Ristorante Rabaya
Via Rabaya 9
Barberesco
Italy
Tel: 0173 635223

It was a Sunday lunch time and the sun was shining: I was in two minds as to whether to stay and work and look for an evening meal, or venture out for a lunch. In the end the room cleaner dislodged me from my computer and so I set out for Barberesco. I decided to forgo my usual wine and snack spot for the trattoria at the top of the village and was roundly rejected as it was full (maybe?). On my way out of town I saw a sign to Ristorante Rabaya and realising it would have a spectacular view over the vineyards took the detour. I was afraid I would again be told it was full: but the large mine host, a friendly cove when the pressure was off, directed me to the final table, on the terrace, that was unoccupied. I sat back with the glorious view over the rolling vine studded hills and accepted I was lucky to have a table so bitching about the service was barely on. In truth the service once it got going was spot on. A rather liked the way the large Boss women marched pedantically around the restaurant taking orders and serving wine, whilst the young waitress positively sprinted around with the food. It took a few minutes for my order to be taken at this busy hour: but I was never in doubt that my turn would come: which is more than I can say in some places!
My Italian is lousy and the place was busy so I pointed at the piccolo menu degustation, ordered a bottle of Arnis, Boss’s selection from list of growers, and sat back and waited. I did not wait long before a quick amuse boche of small piece of melon wrapped in prosciutto arrived. My wine was served as was a carafe of fizzante: this was recharged during the meal so it was cold: a nice touch.
The first course was really something different a layered terrine of mainly vegetables but also a little ham and fish. Obviously it had been packed into a bowl and then aspic added to bind it: so simple yet so good and a lovely fresh taste. The next offering was deep fried courgette flower, lightly battered and stuffed with what I was not sure: again very easy and very good.
This was followed by a pasta course of very thin tagliatelle with a meat sauce. The main was rabbit in Barberesco sauce which was a deep dark colour showing a certain heavy handiness with the wine bottle: but why not when the stuff is growing all around you! I opted for cheese rather than desert: and then took an expresso all included in the price as was the grappa. Not I might add a measly glass. Two bottles were put on the table so I could choose the less dry moscato version should I so choose and that was in a magnum bottle. I suppose if I wanted I could have given myself a fearful headache: but I only had a single glass as I had had a nice half litre bottle of Barberesco wine to flush down the rabbit and the cheese.
At the end of the meal the chef escaped from t kitchen and came round the tables. I guessed who it was when she came round but later on I spoke to Boss lady and she confirmed it was her mother. Apparently the girl waitress was an occasional helper as usually the other waitress was her sister. So the Ristorante Rabaya is run by a mother and her two daughters: that is a change and they did a splendid job!