Gran Caffe Quadri
Double Espresso on Ice
Ricotta di Bufala Cake
Pistachio Cream Croissant
Apple Tartina
Gianduia Muffin
Located on St. Mark’s Square and featuring the work of Chef Massimiliano Alajmo whose cooking at Rubano’s Le Calandre earned him 3 Michelin Stars at the age of 28, Quadri as well as it’s offshoots Gran Caffe and ABC Quadri offer a more casual look at the Chef’s innovative interpretations of modern day Italian culinaria, a standing breakfast of four pastries plus a double Espresso at the Caffe proving comparably priced to the rest of the area with results expectedly good, but not particularly great.
Itself a small space with just two indoor two-tops, though the Michelin Starred restaurant upstairs and “ABC” program running from 11h30 to 15h00 on the square is far larger and refined, it was with multi-lingual service from a young woman that an order at Gran Caffe was assembled, the total cost of €14 seeing two of the items still warm at 09h15, first bites of the Pistachio Cream Croissant showing the texture to be light and flaky around the naturally-flavored filling, a follow-up Apple Tart as more hefty in spices than it was in sweetness with pockets of raisins an unexpected twist later to be found common in Italian interpretations of the dish.
Adapting like so many others to the increasing Gluten-Free demands of patrons, the location alone providing Quadri an impetus to please palates of all kinds, a taste of the Gianduia Muffin showed a rich texture created by the combination of Almond Flour plus the Housemade Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread available by jar for takeaway, the best bites of the meal still-to-come by way of the creamy, smooth and lightly sugared Ricotta di Bufala Cake.
https://www.alajmo.it/en/sezione/grancaffe-quadri/grancaffe-quadri