You climb upstairs to reach Upstairs, a homely Italian twist to Fort Kochi, run by Fabio Batistatti, who was already a cook in Italy but wanted to bring some Italian flavor to the historic town. From the windows of the one room diner, you could clearly get a good view of the old Basilica just across the road, rosaries and hymns reaching you as a backdrop to the simple decor, reminding you of Italy, her alleys of hymns and old churches. The place Fabio chose to run his restaurant couldn't get more authentic than that.
It has a wide varying menu of original Italian food, from the Antipasto to the original yummy Affogato. They have various pastas and the lasagnas, and fresh thin crust Pizzas and breads baked daily. It must be really hard to run an Italian restaurant with the minimal availability of original Italian ingredients in Cochin. They import their Salamis and Mozzarella of course and Fabio visits Italy every year for couple of months.
(Those are just the specials for the day from their wide ranging menu)
I had ordered a simple Bruschetta with Salami and Mozzarella and a cup of cappuccino to wash it down. After Indian cuisines, I love Italian cuisine as obvious from my trip to Italy for a Pizza :), I would want more olive oil dripped into my bread, the Bruschetta grilled a tad harder. Other than that, it was Italy all over again! My cappuccino was perfect. It is a simple unpretentious place and they do mean food!
It cost me 180 Indian rupees for the Bruschetta and 50 rupees for the cappuccino. I inquired for the famous Italian gelatos and they didn't have that! (ah!)
This restaurant is in its fourth season, closed on the months of May and June.
Open for dinner from 6 to 10, 8-11 for breakfast and noon to 3 for lunch.
Buon appetito!
(Series Reading.
1. A Princess Story )
5 comments:
Italian food is very tasty if made properlyWe love it too.
I like this series that you are doing on the non-touristy side of Kerala.
Oh wow - an aunthentic Italian restaurant in kerala - I would love to visit on my next trip there! Good job in finding these hidden gems and not doing the regular Seematti-Josco-Jayalakshmi jostle!!!!!
Hello .. can u give the address of the restaurant? or do they have a website ?
Our worst culinary experience in India. Avoid at all costs! I ordered a bruschetta which was average at best. My partner, ordered two separate dishes which were unavailable. The vegetarian lasagne he eventually ordered (as recommended by the staff)was devoid of any vegetables or indeed any flourish whatsoever. Literally sheets of lasagne, with flavourless sauce... In addition it was cold! When we complained, we were met by a very ARROGANT chef who offered neither apology or alternative. After waiting a further ten minutes for the dish to be reheated, to our utter dismay it came back cold! We refused to pay for this dish and were again verbally assaulted by this "authentic Italian chef" who was angered by our supposed ignorance of Italian cuisine!!!! Veritable foodies, we are by no means ignorant about Italian food. I cannot reiterate how UNSAVOURY this whole experince was.
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