This is one of the first themed restaurants I was taken to when I was younger. It was also one of the first restaurants where I wanted to be taken to again. Not because of the theme, but because of the taste the pasta had.

This time I went with my nostalgia glasses on, but I think it won’t actually change the color of this short review.

What about the “ristorante”?

The restaurant I went to is located just outside the G Zone (Gourmet Zone. Not to be confused with the G Spot).

It’s a big, old house that was converted to a restaurant a while ago, 45 years ago if the texts on the menus is to be believed.

The house also doubles as a delicatessen storefront, where the owners of the restaurant sell pasta, pasta sauces, and pasta affiliated things. And if I remember correctly, this is one of the things that makes this restaurant known: The things they sell are all made by the restaurant. The pasta is fresh, as well as the sauces, the breads, and the raviolis. Everything is handmade.

They have another location in the north of Bogotá, but I haven’t gone to that one…

Inside the place is decorated with italian memorabilia. Posters of classic movies by Fellini and Sergio Leone, iconic statues from the Fontana di Trevi, and pictures of italian pasta.

What did I eat?

When ordering you have the choice of 5 different types of pasta: Spaghetti, Fettuccine, Penne, Ravioli, or Tortellini. Then, you can combine it with one of the “sauces”.

I ordered a “spaghetti teléfono” with an “italian soda”. I put the items in quotation marks because they don’t have a direct translation from spanish.

The sodas came first, with a side of bread:

The bread arrived hot, maybe reheated in an oven. It was good, it was probably not fresh, or it had been reheated at least once before, as some of the bread stiffened a lot as soon as it cooled down. Still the flavor and texture while hot was pretty good.

The soda is a mix of Jamaica flower tea, grapefruit and sparkling water. It didn’t seem to have much sugar, if at all, and it tasted great. The sweetness and acidity of the grapefruit, combined with the distinct flavor of the Jamaica flower are a great tasting drink.

The spaghetti arrived about 15 minutes later:

The teléfono sauce is made with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. This pasta is almost submerged in a pool of tomato “soup”, so you have to be careful not to get dirty when eating it.

It tasted like tomatoes. The basil was present, but it was not too noticeable. The mozzarella was much the same, present but not noticeable. The dominant flavor was the tomatoes, so if you like the acidity and distinct taste of a tomato sauce (not ketchup) you’ll like this dish.

The portion was a bit big for me, so I had to make an effort to finish it. I really don’t like to leave just a little of food on my plate.

My companion ordered a fettuccine sergio, which had a white sauce, mushrooms, bacon and ham.

I didn’t have a taste of it, but according to my companion, it was good. A bit to greasy but pretty tasty. They could not finish the plate, as the portion size was too big for them.

So?

The pasta is pretty good as it is always fresh, I can feel the hand made texture, and that is important to me. The sauces are also good. They are not salty, which makes them a bit bland. You can always add more salt if you think it needs it.

The portion sizes are generous, so if you want to eat your fill it is a good alternative for lunch.

I really did enjoy the soda. It was refreshing and had a different taste to most sparkling drinks I have had.

I like this place, although it is not as good as I remember it being.