If you are looking for an Italian restaurant with a difference in Vienna then Grappino is the perfect choice.

With this small restaurant that seats up to 30 guests the former grocer Mario Bevilacqua has made his idea of Italian hospitality come true, creating an authentic atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else in Vienna. An open kitchen and the bar surrounding it take up almost half of the dining area. Here is the best place to chat with the ‘padrone’ – who is a proud supporter of Juventus Turin – and watch him cook while nibbling delicious, freshly made tramezzini.

Straight from Friuli

Fresh, high-quality products are a top priority here, and every two weeks or so the boss heads home to the Friuli region to buy all those things he himself also loves to eat. The menu features Italian staples such as various sort of pasta, including specialities such as Sicilian ‘spaghetti al branzino’ with seabass, tomatoes, capers, pine seeds and fresh rocket salad. Excellent fish dishes like gilthead bream and swordfish also please the palate, as do ‘filetto di manzo al funghi porcini’ (fillet of beef with ceps) and ‘bistecca classica alla fiorentina’. The unique taste of the meat dishes is no surprise: Grappino imports its own Chianina beef. In addition to the items on the menu the chef also conjures up three surprise dishes every day for his patrons.

If you finish your meal with cheese specialities like taleggio or pecorino – which come in many sorts – or even a wonderful ‘torta della nonna’ you are sure to leave the Grappino totally content and with the good feeling of having learned something new about Italian food and hospitality.