Geppetto Restaurant Review

First impressions don’t blow you away at this restaurant; it’s not in a great location, the busy street allows for a few small tables outside but these are mostly for the smokers - the traffic is too heavy for you to actually want to eat your meal out there.

On arriving at the restaurant the bar was deserted and the radio was blaring out some trashy dance music; not exactly the traditional “trattoria” experience I was anticipating. However, as soon as Alex “il patrone” popped his head out of the kitchen we were welcomed like old friends and ushered through to the cosy dining room. Rough stone walls, dark oak wine racks, chalk board menus and fresh flowers - much more like it.

Alex bustled around making sure we were comfortable before he presented us with the menus - the chalkboards are changed daily according to what’s best from the market, while the “carte” is updated seasonally.

We started with the burrata with prosciutto and salad to share. We had been warned that the portions are on the generous side and when it came we could see why; this could easily serve as a lunch for one person. Burrata is a dish made from mozzarella stuffed with a creamy filling and it was exceptional - soft and silky with a light texture, dotted with little crunchy nuggets of rock salt - not at all like the dense, chewy, stringy mozzarella cheese you often get. The ham was paper thin with a delicate, slightly nutty, flavour. The salad was a pleasant tangle of various leaves with fresh tomatoes, a light herby dressing and a good slug of olive oil, poured at the table until you say “stop”.

After the success of the starter I had high hopes for the main course; I chose the tortellini with creamy truffle sauce and my partner opted for the pesto linguini - both off the seasonal menu. The linguini came to the table still in it’s pan, saves on the washing up I suppose, and suits the “homecooked” ethos of the kitchen. It was a triumph of a dish that can often be an oily green mess; the pesto was as fresh as I’ve ever tasted, simple but delicious. The tortellini was the star of the show though; a generous handful of pasta parcels swimming in the biggest bowl of sauce I’ve ever seen for one person - I actually thought it was a salad bowl for another table when the waiter first brought it over. The sauce was rich, creamy and generously speckled with slivers of truffle - it smelled, and tasted, to die for. Just to avoid any food envy we shared both dishes between us, alternating between mouthfuls of light zingy pesto and decadent truffle cream - Alex came over with more bread and a knowing chuckle, as if this was entirely expected.

During the meal Alex circulated and chatted with all the customers, clearly knowing some of them very well. For a restaurant that doesn’t advertise and is off the beaten track, they clearly rely on their reputation. I don’t know how long Geppetto has been open but Alex pointed to one table and told me that they’ve been loyal customers for over 25 years.

Although we were both stuffed and very content by this point we figured that if the rest of the meal was this good, imagine what the desserts must be like?! There were about 8 options to choose from the chalkboard and we settled on the “tarte du jour”; roasted strawberries on a crispy pastry base with creme fraiche and pistachios in a strawberry soup. It was the perfect end to the meal with a deep intense flavour from the still-warm strawberries that was balanced out by the cool cream and crunchy pistachios.

All-in-all, Restaurante Geppetto more than lived up to the hype, we have decided that we have to go back often enough to try every other dish on the menu. Looks like Carine and Alex have gained two more loyal regulars!

Our meal cost €70 for a starter, two main dishes, a dessert, a bottle of Chianti, a coffee and a limoncello. For quality and value for money we reckon it’s one of the best restaurants in town. Geppetto is open daily for lunch but only Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner, booking is recommended.