Where to eat
in Trieste
Schiacciata, small plates and cold beer.
15 minutes on foot from the station, 24 from the cruise pier.
We are good at food. We are very good at beer. We are not good at English — this page was written by people who cook for a living. If a word looks wrong, it probably is. We promise to be much better at feeding you than at writing to you.
What is a schiacciata?
It looks like a sandwich. It is not.A schiacciata is made from focaccia dough, not bread dough. It comes out of the oven tall, soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside. We cut it in half lengthways in front of you and fill it there and then.
Inside go Italian products, and where we can, products from around here: mortadella, stracciatella, prosciutto crudo, porchetta, truffle cream, grilled vegetables, fresh horseradish.
You eat it with your hands, standing up or sitting down. It is not pizza, and it is not a panino — a panino is bread. This is focaccia, and that changes everything about how it tastes.
How ordering works
You order at the counter and you pay at the counter, then take it with you or sit down. If you sit down, someone will look after you — there is more than one of us working the tables.
What is a Triestine buffet?
Careful — false friendEverywhere else in the world, a "buffet" is a long table covered in food that you help yourself to. In Trieste the word means something completely different.
A Triestine buffet is a set of very small plates. Tartine — little open sandwiches with dozens of different fillings. Vegetables fried a dozen different ways. Meatballs: with horseradish, spicy ones, fried ones, mozzarella ones, all sorts.
Each piece costs very little. So instead of choosing one dish, you try many. For the price of a plate of pasta somewhere else, you will have tasted a dozen different things and you will be full.
It works best with company
Order a lot of different pieces, order something to drink, and while you talk you all eat from one big tray in the middle of the table.
It is finger food — no cutlery. If you would rather not use your hands, ask at the counter for the long toothpicks and pick things up with those.
We are a schiacciateria, not a buffet. But the habit is the same one, and we have our own way of doing it: it is called the Giro Ignorante, and it is further down this page.
What to order
The names stay in Italian on purpose — say them at the counter exactly as they are written here and you will get the right thing.
Schiacciate
Top de Gamma
€8.50Mortadella, stracciatella cheese and chopped pistachio
The one people come back for.
Variante TS
€8.50Cooked ham, breaded fried aubergine, mustard and fresh kren
The most Triestine thing on the menu. Kren is horseradish — see the glossary.
Porca Zozza
€10.00Porchetta, cacio e pepe cream, crispy onion and grana cheese
Roast pork belly. Not a light lunch, and not trying to be.
Bona ma Leggera
€10.00Prosciutto crudo, stracciatella, cherry tomatoes and basil
Raw cured ham, the classic one.
Fit
€10.00Cherry tomatoes, grilled courgettes, rocket and stracchino cheese
Vegetarian.
Piaza Granda
€10.00Tuna, mixed leaves, tomatoes and lime mayonnaise
No meat, but it does have fish.
Il Giro Ignorante
Same schiacciate, cut into pieces so that a table can share them. Two or three different fillings arrive together and everyone tries everything — which is the only sensible way to find out which one is your favourite.
Duo Retrò
€6.00One schiacciata, one filling, cut into four pieces
A taste for one person, or a small thing for two.
Muleria Retrò
€12.00Two schiacciate, two different fillings, cut into eight pieces
Two people, four pieces each, and two flavours tried instead of one.
Tavolata Ignorante
€16.00Three schiacciate, three different fillings, cut into twelve pieces
For a table. This is the one to order.
The full menu is in Italian — but the dish names and the prices are the same, and photographs need no translation.
What to drink
If you say "a spritz" here,
you will get a white one.
Friulian white wine, sparkling water, ice, a slice of lemon. No bitter, nothing orange. That is not a mistake and it is not us being difficult — in Trieste that is simply what the word means. Nine times out of ten, that is what a local is asking for.
The orange one exists too. Aperol, Campari, and whatever else you had in mind: say the name and it arrives. Nobody here will be offended, and nobody will correct you — we are not the French about it.
The beer is the other serious thing
Five on tap and one that rotates — ask at the counter what is on today. Depending on the beer and the size, €3.00 to €7.00.
Rye River IPA
India Pale Ale · 5.6%
If you want one recommendation, this is it.
