Words: Kate Holland
Images: Baretto – Cafe Bottega
Baretto – Cafe Bottega has brought quality coffee and community connection to a suburban side street.
It’s hard to know which to love more. The delicious aroma that hits you from just behind the door, or the delightfully deep ‘Ciao’ that greets you as you enter. Both pique a positive expectation, and neither disappoints.
The decor is simple and sparse – a concrete floor, colourful tables and chairs, and temporary shelves that house a mix of Italian small goods. The pistachio and star-encrusted biscuits are hard to ignore.
The coffee machine has retro lines but futuristic functions. Even the bean machine has a digital temperature gauge. No wonder the coffee is so reliably delicious.
Baretto often has a line-up and hosts a diverse range of regulars. From young families in one corner to oldies in another. And then there are those who collect their pre-ordered coffee on the way to work. The loyalty system is online. You can tap your way to a free sixth coffee – no need to shove yet another card in your pocket or wallet. Brilliant.
Food-wise it’s sweet snacks plus breakfast and lunch options on offer. They tickle the tastebuds too. The zeppole is mouth-watering. The zucchini on the breakfast brioche feels almost virtuous. Saturdays you can get yourself a full breakfast spread.
The pressure on Enrico and Orietta (former owners of Cibo on Hutt St and Rusco and Brusco on Magill Rd) to deliver more is mounting. Watch this space. They might need a bigger one!
Quite simply, Baretto has breathed life back into Forest St, Rostrevor. And as customers bid farewell with their own ‘Ciao’, it’s obvious they only mean for now.
Find Baretto – Cafe Bottega at 10D Forest Ave, Rostrevor.
