Osteria il Mattarello

Redefined, authentic Italian cuisine, imported fresh ingredients and an all-Italian wine selection gives this Osteria an edge.

At one time Ristorantes and trattorias served mainly pizza and pasta dishes, they were either rustic, regional or refined. And in some cases, such as Osteria il Mattarello, they can be all three. This upscale Italian restaurant just off Gouraud street next to Snatch is a backdrop for stellar Italian fare, with an open kitchen, modern décor, an all Italian wine menu and fresh ingredients imported from Italy.
The name Mattarello comes from a small town in the province of Trento, Northern Italy.

 The Northern Italian cuisine uses less olive oil, pasta and tomato sauce and more butter, rice, polenta and cheeses for creamy sauces. There are exceptions, and pasta in the north takes its rightful place next to delicious risotto and polenta dishes. Choosing our meal to reflect this trend, we started with the Capesante Grantinate. Oven- baked breaded scallops, each piece served on a plate of three scallop shells with a hint of tomato, could have benefited from a hint of lime juice or garlic to give the taste buds a kick. However, the fact they were cooked to perfection sidelined that quibble.

The open kitchen with the wood oven for pizzas gave an authentic taste to a generous sized Pizza Crudaiola: tomato, mozzarella cheese, Parma ham and rocket, big enough to share. The hands-down winner, however, was the al dente Risotto al Gamberi. My only grumble was that it was too hot to dig into straight away – not wanting to burn my tongue, I had to wait to taste the gorgeous flavour of prawns and buttery risotto.

I tend to steer clear of traditional Italian deserts in Beirut, finding they don’t translate well, but on this occasion we tried the white chocolate mousse presented in a sweet Amalda (a large sea snail) cone, which was light on the chocolate flavour, the cream overpowering the taste. Overall, they could be more daring on the flavours, but this newbie Italian definitely has room to grow and push to a full five stars with some more creative challenging of the flavour boundaries. With great atmosphere and prompt, attentive service, we’ll definitely be back.

(70 898987) St Famille Str, Gemmayzeh. 12noon-4pm, 8pm- 12mid. Meal for two without drinks LL90,000.