PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAWhen a restaurant has a hoard of regular patrons, many travelling further than necessary for a good meal, it’s usually an indication of outstanding food. Galileo Buona Cucina is a perfect example of this. The unassuming interior is simply decorated in a rustic, Italian style with yellow washed walls adorned with colourful local artwork. Three rooms are joined by “glassless windows”, allowing the buzzy atmosphere to filter throughout the restaurant. This place is not so much about the setting, but rather about the food; the majority of which is made on the premises. From the bread to the ice-creams and sorbets, and some of the pastas, the freshness of these homemade items is incomparable.
Traditional Italian classics grace the menu with polpettine jotta (veal meatballs in white wine sauce) and asparagi Milanese (fresh asparagus with Parmigiano and egg salad) being perfect recommendations. A range of simple pastas with an emphasis on flavour will have you wanting to return to Galileo immediately, but it is their spit-roasted and slow wood-fired oven meats they are renowned for. Carnivores will delight in offerings such as spit-roasted duck, slow wood-fired oven-baked lamb and daily specials ranging from piglet to venison. Once you’ve experienced one of these culinary delights, you’ll understand the mass of regulars. Buon appetite.
Karen Bilsby-Butler, April 2007