Antica Hostaria da Libero — Restaurant in Trieste

Wow, one of the best meals I've had in Italy for a long while. We had the homemade prosciutto which was so soft and delicious. Then I had the beef cheek ragu with gnocchi, my husband had the steak mince tartar. Both just brilliant and so warming and very high quality ingredients. The homemade tiramisu was also the best I've had for a while. Not too much coffee but lots of rich cream and chocolate. Delish! The woman who was serving us was so welcoming and very passionate about the restaurant. Spoke very good English for us which was really nice of her to do as our Italian is very basic. A must go place! Perhaps having oil on the table would be the only suggestions as I love to dip the bread into it, but I think it's not always an option in a lot of places...

Hostaria da Libero was a real treat for my last day in Trieste - it fulfills my notion about the perfect restaurant; in every single way. Smaller and more intimate space. Bit harder to find, not so visible from the street. But that's exactly the point-this place doesn't 'scream' for attention/profit. Charming interior, you can 'smell' the history presented on the walls. Family business, personal touch, excellent food. I like when you are defining food choice in direct conversation with the owner, which was the case here. Lady was very charming, attentive and willing to help. I think this was the best service that I met recently. If you are coming to Trieste to feel genuine experience, be sure not to miss this gourmand...

Very cosy restaurant with daily offer of local cuisine (I didn't catch anything remotely vegan on the menu, almost every single dish is either based on meat or at least contain some bacon/cheese in it, but it is still very diverse; some dishes are almost entirely based on vegetables, the others are exclusively meat oriented). Booking in advance is mandatory since there are only 8 tables. The food is of excellent quality, wine list is decent (as far as I could tell consisting of only local wines), and the prices are what surprises the most in a good way. For less than 30 euros per person, expect to get first course, main course, desert and enough wine to sustain you till the very end...