Hell König Ludwig
Keller lager · 5.1%
The easy-going one.
Warsteiner Herb
Double-hopped pilsner · 4.8%
Dry and bitter.
Pater Linus Triple
Abbey tripel · 7.5%
Strong. Belgian style.
Non Filtrata König Ludwig
Unfiltered keller lager · 5.1%
Cloudy on purpose.
How much does it cost?
A light lunch comes in under €10. A full meal — a big schiacciata, something to share, beers with friends — is €15 to €20 a head.
Walking out of here with a €50 bill each is very hard to do. If you manage it, you bought a lot of beer — and probably some new friends as well.
Cards are fine
We take cards. You can also take the food away — handy if you are walking back to a ship or a train.
How to avoid a tourist trap in Trieste
Where the locals eatThe rule is the same in every port city on this coast: the closer you eat to the sea view, the more of the bill is the view.
Ten minutes further inland the view tax stops. Viale XX Settembre is where Trieste does its own shopping, its own walking and its own evenings, and the prices on this street are the ones the city pays every day of the year.
It costs you a flat, easy walk with no hills in it. What you give up is the sea view — and the sea will still be there after lunch.
How to tell, anywhere in Italy
- One kitchen offering pizza, sushi and paella is not good at any of them.
- If the menu has no prices on it, the price gets decided after they have seen you.
- If the room is full of people speaking the local language at four in the afternoon, you have found it.
How to get here
Viale XX Settembre 16, Trieste. Whichever way you arrived in this city, the answer is below — Trieste is small and flat, and almost all of it is a walk.
You came in on a cruise ship
24 minutes on foot · 1.7 km from Molo dei Bersaglieri
Walk off the pier into Piazza Unità d’Italia — the big square facing the sea. Cross it, keep going straight inland along Corso Italia and Viale Carducci, and stay under the arcades. You will come out at the fountain at the bottom of Viale XX Settembre. From there just walk up the boulevard. We are on your left, at number 16.
By bus, 15 minutes: walk 200 m along the waterfront to the riva del Mandracchio stop, in front of the Hotel Excelsior, and take line 9 towards Piazzale Gioberti. Five stops, nine minutes, get off at Via Battisti (Galleria Fenice) — we are 150 m from there. One every nine minutes or so.
You came by train
15 minutes on foot · 1.0 km from Trieste Centrale
Out of the station, head inland along Via Ghega and Via Carducci. It is flat the whole way — no hills, no steps.
By bus, 11 minutes: the Stazione Ferroviaria stop is 120 m from the station doors. Line 22 towards Cattinara (Ospedale) takes four stops and six minutes; get off at Portici di Chiozza and walk 220 m. Lines 6 and 36 come this way too. It saves about four minutes on the walk, so take it for the suitcase, not for the clock.
You flew in
about 50 minutes in total · Trieste Airport (TRS), Ronchi dei Legionari
The airport has its own railway station, connected to the terminal by a covered walkway. Take the regional train to Trieste Centrale — it takes 29 to 32 minutes — and from there you are at the previous entry: 15 minutes on foot, or line 22.
You came by car
under a minute on foot · Geparkom, Via Spiro Tipaldo Xydias 6 · open 8:00–20:00
Viale XX Settembre is pedestrian, so you cannot drive to our door. During the day, use the multi-storey car park next to us — Geparkom, in Via Spiro Tipaldo Xydias 6. Come out of it, turn left, and you are here. Coming for lunch, this is the easy answer, and the same one if you are driving over from Slovenia or Croatia.
Coming for dinner? The car park shuts at 20:00, so it will be closed by the time you leave. It works out anyway: this is a neighbourhood people work in, and from around eight in the evening they drive home and the street spaces empty out. Read the sign beside the blue-lined bays before you walk away from the car — the paid hours are posted on the meter.
You are already in the old town
16 minutes on foot · 1.1 km from Piazza Unità d’Italia
Straight up Corso Italia and you are on the Viale. It is one road, in one direction, and you cannot really get it wrong.
The nearest bus stop
Via Battisti (Galleria Fenice) — 150 m — a two-minute walk. Lines 3 · 6 · 9 · 22 · 35 · 36 · 57 · 58 · B all call there.
