By V. Sivaji
The Bottega Mediterranean Cafe not only serves authentic dishes from the region but also offers many imported groceries.
Their food range is from countries like Italy, Spain and France and from the region.
They also have an open kitchen where guests can see their dishes being prepared by in-house Chef Mark William Colk and a crew of 14 members.
Among their favourite dishes are salads, soups, sandwich, porchetta, smoked ham, mussels, parmigiana, risotto, spaghetti, meat balls, pizza, cheese board, beef, costoletta, mozzarella cheese and many more.
The ambience in the eatery is bright and cheerful as the staff are seen busy preparing order for their clients. There are also two giant murals on the ground floor and also the 2nd floor of the cafe.
Outlet manager Gianluca De Biasi has been in Malaysia for almost eight years and has settled in Penang with his Malaysian wife.
“I come from South Eastern Italy from the Puglia region. Over the years, I have worked in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Australia and most of Europe too.
“Other than food, we stock a wide range of imported groceries like cheese, wine, ham, flour, coffee, salami, olive oil, tomatoes, various sauces and other cooking ingredients. We also have an outlet in Kuala Lumpur.
“We try to keep our dishes true to Italian heritage and do not try any fusion methods to alter or suit local clientele.
“Our focus is on food but we serve a limited range of Italian beer, Australian gin, vodka and good selection of wine,” said Gianluca to Penang Hyperlocal.
He also added that their clients are a mix of locals, foreigners and even tourists.
Their 2nd floor of their premises can cater for private functions and other gatherings for some 40 pax.
They opened in April 2022 and so far are experiencing a good flow of customers. They are open from 11am to 11pm except Mondays.
Check out Bottega Cafe located along Muntri Street in the heart of Georgetown.
