Summary: Gusto Urban Italian in Century City, Cape Town offers private and semi-exclusive event hire with canapé and three-course set-menu options. Menus are valid from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027, with canapé menus from R400 per person and set menus from R450 per person. Restaurant exclusivity accommodates up to 200 guests, while the bar area caters for smaller groups.
Planning an event becomes considerably easier when the venue can handle both the food and the guest list, and Gusto Urban Italian in Century City has event options designed around exactly that.
The restaurant offers exclusive venue hire for groups wanting complete privacy, as well as semi-exclusive hire of its bar area for smaller celebrations and gatherings.
The choice of format also extends to the food, with canapé menus for social-style events and three-course set menus for occasions where guests can sit down and enjoy a more structured meal.
- For restaurant exclusivity, Gusto Urban Italian can be reserved exclusively for complete privacy. A seated set-menu event accommodates 80 to 90 guests, while a cocktail reception accommodates 100 to 120 guests. For larger celebrations, the Grand Cocktail Reception can host up to 200 guests, using the internal seating, bar and covered outside piazza.
The bar area is available for semi-exclusive hire. It can accommodate up to 60 guests in canapé style, while seated set-menu events can host up to 30 guests using the bar seating, or up to 50 guests when the adjacent lounge is included.
That gives event planners a useful range of formats, from a more relaxed canapé gathering to a seated celebration with a proper three-course Italian-inspired menu.
What is included in the canapé menus?
The canapé menus start at R400 per person, with a minimum of 20 guests, and a 10% gratuity is added to the bill total. The menus are valid from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027. Vegetarian options are available and a gluten-free option is available.
- Canapé Menu 1, R400 per person, includes arancini balls with roast garlic and fennel aioli, Caprese skewers with balsamic glaze, beef sliders, Margherita pizza slices, mushroom ravioli with burnt sage butter sauce and Parmesan cheese, lemon and herb chicken skewers with roasted green peppers, and assorted gelato cups.
- Canapé Menu 2, R450 per person, features wild mushroom bruschetta with truffle oil, Caprese skewers, butternut ravioli with burnt sage butter sauce and Parmesan cheese, beef sirloin skewers, chicken sliders, Margherita and Funghi pizza slices, Tiramisù cups and chocolate brownie bites.
- Canapé Menu 3, R500 per person, takes things up a notch with smoked salmon on cucumber wheels, arancini, fried Patagonian calamari with homemade tartare sauce, Caprese bruschetta, gnocchi with exotic mushroom and truffle cream, lamb sliders with caramelised onions and farmhouse cheese, Margherita and Funghi pizza slices, baked cheesecake bites with lemon crème, and chocolate brownie bites with gelato.
- Canapé Menu 4, R600 per person, includes smoked salmon and lumpfish caviar bruschetta, wild mushroom bruschetta with truffle oil, fried Patagonian calamari, arancini, Margherita and Funghi pizza slices, beef fillet skewers, butternut ravioli with burnt sage butter and Parmesan cheese, tempura hake and fries baskets, Italian Tiramisù, baked cheesecake bites with lemon crème and assorted sorbets.
Additional bowl food and canapé items can also be added, including mini gnocchi Bolognese bowls at R25, lamb cutlets at R60, tempura prawns with Romesco mayo at R20, beef meatballs in pomodoro sauce with grated Parmesan at R15, zucchini fritti with Peppadew aioli at R15, Italian custard profiteroles at R15, and a cheese and charcuterie platter serving 10 at R450.
What are the three-course set-menu options?
- For guests who prefer a sit-down event, Gusto Urban Italian offers four three-course set-menu options, starting at R450 per person. The set menus are valid from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027, with vegetarian options and gluten-free options available.
- Set Menu Option One, R450 per person, offers Arancini or Insalata di Pollo to start. Mains include grilled beef sirloin with sautéed green vegetables and pepper sauce, Pollo Piccata Limone, homemade gnocchi with exotic mushroom and truffle sauce, or Pizza Margherita. Dessert is a choice of seasonal fruit sorbets or chocolate brownie with gelato.
- Set Menu Option Two, R525 per person, starts with grilled or fried Patagonian calamari or an avocado, rocket, tomato, blue cheese, pear and pecan salad. Main choices include grilled beef fillet, chicken breast with white wine and mushrooms, grilled line fish of the day with pineapple salsa, sautéed spinach and hand-cut fries, or porcini mushroom ravioli with sage butter and Grana Padano. Dessert is Tiramisù or a trio of Italian gelato.
- Set Menu Option Three, R575 per person, features lamb meatballs or mushroom arancini as starters. Mains include slow-cooked lamb shanks in Marsala and pomodoro sauce, grilled line fish with spinach, pineapple salsa and lemon butter, Pizza Funghi e Tartufo, or tomato and mozzarella tortellini with homemade basil pesto cream sauce. Dessert choices are traditional Tiramisù or baked cheesecake with Limoncello crème.
- Set Menu Option Four, R650 per person, starts with Insalata Caprese or grilled or fried Patagonian calamari. Main choices include grilled Karoo lamb cutlets, grilled Norwegian salmon with creamed spinach and mushrooms, Pollo Piccata Limone, or porcini mushroom ravioli with sage butter and Grana Padano.
For event planners, the range means the food can be matched to the scale and style of the occasion, from roaming canapé service and cocktail receptions to a more traditional seated three-course gathering. Event enquiries can be made with Gusto Urban Italian via book@gustourbanitalian.co.za or 079 494 1300. The full event menus are available at: https://www.gustourbanitalian.co.za/events
Quick details
- Venue: Gusto Urban Italian
- Location: Century City, Cape Town
- Restaurant exclusivity: Complete privacy
- Exclusive seated set menu: 80 to 90 guests
- Exclusive cocktail reception: 100 to 120 guests
- Grand Cocktail Reception: Up to 200 guests
- Menu validity: 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Dietary options: Vegetarian options and gluten-free options available
- Contact: book@gustourbanitalian.co.za
- Telephone: 079 494 1300
- Menus: https://www.gustourbanitalian.co.za/events
FAQs
Where is Gusto Urban Italian?
Gusto Urban Italian is located in Century City, Cape Town, within the Century City Conference Centre and Hotel complex.
How many guests can the restaurant accommodate for exclusive events?
Exclusive seated set-menu events accommodate 80 to 90 guests, cocktail receptions accommodate 100 to 120 guests, and Grand Cocktail Receptions can host up to 200 guests.
How many guests can use the semi-exclusive bar area?
Canapé-style events can accommodate up to 60 guests. Seated events can accommodate up to 30 guests at the bar, or 50 guests with the adjacent lounge.
How much do the canapé menus cost?
The canapé menus range from R400 to R600 per person, with a minimum of 20 guests and a 10% gratuity added to the bill total.
How much do the set menus cost?
The four three-course set menus cost R450, R525, R575 and R650 per person.
Are vegetarian and gluten-free options available?
Yes. The supplied menus state that vegetarian options are available and a gluten-free option is available.
How can an event be booked?
Event enquiries can be made by emailing book@gustourbanitalian.co.za or calling 079 494 1300.
