Pay R99 for any two pizzas or pasta dishes or one of each at Meloncino, valued at R250 (save 60%)

There are many things that most people don’t know about Italy, like the fact that they have three different types of police, more TV channels than any other country and that on New Year, it’s considered lucky to wear red and eat lentils. Discover another of Italy’s best kept secrets with today’s Groupon: any two pizzas or pasta dishes or one of each at Meloncino for R99.

When asked what man’s greatest invention was, many people would say the wheel, but the correct answer is definitely fire. If they’d never invented the wheel, man would have found another way to get around, like hover-cars powered by helium balloons. Without fire, mankind would never have received the gift of Meloncino’s authentically Italian wood-fired pizzas, which would be far worse than not having bicycles. Served Roman style, or Napoletan on request (thick or thin base for those who don’t speak the original dialect of pizza) the pizzas come in a variety of tongue-twisting flavours like Veneziana and Campagnola which will leave your heart and taste buds yelling grazie, and molto gustoso.

Not to be outdone by their flat-breaded cousins, the pastas are equally unpronounceable for those who don’t live in the land of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and just as gustoso. Choose from such fresh, saucy delights as Tortelloni di Mare, Ravioloni di Zucca and Bucatini Amatriciana and don’t worry if you flub  the pronunciation; you don’t have to speak the language to enjoy the food.

Like Egyptian Cotton, Swiss chocolate and French Poodles, the best things in life are imported. Direct from Italy and better than German cars are the chefs at Meloncino are what make the restaurant stand out like genuine Italian leather in a field full of Jersey cows. Winner of EatOut’s Best Italian Restaurant in South Africa and nestled right in the heart of Cape Town’s home-of-trendy, the V&A Waterfront, Meloncino boasts a view that is almost as amazing as their food. Watch the boats zip and chug around the harbour or watch the sun take its nightly nap behind Table Mountain while you sip a half-priced cocktail and enjoy your pizza or pasta the real Italian way.

Fettuccini Fact: The first pasta was eaten in China, before the construction of the Great Wall. The Emperor’s daughter, Princess Tiara grew bored of eating rice and demanded a different meal. Unable to think of anything besides the grain or vegetables the princess was equally sick of, they decided to merely serve it in a different way. The dish they created was the first instance of rice noodles ever documented and they were served with chunks of vegetables in a plum sauce.