Just a stone's throw from Götgatsbacken, on Högbergsgatan 40, you will find Il Tempo. The restaurant is known for its rustic cooking, which is inspired by the Italian cuisine of New York, more precisely from the Italian restaurant Gino. This is evident in both the decor and the menu. You'll be greeted by hand-painted art deco wallpaper designed by Flora Scalamandré, which has adorned the restaurant since the 1990s when its doors first opened. The iconic walls, together with the ever-burning wood-burning stove, create the famous atmosphere. The restaurant has a very personal touch, which is also a hallmark of the restaurant and is partly due to the fact that only twelve people work here - even though the restaurant is open every day of the week.
There is something for everyone on the extensive menu. We caught up with Mike Ostapkowicz, the chef at Il Tempo, and asked him which dish on the menu is a must?
- That's a tough question! I have a lot of favourites, so it's hard to name just one dish. But, you can't miss our Carpaccio which has been a classic for a long time, and many people would be upset if we took it off the menu.
Understandable, who wants to miss out on ox carpaccio served with pickled onions, parmesan, truffles and crostini? Another of Mike's favourites is Maccheroni, pasta with freshly grated truffles and scallops.
As if this wasn't enough - what would an Italian restaurant be without pizza? In the middle of the dining room is an old-fashioned wood-fired oven. From here, first-class pizzas are served, said to be baked from a unique recipe from the deepest quarters of Naples. It's made with flour (from Emilia-Romagna), water, sourdough, olive oil & minimal yeast. It is then left to ferment slowly for at least 48 hours. The tomato sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes from Naples which are strained & seasoned with olive oil, salt & a little basil. The buffalo mozzarella is flown in from Naples twice a week. The craftsmanship is something they pride themselves on and the pasta dough is kneaded by hand in the kitchen daily and made from flour & eggs.
In addition to food, Il Tempo has a solid wine list, which greets you the moment you step into the restaurant.
- With a good wine to accompany your meal, as recommended by Aziz Youssef, the restaurant's manager - you don't need more for a successful evening. Of course, the whole dinner ends with our Tiramisu, which many say is the best in town!
The three most important raw materials!
Finally, we asked Mike to list the three most important ingredients - the ingredients that make Il Tempo's cuisine.
1. Truffles
"The smell of freshly grated truffles on a pasta makes you really happy."
2. Parmesan
"You can't eat pasta without Parmesan!"
3. Butter
"Most Italians don't even want to hear that you use butter in a pasta, but for me the butter in pasta is the icing on the cake."
