A piece of Italy south of Dublin
- P. Morán Ortín
- Jun 26, 2019
- 2 min read
Many alleys offer bits of rubbish and the eery feeling that one could get assaulted at any moment, Alfred Walk offers Italian food, pictures of cats and books in a writer´s dream café.
I first heard of "Caffé Letterario GattaNera" as a cat café in Bray, the idea was as wonderful as it was unbelievable and it didn't take long for me to do some research. Sadly there are no life cats but the love for everything feline is so apparent that I would not surprise me if they were to eventually get them. What you do get is a brilliant little place full of books with an italian deli and a small menu full of no-nonsense dishes.
For starters we had La Strada a Caprese salad with Buffalo Mozzarella, vine tomato oregano, basil and balsamic vinegar pearls. As a Mediterranean person this is exactly the kind of salad I would go for, few ingredients of great quality, things are kept simple and the flavours are let to speak for themselves. It was accompanied by warm crusty white and brown bread and making your own small bite means reaching Summer Heaven in a month of disappointing weather.
Ordering a board of cheese and meat is always a gamble in Ireland but this was well worth it. A true feast of courgette, aubergine, olives, Ventricina salami, three kinds of pecorino cheese, Parma ham, Mortadela, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, rocket pesto, assorted leaves, strawberries and redcurrants. Special mention to an artichoke spread that had none of the usual fibrous texture which, personally, puts me off the vegetable so this was a delightful way to re-discover it.
The establishment itself is small and quaint with few tables and some cozy chairs, there was a soft and pleasant music on the background and one can even purchase some imported italian jams, dry products and wine. The staff are friendly and very obviously passionate about this project which only adds to the experience. If you are in the Bray area and looking for a not so small bite or a warm café I suggest you get yourself to this little spot. You won´t be disappointed.
Caffé Letterario Gattanera is located on Albert Walk, Bray and has a handy facebook page
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