Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
from it, with young, engaging staff and bold flavours on the plate. The seafood
degust-
azione
- something involving squid ink and
frittomisto
(fried seafood) will invariably
play a part - is daunting but delicious. The 'seasonal creative' menu is just that, or you
can try ordering like the suited regulars: the freshest of fish by the
etto
(100g), weighed
and filleted at the table.
BUFFET, TRIESTE-STYLE
You'll be sure to eat well, in fact extremely well, at a Triestine buffet, but banish any thought of all-
you-can-eat meal deals. These rowdy bar-restaurants are yet another legacy of the city's Austro-Hun-
garian past; if Trieste's bakeries conjure up Vienna, its buffets are Budapest all over. Usually all-day,
and night, affairs, small snacks - cod or zucchini fritters, topped toasts and
panini
- are available from
early morning and gobbled over lunch or at
aperitivo
(predinner drinks) time. But, hey, who's here for
zucchini? Beef brisket may be a stalwart, but pork - baked, boiled, cured, stuffed into a sausage or
fried - is the star attraction. Fresh grated
kren
(horseradish),
capuzi
(sauerkraut) and
patate in tecia
(mashed potatoes) are traditional accompaniments.
Drinking & Nightlife
Trieste's historic cafes conjure times past, but remain a thriving, and deeply satisfying,
part of daily city life (the Triestini drink twice as much coffee as the national average).
Cafes, bars and buffets blur, as does what constitutes
aperitivo
(predinner drinks with
snacks). Evenings out are a refined, relaxed mix of young and old and early-evening
drinks often stretch well into the night with the help of hearty buffet snacks. Via San
Nicolo's bars cater to a smart after-work set, while the old town's cluster of bars have a
more boho bent. In summer there are come-and-go outdoor places along the Viale
Miramare.
Chocolat
(Via Cavana 15b; 7.30am-8pm Tue-Sat)
This lovely cafe and chocolate shop makes
everything in-house, including the hot chocolate slowly simmering in a great pot behind
the counter and, in summer, gelato. Happily there's no surcharge for sitting at the big
communal table outside on the square.
CAFE
Caffè Torinese
CAFE
