From the main courses we tried a range of Italian classics at Gato Matto: a pizza, a pasta and risotto. (source: Courtesy of M. T.)
I want to start this review with an admission: I never go out for Italian food. It’s not that I dislike Italian food; I have visited Italy several times, and eaten well there. But somehow whenever I’m choosing to go out for dinner, some other style always seems more exciting; maybe the chilli rush of something South Indian, the layered herbs and spices of the Caribbean, the opulence of French cuisine... Something always catches my eye and in the end, I just don’t go for Italian. So being invited to review a successful Italian restaurant in the historical centre of Bratislava was a chance for me to try something relatively unusual to me.
Gatto Matto has three sites in and around Bratislava and has been in town for nearly 20 years now. Firstly – they are really popular. We were lucky to get the final space in the Panská branch, even though we arrived just before 18:00. All the main dining tables were already full but the excellent and helpful staff found us a space with a small table and a chaise longue, and definitely made the effort to make us comfortable there. Several other parties were politely turned away while we ate, and apparently this is normal on most days of the week. So if you do want to eat here, book ahead (you can reserve online or by phone), and I very much suspect that the restaurant will continue to do good business, regardless of whether I think the food is good or awful!
