off so the public can wander and admire the interiors. We have a boutique and a contemporary art gallery. We call it a cultural centre. It’s a beautiful space where we host events such as poetry readings, music concerts and workshops.
The café menu? Few can do food simply like Judy Badenhorst. She’s an experienced chef, combining Italian classics with proudly South African ingredients in her unique way. The food is tasty and visually appealing. You might eat roasted tomato and pepper soup, aubergine and orange salad, and spinach and ricotta pancakes. Her rich, moist Italian-style cake is delicious.
How did you create the luxe café feel? Flock Design created our contemporary café with old-time elegance. We use damask linen and roses on tables; Princess chairs with original brass chandeliers and marble fireplaces. Although Italy is in our hearts, South Africa is in our soul. Our mostly-local customers are a mix of ages. Due to its seaside location, the café is a destination. It feels special without being pretentious. The food is good enough to bring people back.
Describe yourself? Somebody aesthetically-minded. I worked in public relations and later studied interior design. Food, wine, art and travel are passions. Italian food is my favourite – I love the pastas, fruit and vegetables. And on the French side I love Champagne – I’ll find any excuse to drink it.
Casa Labia Tel 021 788 6062.
If you want to eat out in a cosy space without blowing your budget on food or wines, La Boheme in Sea Point delivers the goods time and again. At only R95 for two courses and R115 for three, lunch or dinner is affordable and great to swap and share. Even with those friends who sink too many bottles and then suggest everybody splits the bill. Wines represent very good value for a wine bar. A la carte options are sometimes more interesting than what appears on the set menu board, but it’s a minor drawback. Tel 021 434 8797. 
For a simple lunch out incorporating an elegant piece of history, Casa Labia Cafe in Muizenberg is hard to beat. Judy Badenhorst’s cleverly inventive cooking is a delight, and owner Antonia Labia has restored life to her grandfather’s original Italian décor in the building with absolutely magnificent results. Once you’ve had your meal in the café, take a stroll through the adjoining rooms created in the 1930s to replicate those in Venice. This is the sort of place you’ll want to wear a nice dress and take your aunties, a group of girlfriends, or enjoy a surprise romantic lunch with your loved one. Prices are nicely in the café restaurant category. Drawbacks are lack of parking along the beachfront road and a tiny wine list. Tel 021 788 6062. 
He would appreciate the business more in about March 2011… I like his new industrial Old Biscuit Mill space as it reflects his creativity and new freedom with food. From a counter seat one lunchtime chatting and eating for a magazine article profile, I saw how much fun the kitchen is having. The former La Colombe chef is talented in subtle east-meets-west fusions that incorporate delicate elements such as trout and lime with miso. Dinner is three, five or eight courses. Or a la carte elements of those menus ordered at the kitchen bar counter, which I support – you have to be in the mood for a drawn-out set menu. Tel 021 447 2337 
News of a new dim sum spot opening in Claremont landed in my inbox this morning. November has flown by in a blur of deadlines, so by the time I’d read the sample menu I’d persuaded my husband we had to juggle our schedules and squeeze in lunch.
