Hidden in a side street off the main road through Old Dubrovnik, far from the maddening crowds is situated Toni. Toni’s story is quite noble. A lovely young waiter called Luka, from Medjugorje, told us that Toni, too, once served tables. He worked his way up the ranks over the years until he became the owner of this fine establishment. Now, onto the dishes.
GARGANELLI WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLE SAUCE
(Various wild mushrooms in a cream sauce)
Now, this dish did not photograph as well as it tasted. My hands must have been shaking rather. What a delightful combination of flavours. Perfectly cooked pasta, as we had come to expect. Really excellent dish overall.
CHICKEN FILLET WITH DUKKAH AND PAPPARDELLE
(Marinated fillet of chicken stuffed with Cheddar cheese, pistachio pesto, cream, Ricotta cheese, and dukkah)
Louise’s dishes was a real show stopper. Pistacchio pesto, dukkah sauce and ricotta. We were bowled over. Tenderest chicken mixed with such accompaniments and pasta on top. There’s nothing quite like this dish I think. Absolutely worth trying.
GREEN PAPPARDELLE WITH MARINATED STEAK SLICES
(Gorgonzola and cream sauce with garlic)
Being a Thursday in Lent, I knew I would have to forgo meat the next day. Hence I stocked up on meat at this dinner. The beef strip pasta was as copious as it was delicious. The gorgonzola and garlic worked magically. I was seriously impressed by this dish. Really excellent.
We shared a Tiramisu for dessert. We were so full from lunch in Bosnia that we could only stomach one. This was not sugary enough for me. The flavours were subtle and well balanced but there was something missing. A small hitch in an otherwise flawless restaurant.
The Plavac wine we feasted on was light and flavoursome. It was almost too easy to drink.
Overall I was really impressed by this restaurant. Tucked away, excellent waiters, great food. And in the end it was not too expensive. I cannot but recommend Spagheterria Toni.