Written by: Aimen Khan
Posted on: September 05, 2019 | 
| 中文
Cavallino's signature pizza
There’s a new Italian place in town by the name of Cavallino Café Pizzeria and the idea of authentic pizza made it a priority on my list. Named after a town in Southwest Italy, it also means “stallion” or “horse” in Italian. Cavallino is situated in F-6 on a quiet street some distance away from the hustle bustle of Blue Area.
Since there aren’t any other restaurants in the area either, there weren’t any issues finding a parking space. The exterior consists of a large banner announcing its name and a symmetrical building of three floors. The bottom floor has outdoor seating and a dessert/drinks bar, the floor above it is reserved entirely for chairs and plush booths. The interior mainly consists of red brick wallpaper, with a smattering of picture frames. I concluded it to be rather minimalistic in terms of interior design. Since it was the prime time for lunch, my friends and I took our seats and dived into the menu.
The Dessert and Coffee bar
Their menu was easy-to-read, divided into breakfast, pizzas, main courses (including appetizers, pastas, steaks, burgers, etc.) and drinks with bold graphics and sketches. We opted for two different pastas – the Fettuccine Alfredo and the Penne Pasta – Mushroom Steak, and from their specialty of pizzas, I ordered the 4 Seasons. For drinks, we decided on their pomegranate and green apple iced teas.
While we waited for our meal, I was escorted to the kitchen for a full tour by their head chef, Mr. Ansar, who spent over 35 years of his life in Rome and embarked on a journey to create authentic Italian food in Pakistan. I was shown the various machines, all sparkling new and clean, as well as their pantry and special wood-burning oven.
Penne Pasta with Naples Fish
All of their ingredients, from the sauces and canned Naples fish, to the large canisters of extra virgin oil, are brought in from Italy. The head chef informed us that he goes to the market daily to purchase their meats, in order to ensure freshness and quality. Thoroughly reassured by what was going into my meal, I took the spiraling staircase back to my seat. We waited for another 10-15 minutes before our meal was served.
Fettuccine Alfredo pasta
The Penne Pasta was decorated with complimentary Naples fish which we soon realized was rather salty but interesting to taste. The quantity of the Penne Pasta, at RS. 400, was quite generous, however, there was a bit of an aftertaste because of the fish. The Fettuccine Alfredo was garnished with black olives and although not as saucy as we’d hoped, left a more lasting impression than the Penne Pasta. Similarly, while the Mushroom Steak arrived steaming hot with a helping of lightly seasoned steak fries as a side, we had yet to taste anything that completely impressed us. That is, until the pizza arrived.
The main showstopper was the pizza. The personal pizza ended up being larger than I’d thought, for only a mere Rs. 350. Presented on a wooden board, it was covered with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, slices of turkey, artichokes, and black olives. The ingredients were rich and fulfilling and we all reached the unanimous decision that pizza was definitely Cavallino Café and Pizzeria’s signature dish. Paired with our flavorful iced teas, the meal was complete.
One of the major plus points of visiting this restaurant was seeing two different floors catering to two different groups of people. You can either come in with your friends, settle into a booth, and have a fun dinner with your family. Or, you can grab a quick coffee and a muffin from the bottom floor, without having to wait around for your order. So if you’re looking to try authentic handmade Italian pizza, be sure to give Cavallino a shot!
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