Gema Trattoria & Pizzeria in Johannesburg

the last of the authentic italian trattorias

I tried to find out if they had any gluten free options and the manager started shouting at me in Italian. If I could give it zero stars I would.

Food is typical Italian from the North, food is always fabulous and highly recommend this venue for birthday lunches or dinners, for meals to share and for wonderful Italian food for any occasion. They also make their own Gelato and sell Italian pasta and other Italian delicacies (cheeses, cold meats, biscuits etc.).

The best in town from the rest in town. The authentic four cheese pizza, "The" signature, artichoke lasagna, to recommend few. The owner literally Weigh, Parmigiano, cut to be exact ( in other words not to give you less, to maintain quality). Gem if its own, thats Gema!!

The best value for money authentic Italian food. 👌

Very pleasant, lovely verity of food but awesome pizzas. The Italian owners are awesome people

Small, unassuming and a little gem

Would give no stars but unfortunately no option for that.Manager has a bad temper and yells at patrons

Simple, very unpretentious, and oozing with warmth and friendly family atmosphere.

Excellent food. Artichoke lasagne. So delicious!

After our hard lock downs that has decimated the restaurant and hospitality industry, Im flabbergasted that this place has survived.It is certainly NOT for the quality of food or service levels. Definitely NOT value for your hard earned money.Stay Away IF you have an egg allergy or vegetarian. All pizza and pasta has egg. Only option is Melanzane ...unfortunately..NO..DEFINITELY NO Parmigiana cheese in their stingy version. R135 for a starter portion and a regular 330ml beer.Eventually I didnt finish the dish because it was so badly cooked.I can definitely cook a much better version...with my eyes closed.Ill NEVER recommend and avoid worse that the plague...Highly Disappointing

A real genuine gem of an Italian place. It’s our absolute favourite. This family-owned restaurant services the Italian community with delicious meals made from excellent, imported Italian ingredients. Real value for money. There are so many dishes we love there including seafood pasta cartoccio, polenta with porcini and Gorgonzola, not to mention their pizze. Today we feasted on fresh artichoke lasagna. Superb.

Most Authentic Italian pizza 🍕

Great food and well priced.

Great pizza. Decent value for money.

Authentic taste, everything tastes fresh and the service is cool👍🏽

Lovely family restaurant with authentic Italian food the lamb shank was amazing

Good food.... we enjoyed the Spaghetti Seafood al Cartoccio. Generous portions and very delicious 👍🏻

Italian food made with love and care the traditional Italian way !This restaurant has been around for years and run by a husband and wife, the food throughout the years has always been delicious and consistent.A little hidden gem, would defiantly recommend !

Best authentic Italian. Check the specials, the artichoke lasagne is divine if youre lucky enough to be offered it

Delicious pasta, pizza, and unusual authentic Italian food

Gemmas is our go to Italian restaurant! Best in town if you want the real deal!

I go to Gemma’s weekly, and have always had the best experiences.The food is incredible and tasty! Authentic Italian food, simple ingredients and amazing flavours.The staff are all very Friendly and helpful and Mario and Laura are the most wonderful Hosts and owners always making me feel welcome and part of the family, greeting me with big hugs when I walk through the door.I love my trips to Gemma and will continue to support this family run business

Misleadingly plain from the outside this unassuming restorant has served me wit the best pizza and the best icecream i have ever had i will be coming back to this gem a lot more often

Absolutly awsome - real authentic pizza. Best pizza in Gauteng ! ! !

I had high hopes for this restaurant after reading the reviews but it turned into a very mediocre experience with a dreadful veal masala that was like beef jerky in a sauce that tasted exactly like the sauce in my husbands lamb shank dish. The tricolore salad looked beautiful but with 3 tiny slivers of avocado not exactly anything to rave about. We had pistachio and chocolate icecream for dessert. The chocolate was chocolatey and smooth but the pistachio tasted of nothing. All in all a disappointing evening and not a cheap one at R 780 for 2 people.

