Giuseppe, Arnaldo and Sons

Profiled by de Groots Media
Giuseppe, Arnaldo and Sons is almost hidden away, which is pretty amusing when you realise it’s a significantly large restaurant on the promenade level at Crown. The walls are sheltered from the outside with photographic images of Italian buildings giving you a hint as to what’s around the corner. Once inside the trattoria reveals itself by unrolling into a series of cleverly designed spaces. There are areas to eat, bars and stations for cured meats, wine, and bread. With the lights dimmed the decorative elements focus on the patterned tiles and the food and wine displays. The waiters, who manoeuvre daintily around the produce, are dressed in white lab coats, the kind of coats that Italian deli owners used to wear in days gone by.

By all means, take a seat and have a traditional three-course meal. Or just nibble on some olives and a selection of sliced to order cured meats, and see if you feel like a ordering something else. Perhaps a bowl of pasta, chicken cacciatore, fish or a Wagyu rib eye steak for two might take your fancy. Wine comes by the glass, the carafe or the bottle whether you desire an Italian or Australian drop. For a light meal, you can’t go past the ribollita which is a Tuscan soup, not unlike minestrone, served with crispy bread, grissini, oil and the chance to watch a scene almost as lively as that of the Spanish steps. Giuseppe, Arnaldo and Sons doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared for a wait on the weekends.

Rita Erlich