You can tap a contactless card or phone on the reader when you board a Trieste city bus: the card is the ticket. Otherwise buy one before you get on, at any tabaccheria or newsagent.
Where you sit
Our tables are outside, on the boulevard itself, under the plane trees. Viale XX Settembre is closed to traffic, so what is in front of you is a wide walking avenue, not a road.
They are there all year round. There are tables inside as well, and in winter that is where most people sit — but in summer almost everyone stays out under the trees, so if you are coming in July, come for the outside.
This is the local street
Not the harbour front, not the postcard square. The Viale is where Trieste does its walking, its shopping and its evenings.
If you hear someone speaking English at the next table, there is a fair chance it is one of us, having a go.
When we are open
Opening hours
Open every day · Sunday afternoons and evenings only
Booking is a good idea
You can always walk in and order at the counter. But if you want to be sure of a table — in the evening, or outside, or for a group — call us or send a message first.
A few words you will hear
Trieste has its own vocabulary, and half of it is not Italian. Use one of these at the counter and watch what happens.
Schiacciata
skyat-CHA-taFocaccia dough, baked, split lengthways and filled. Not pizza, not a sandwich.
Buffet
boo-FEHIn Trieste this does not mean a self-service table. It means lots of very small plates, shared.
Kren
kraynGrated horseradish. Sharp, a bit like wasabi. Trieste puts it on ham and takes it seriously.
Un nero
oon NEH-roAn espresso. Ask for "un caffè" and everyone will know you are not from here.
Un capo
oon KA-poAn espresso with a little milk foam. What the rest of Italy calls a macchiato.
In b
een beeSay "un nero in b" or "un capo in b" and it arrives in a small glass instead of a cup. The b is for bicchiere, glass.
Rebechin
reh-beh-KEENThe mid-morning or late-afternoon snack, standing at the counter, with a small glass of something.
Spritz bianco
shpritz BYAN-koWhite wine, sparkling water, ice, lemon. What you get here if you just say "a spritz".
Questions people ask us
Do I need to book a table?
Not strictly — you can walk in, order at the counter and sit down. But booking is a good idea, especially in the evening and if you want to be sure of a table outside. Call us or send a WhatsApp message. For a group it is worth doing every time.
Does anyone there speak English?
Yes. You can order in English at the counter.
Can I pay by card?
Yes, we take cards.
Can I take the food away?
Yes. Everything on the menu can be wrapped to take with you — useful if you are walking back to a ship or a train.
Do you have vegetarian options?
Yes, and here they are by name. The Fit schiacciata: cherry tomatoes, grilled courgettes, rocket and stracchino cheese. The Classico bruschettone: tomato, garlic, olive oil and basil. The chips. The chifeletti — fried Triestine potato dumplings, soft inside, crisp outside. And both puddings: the Nutella schiacciata and the Nutella chifeletti. Ask at the counter and we will walk you through the rest.
Do you have gluten-free food?
We cannot promise a gluten-free kitchen. Everything is prepared in the same space where we handle flour all day, so if you are coeliac we would rather tell you honestly than risk it. Ask us at the counter and we will tell you exactly what is in each dish.
Can we sit outside?
Yes, all year round. Our tables are out on the boulevard under the plane trees — Viale XX Settembre is closed to traffic, so it is the pavement, not a road. There are tables inside as well, which is where most people sit in winter; in summer almost everyone stays outside.
Is there a toilet?
Yes, for customers.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes. Everything is on one floor, with no steps inside.
Which bus stops nearest to you?
Via Battisti (Galleria Fenice), 150 metres away — about two minutes on foot. Lines 3, 6, 9, 22, 35, 36, 57, 58 and B all call there. From the cruise pier take line 9; from the railway station take line 22.
How much does a meal cost?
A light lunch comes in under €10. A full meal — a big schiacciata, something to share, beers with friends — is around €15 to €20 a head. Walking out with a €50 bill each is very hard to do. If you manage it, you bought a lot of beer, and probably some new friends as well.
What are your opening hours?
Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 01:00, Friday and Saturday 8:00 to 02:00, Sunday 17:00 to 23:30. We are open every day; Sunday we only open in the afternoon.