“A Posto Trattoria – A hidden gem of Italian restaurants in Prague

Wouldn’t it be great to know that the food we eat is not only delicious, but also healthy for you and the environment?

This food philosophy is at the heart of A Posto Trattoriaa true farm-to-table restaurant in Prague 8 serving authentic Italian and Sardinian dishes
meal.

A Posto Trattoria works with local farmers to implement the most sustainable and regenerative farming practices while focusing on using healthy ingredients in their diets.

Located in a peaceful part of Nové Chabry, we drove to A Posto Trattoria on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and chatted with its owner and main chef, Mr. Gianfranco Coizza.

a native Sardinian, Mr. Coizza shared with us many interesting stories and information about the idea of ​​sustainability, as well as the upcoming opening of an authentic Italian patisserie in the Prague 8 district.

Q: Your menu literally has everything we need to eat well. It’s just perfect.

A: “A Posto” in Italian means everything should be as it is.

Q: Do you also have culurgiònes (Sardinian stuffed pasta)? It seems that this is not always the a la carte part of the menu.

A: No, we change the menu depending on the season, and depending on the availability of farmers and our partners. There are things that we just can’t take off the menu because some customers come back exactly because of that particular meal. I like to put Sardinian food on the menu.

Some of my chefs come from different Italian regions, so everyone brings specific culinary ideas from their region.

Q: Saffron is a very important element in Sardinian cuisine.

A: Yes, and luckily my best friend here in Prague imports saffron, his warehouse is only about 2 kilometers from my restaurant, so I always have it fresh and available.

Q: When did you get into the restaurant business and what brought you to Prague?

A: When I was still living in Sardinia, I was studying agriculture in high school, which included learning manufacturing technology Foil, wine and cheese. After completing these studies, I moved to Tuscany to study literature at university, and during my studies I I worked in a restaurant and a winery, so that’s where I did my training in the field of catering.

A few years later I came to Prague, and basically what brought me here was my interest in literature, and also this dream of getting into the restaurant business. So, my first experience in the catering industry in the city of Prague was directly in the Alforno Focacceria and Aldente restaurants, however, now with my own business, I want to combine our excellent recipes with even better customer service. I tried my hand in catering, I was a private chef, I gave private cooking lessons and many other activities too, so all these experiences make an amazing cohesion of success in my trattoria.

Over the years I have become wiser, and now I am able to implement culinary knowledge, thanks to my experience with literature and travel.

Q: How about comfort food? Do you have natives coming here, Sardinians, Italians, visiting your trattoria exactly because of a specific meal?

A: Yes, there are. But since we are a bit far from the center, most Italians and tourists focus on the restaurants in the center, but I have regular local customers. We honestly care about quality and authenticity.

Q: When you opened this restaurant, what was the first overall feedback from your customers?

A: First, when we opened this restaurant, the timing was not ideal, because only ten days after the opening, the first containment took place. Of course, this caused us problems, like everyone else in the gastro-business. However, on the other hand, we emphasize building a relationship with the people of that neighborhood.

We tried to do things that are supposed to be something bigger – and that was to provide our customers with not only food but also Italian and local products. For example, our bread is a big hit.

Yes, the bread was fresh, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside… (we tried the food as paying customers before the interview)

I think that the restaurant is always the same thing – especially when you propose and propose something that the customers do not know – first you have to gain their trust, and then you can suggest to them, and guide them what they have to try.

Trust is the most important thing in this industry, and I see that we have achieved that. Of course, there are also more conservative customers who expect the same food on the menu every time they visit, for example, Carpaccio.

What we try to explain to our customers is that this is a modern trattoria. Trattoria is a more relaxed place, serving everyday Italian food.

But with a strong emphasis on quality, experimentation, keeping an eye on what’s going on around. Therefore, we are constantly working to be a sustainable trattoria, cooperating with even more farmers, trying to invent, improvise and not focus only on so-called “tourist” food.

Q: A trattoria has a soul, and locals would probably like to have an Italian restaurant that has a spirit, a simple and pleasant environment, which seems to be lacking in Prague, right?

A: I think there are not many authentic Italian restaurants in Prague. There are few, of course, but on the other hand, there are too many “budding Italian restaurants”.

