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Chef Giorgio Nava opens a pop-up seafood counter alongside CARNE
Time Out Market Cape Town adds a taste of the Italian coast this winter with Pesce, the seasonal fish concept from Milanese chef Giorgio Nava. The offering opened for trading in June and will run for a limited time only.
Pesce is Nava’s second concept at the Market, opening just steps away from his permanent concept – CARNE. It signals a shift from steak to seafood, and a return to where he began in South Africa. His first restaurant, 95 Keerom, opened in 2003 and built its early reputation on fish and sensational seafood. While Nava is now closely associated with breeding his own cattle and serving prime cuts, Pesce revisits those seafood roots.
“You know me for CARNE and for the cattle, but 95 Keerom was famous for its fish when I first arrived,” says Nava. “Pesce is fresh and straightforward. It’s just me cooking, using the best local fish we can get that day.”
The menu is short and is focused on three dishes, all built for cold days at the seaside. The Fish and Chips features sustainably caught local fish in a light, crisp batter that stays golden, served simply with lemon and sea salt. The Tuna Steak is seared rare and served with marinated cucumber and Asian sauce, and little else, letting the quality of the fish do the work. The Grilled Fish of the Day changes with the boats, often landing species that love winter water, grilled to order over high heat and served with minimal garnish.
Pesce means fish in Italian, and the kitchen follows that direct approach. Most of the seafood is locally sourced through Abalobi, an organisation that utilises fully traceable seafood harvested by small-scale fishers using low-impact fishing methods, as the main supplier, making responsible sourcing non-negotiable. There are some international menu stars, with the prawns being sourced from Argentina.
“Bringing Pesce to Time Out Market Cape Town for winter is a fantastic moment,” says Russ Meyer, General Manager of Time Out Market Cape Town. “Giorgio set the standard for meat at the Market with CARNE, so we’re excited to see his magic with seafood. Pesce brings high-quality, sustainable local fish, cooked with the same Italian simplicity he’s known for. It rounds out our line-up beautifully for the colder months.”
Time Out Market Cape Town gathers the city’s leading chefs under one roof in the Old Power Station at the V&A Waterfront. With its focus on day-boat fish, local sourcing, and clean Italian cooking, Pesce adds an irresistible seafood element to the mix for the winter season.
The full-time Time Out Market Cape Town culinary line-up now includes:
- CARNE: Chef Giorgio Nava focuses on meat, prepared in true Italian minimalist style.
- How Bao Now: Chef duo Matt Van Den Berg and Carla Schulze serve Asian-inspired, high-end street food.
- Kapoochka: Chef Hitesh Panchal serves Indian street food with a modern twist.
- NØSH CAFÉ: The team behind Origin Coffee offers three of South Africa’s most popular coffee brands in one convenient spot.
- Opá! Greek Street Food: Chef Callan Austin brings the sunny flavours of the Mediterranean to Cape Town
- Ramenhead: The team from FYN, a World’s 50 Best-nominated restaurant, brings Ramenhead to the Market
- Pesce: Chef Giorgio Nava’s limited-time concept serving fresh, crispy Italian-style seafood.
- Sushiya: Chef Peter Tempelhoff, alongside Shin Takagi of two-star Michelin restaurant Zeniya, offers authentic contemporary Japanese sushi
- The Siba Deli: A modern South African deli by Chef Siba Mtongana
- Una Más Taqueria: A real taste of Mexico in the heart of the city
- Unframed Ice Cream: Founded by Yann Rey, Unframed Ice Cream delights foodies with unique twist on classic ice cream flavours
- YARD: Eugene Smith serves authentic pizzas from Pizza Warehouse
- Zuney Burgers: A farm-to-table Wagyu burger bar
- And… Cultivar Wine Bar: A boutique wine bar featuring a curated selection of South African wines