The food is good and the staff are polite and helpful. However, the old man there is so extremely rude. If he did not interact with customers they probably would not be empty at lunchtime.

Excellent pizzas! The homemade ice cream were flavourless!

I love this little place!! Its a family run business, small but unique. Located in a busy street with special parking for visitors. Amazing food, unique as the menu changes when the chef as a new idea.

Returning to this gem of a place often. Good Italian cooking. Best Italian products used. Pizzas juicy and tasty. Mario’s ice cream made with fresh cream. Best in Town. The waiting staff attentive. Been around for long. I like this place because it is always welcoming jn an understated way.

The best pizzas in Joburg.thin Base , simple good ingredients

one of the best places to eat Italian food at other than in Italy itself!you can taste the love that gets put into the food, the atmosphere is sublime, the staff are friendly and the pricing is out of this world.definitely recommend it to any Italian food lovers!!

Terrible food and service. The old man is so grumpy and rude. Tried to have a nice family meal but it was ruined. Choose somewhere else rather.

Far too much joy is derived from the great food fed down my gullet at Gema.

A wonderful Italian restaurant. Their food is superb. Well worth a visit!

Totally delicious Italian food. The best pizza in Joburg.

What a terrible restaurant. The have no idea about Italian food what so ever. The service is the worst ever. Dont ever waist time or money eating there

Like being in downtown Rome, romantic Italian music and Maestro Mario who with his elegant wife and superb waitresses Memory and Nkuleleko, bring authentic Italy to life. The food is seriously good, and when washed down with a glass or three of Lambrusco....well you want to get up and do an Italian tarantella. Thankfully there are still such independently owned businesses.

Great Italian food, not many restuarants in Gauteng with the authentic italian prepaired food.

Best home cooked Italian in cosy atmosphere... Love the owner!!!

Excellent Italian food! I love the lasagna and pasta with fish. The owner of the place is a friendly Italian man and very competent. If you are looking for a good Italian restaurant, this is the place to go!

Excellent seafood pasta and tasty good value meals

Great personal service, good food but petitions a little small.

Best pizzas in Joburg. Our favourite family restaurant. The food is consistently delicious. The homemade gelato (ice creamis sublime.

We came here on our second night after trying to find somewhere open at 9pm. Its a real Italian owned by real Italians.The meat lasagne was great, as was the pasta and lamb shank.All for a good price.

Old school Italian family restaurant. Fantastic food at a very reasonable price

I love going to Gemma for dinner. The food and service is always really good.

Fantastic authentic Italian food. Takes me right back to Italy.

Food is really really good, probably one of the more authentic Italian places in Jozi and the owner Mario takes real interest in his clients.

Gemas Trattoria in Kensington is well-known for serving up authentic Italian food. Run by a husband and wife, they not only run the restaurant but also have a small but well-stocked deli, selling many Italian treats. You know the food is authentic when the cook (in this case, the wifespeaks almost no English.Her husband is an almost comical Italian stereotype - a large, chatty man who gesticulates a lot and cares only that you have eaten enough and enjoyed your meal.We started off with fried salami and polenta, which was tasty if a bit oily. Definitely one to share, and perhaps ask them not to add olive oil in the kitchen. Mains were: crab linguine, pumpkin ragout gnocchi, spaghetti scampi and raddichio & salsiccia risotto. The seafood was fresh, though we agreed that the crab and prawns should be shelled prior to being served. The fact that the crab, especially, was difficult to eat made the meal less enjoyable.The pumpkin ragout gnocchi was a favourite, with the flavours coming together beautifully and the richness of the ragout balanced out by the delicate sweetness of the pumpkin. The raddicchio & salsiccia risotto was tasty, but the texture was very one-dimensional. This took away from the dish, and it was the least favourite despite being a decent risotto (which is hard to find).We ended off with home-made gelato and coffee. We had pistachio and vanilla, but everyone agreed that the flavours were not pronounced enough, though the texture of the gelato attested to its authenticity.All in all, a good experience, but not the best Italian in Johannesburg.