We try to make comfort food, but I would rather call it soul food, because every course has a story behind it. For example, if you order the carbonara, all the ingredients are sourced first from local farms and animals, which are treated as they should be.

Q: Regarding durability, I would like you to tell me more. About your zero waste philosophy.

A: What we try to do is to avoid waste as much as possible. I think that 100% zero waste does not exist because zero does not exist
waste. It’s more of a goal. When you want to go to a gym and train your body, not everyone gets the results, but you set a goal and long term.
term, you see the results.

We try not to waste anything and use all the ingredients. For example, if we peel the carrot, we don’t throw it away, but we use it for a broth, or we dry it, or we use it to decorate the dish. From a small farm, where I know how they treat these animals, we know what they ate, where they lived, and we always use whole animal products.

We mouth it, we make the broth, the fat, and we use it all. Right in front of our trattoria there is also our butcher’s shop, so customers can also buy meat, sausages and sauces. This way we use all our ingredients. This is the only fair approach these days. We all know the economy is gonna get worse
in the coming periods, therefore, I also try to teach my own children who are 8 and 5 years old respect for nature. And it’s not
Something new! Our grandparents used to do it this way, and it was the right way.

Q: What is the trattoria’s signature dish and why?

A: A dish from the very beginning and very popular is Vitello Tonnato, which is a Piedmontese dish. It’s very traditional. it’s a dish
from slices of veal meat, with a sauce based on pepper, anchovies, veal broth and capers. This meal interests me because it unites land and sea.

Instead of salt, they used anchovies to give the meal a salty taste. We try to do it with a modern technique but respecting all the ingredients. Other extremely popular dishes are Linguine with seafood, octopus, and we have a dish called Polpo Allada, which is made in Sardinia, but in a specific area, which is a Catalan colony, and the locals talk Catalan in this area. It is a dish from a very old tradition that includes preservation techniques with tomato sauce and vinegar, which becomes a hot marinade in order to preserve the fish.

And of course the grilled meat, which arrives fresh directly from farmers, and we roast them outside in front of our customers.

Q: And your gastronomic academy?

A: It’s going very well; I’m glad it’s always full. There are Italian cooking classes for everyone, but I would highlight the one with kids. I like to teach them to cook because they give me a lot of energy with their questions about food. I have observed that the way they go about making food is also a way for me to expand my ideas.

Because children are honest and have a clear approach to everything when they are determined to achieve their goals. Some of them are very talented. When we prepare a specific meal, first I make a presentation, and then I ask them to use their imagination, their personality, without trying to copy me. And it’s great to see how they learn, which is very inspiring to me.

Q: You work every day – when do you rest?

A: When I have free time, I try to spend it with my family and, whenever possible, travel and be inspired. I also try to stay in shape – 4.5 years ago I started playing boxing, and before that I was playing football. Boxing is very good for the body and the soul, and I made some very good friends during my boxing lessons. I believe that for someone who works in the field of gastronomy it is important to be surrounded by the young generation, they always bring you new ideas, inputs and new energy.

Q: What do wewould you recommend someone who is interested in Sardinian cuisine?

A: Even though the history of Sardinia is not as popular as that of other Mediterranean countries, Sardinian cuisine is basically an endless structure of clashes and encounters of all Mediterranean cultures. You can find a bit of Spain, France, Italy and Northern Italy in our kitchen. And I think if you let yourself go, it’s like time travel. I think the new gastronomy should be like traveling and letting go.

Q: What inspired the name of the restaurant?

A: Before opening, I was looking for an easy-to-remember name, but at the same time I wanted something that gives essence to what this restaurant is. “A Posto” means everything is as it should be, or everything is fine. So the unit of the name, the interior and our wonderful meals give our guests a welcome message to my home.

We want our guests to feel comfortable at every opportunity during their visit – whether it’s a romantic dinner, a family lunch or even just stopping in for a small bite or a coffee. Our customers should feel at home A Posto Trattoria.

Q: Please give us 5 words that describe your trattoria

A: We love what we do – that’s our slogan.

I should point out that we are soon opening a pastry shop and ice-cream parlour, on the promenade of the Dock project in Prague 8. The opening is scheduled in a month, or even a month and a half. I will also announce it on my Instagram account. His name will be OMG! and we look forward for welcome our guests, offer them fantastic and authentic sweets, pastries, ice cream and even better customer service.