It may have changed its name along the way, but there has been a restaurant on the steps between Baldwin Street and St Nicholas Market since 1951, which makes it the longest-running in Bristol. It was originally called Marco’s - a reference to owner Marco Berni of the legendary Bristol restaurateur family - but the name above the door now refers to Giuseppe Calcagno, a former Marco’s waiter who bought the business in 1994 and changed the name 22 years ago.
With its dark wood panelling and deep red furnishings, Giuseppe’s On the Steps has a timeless look not dissimilar to those Berni Inns of the 1980s. A collection of black and white photos on one wall pays homage to the big names who used to eat here, often before or after performing at the Hippodrome and Old Vic.
Of course, much of the area surrounding Giuseppe’s On the Steps has changed a lot more than the restaurant, which for years looked out to the old fish market, now a Revolution bar. From my window table on Saturday night, there was a constant stream of hen and stag party groups staggering down the steep steps outside - that must be one of the most used handrails in Bristol.
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The food at Giuseppe’s On the Steps is proper old-school Italian favourites. It’s matched by the sort of professional and chatty service you rarely see these days.
Giuseppe’s long-standing sidekick, Andrea, has worked in restaurants for more than half a century. Immaculately dressed and full of well-seasoned stories, he’s a prime example of somebody who entered hospitality as a career rather than simply a job to pay the bills and he’s one of a sadly dying breed.
Andrea knows his stuff, too, both on the food and the drink, having also worked in the wine trade for years. The wine list is carefully curated, full of decent bottles that won’t break the bank and even includes one from Giuseppe’s village back in Italy.
The printed menu covers all bases with pasta dishes, pizzas, chicken and meat main courses, as well as a small blackboard of fish specials, which staff carry from table to table. On this occasion, these included dishes featuring sardines, mussels, fresh tuna, sea bass and salmon.
I kicked off with the Gamberoni Marco (£11.95) - four large shell-on king prawns which had been pan-fried in chilli-flecked garlic butter and a splash of white wine, which formed a pool of rich sauce. The prawns were perfectly cooked, firm and meaty.
Sticking with the seafood theme, it was followed by spaghetti allo scoglio (£16.95) - spaghetti in a light tomato and garlic sauce with a generous amount of mussels, squid, shrimps and king prawns. Across the table, a specials board main course of monkfish barese (£19.95) was a light, summery dish of firm monkfish fillets in a buttery sauce of meltingly soft courgettes and cherry tomatoes.
From a dessert menu that includes lemon tart, apple pie, profiteroles and wild strawberry cheesecake, it had to be a classic tiramisu (£5.95). Light, fluffy and with plenty of boozy rum flavour and coffee, it certainly lived up to its meaning of ‘pick me up’.
It was great to be back at Giuseppe’s On the Steps, a restaurant I’ve known since I was a child. Giuseppe’s own children aren’t involved in the restaurant these days so the worry is that it may not be handed down to the next generation if the owner decides to throw in the linen napkin.
In the meantime, now is as good a time as any to support Bristol’s oldest restaurant. It might not be cutting-edge or this month’s hot new trend, but it has stood the test of time thanks to good quality, affordable Italian classics served by staff who really care and you can’t really ask more than that from a local restaurant.
Giuseppe’s On the Steps, 59 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1QZ. Tel: 0117 9264869.
