A Taste of Italy in St Tryphon's Square (La Pasteria Restaurant (Kotor, Montenegro))

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	La Pasteria Restaurant (Kotor, Montenegro)
Date:	10/06/09 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well organised restaurant, clean, interesting decor and serves good Italian Food.

Disadvantages: Possibly the TV

La Pasteria is an Italian restaurant which sits in St Tryphon's Square opposite the cathedral, in the old city of Kotor in Montenegro. You can't miss the sun-kissed stoney facade of the building as outside on the terrace are many tables filled with tourists and backpackers. On the cobbled terrace stands a handwritten board displaying scrumptious meals of pasta, meat dishes, lepinja (bread sandwiches), fish and seafood dishes and pizzas of every variety. If this menu doesn't tempt you inside then I am sure the charming lighting and ambience will.

On a clear, warm sunny summer's day I should think the views from the terrace are fascinating but the evening we arived at the restaurant was a cold and damp one so we went inside to get warm.

The decor of the interior is warm and cosey with tables, chairs, counters made from a rich mahogany wood. The ceiling is rather strange in the way it seems to be layered and is painted a spring-like lemon pastel shade. Hiding behind the layers are many small lightbulbs and as the evening closed in the ceiling became a bed of illumination. These lights and the candles lit on every table gave the restaurant a romantic and very pleasant atmosphere.

As soon as we were shown to our seats in a quiet corner the waiter came and asked us if we would like to order a drink. We chose two cold beers. When the waiter went off to get our drinks I had a good look around the restaurant and was quite impressed with the atmosphere and the cleanliness of the room. I did notice a huge flatscreen TV in one corner of the room which was a bit offputting as I do find that when a TV is staring you in the face it tends to halt any conversation whatsoever. I later learnt that this was quite normal in Montenegran establishments. Still, it was no big deal - I just ignored it on that occasion.

Most of the clientele were young couples dotted with the odd traveller here and there.

The large cold beers were of the Niksic variety which is a well known Montenegran ale and has a strong barley taste to it but is delicious.

The menu was quite varied although pizzas and pasta dishes dominated most of the menu. I did see seafood such as squid, prawns and mussels on the menu as well as types of fish including smoked fish. Boiled lamb seemed to be popular with the locals which looked like it came served with polenta.I also spotted a bean and cooked rib dish with salami. I had already made up my mind before entering the restaurant that I was going to eat pizza and my husband chose a pasta dish.

The list of pizzas was extensive but I decided to have a folded over pizza that day - a cheese calzone. The pizza dough was perfect - not overcooked in any way and nothing leaked out of the folds. The combination of the two cheeses - ricotta amd mascarpone was delicious. A forkful of pizza followed by a forkful of crisp salad suited me just fine and I was in heaven. The salad was just a straightforward lettuce, tomato and onion salad, drizzled in oilive oil with a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper.

My husband chose a tuna pasta dish as he said he was feeling summery and wanted something light and colourful. The pasta was spinach and the tuna added body to the tomatoes and courgette whilst the tangy cheese jazzed up the dish. He said the dish was delicious and although it looked a lot of pasta sitting on a large white plate he finished it all and said that he wasn't too full. If he had ordered a pizza he would have left half of it, I am sure.

To go along with the main meals we ordered a bottle of Vranac wine. This is a red wine which is made in Montenegro from black coarse grapes. In the Balkan countries red wine is generally known as black wine. The waiter poured the wine into two large glasses and the temperature of the wine was just right. The flavour was quite smooth and complimented the cheese on my pizza and also in my husband's pasta dish. I was quite impressed with the wine as usually I find Balkan wines a little tart.

Finally, to end the meal we had a glass of Lazo which is a brandy similar to the Italian grappa. Not too strong a taste and the done thing is to follow a sip of Lazo with a sip of water.

This restaurant is very popular with tour groups, other tourists and backpackers and I can see why. It is situated in a lovely cobbled square opposite the cathedral with views of the mountains. The inside of the restaurant has a very intimate atmosphere and is very clean. Waiting staff are helpful, keen and well organised.

Pricewise - we are looking at between £4 and £5 for a pizza, £3.50 £4-50 for a pasta dish, £1-50 for a salad. Beer is just over a pound a glass and the wine cost £7. I consider that very good value indeed.

You can find La Pasteria in St Tryphon's Square opposite the cathedral. The restaurant is open every day from 8am until 11pm. Breakfasts are served from 8am until 2pm every day.

Summary: A Great Restaurant in the Old Town of Kotor