We went to Casa Gio in March 2024 to celebrate an anniversary and nothing much has changed since our last visit. There is still just a short menu on a blackboard as you enter and there are only like 4 main dishes. On this evening, it did not seem like the blackboard was updated but we got information about the menu from our waiter. The restaurant is cozy with dim lighting, brick walls and dark furniture and there is an intimate atmosphere with a view to the kitchen.
It didn’t take that long before we got our starters – octopus salad and tagliere misto. The cold octopus salad had delicious pieces of tender octopus together with vegetables. The ham and cheese board included salumi, but no prosciutto and cheeses included parmesan, pecorino and the softer taleggio. I loved getting a good piece of quince on the side to add some sweetness to it – and we also got some bread and good olive oil.
The mains at Casa Gio are usually pasta or risotto and as I love risotto, I was pleased to see this on the menu. My risotto seemed to be a porcini risotto with a piece of beef cheek slowly roasted to become incredibly tender! A small twig of rosemary on top gave the dish a lovely aroma. I would have liked to see it served on a warmer plate as this was a dish that I wanted to savor. Nikki enjoyed tagliatelle with duck ragu – a favorite that we have had a few times before that seemed to hit the spot once again. We also enjoyed a Gaja Dagromis Barolo – as you would expect the restaurant focus on Italian wines. I rounded off the evening with a piece of tiramisu that was creamy and topped with lots of cocoa.
Casa Gio has been our hidden Italian food gem in Stavanger for almost 10 years now! Located in Pedersgata this is a place we return to repeatedly as we enjoy the rustic homemade food here. While I do appreciate a short menu of homemade dishes, I would like to see a few more new items on the menu – not that I can specify what this should be. I would also like to see a proper wine menu to be able to browse through the options. It is great to see that the good wine we had was priced reasonably! Thanks for having us Casa Gio! We do enjoy the intimate, slow food atmosphere and rustic dinners here and hope to return soon.
Pros:
- Homemade food made with love
- good Italian wines reasonably priced
Cons: - Menu is a bit static - I would like to see a proper wine list