Discover the Heart of Italy in Stockholm: An Interview with Trattoria Montanari
What inspired you to start Trattoria Montanari?
My father came to Sweden in the late '60s and opened many restaurants, including Capri, Martini, and Invito. My siblings and I grew up in a restaurant environment and probably had more family dinners at restaurants than at home. When my father passed away 25 years ago, that life disappeared, and it was something I missed for many years. So, ten years ago, my siblings and I decided to honor our father and the food culture we grew up with and loved more than anything by opening Trattoria Montanari.
Every time one visits, the atmosphere is wonderful. How do you achieve that?
Trattoria Montanari is a small, lively, and family-friendly neighborhood restaurant. The Italian cuisine is, of course, the focus, with ingredients of the highest quality. We serve well-prepared Italian classic dishes, and the decor creates a 'homey' feel with family photos, Italian books on the shelves, warm-colored walls, and the obligatory Italian background music. Additionally, most of the staff speak Italian, and there’s a lot of joking and bantering, which creates a light-hearted atmosphere. Many simply feel like they are in Italy when they are with us, and that’s precisely the ambiance we want to create.
If someone is visiting for the first time, which dish should they not miss?
Oh, that's difficult! We have many dishes that we absolutely cannot remove from the menu—our regulars would go crazy—they have been there since we opened ten years ago. For example, our Spaghetti alle Vongole or Tagliatelle al Tartufo. And if you like tiramisu, you must try ours! A favorite starter is Culatello con Stracciatella e Tartufo, simple high-quality ingredients in perfect combination, just as it should be!
A big thank you to Natalie for sharing the story and philosophy behind Trattoria Montanari. A truly fantastic restaurant with a genuine atmosphere and really good food. One of my personal favorite restaurants in Stockholm even before we became neighbors on Grev Turegatan! I could highly recommend to visit them, you'll find there website here.
