The chef and the food are Italian, the manager is Armenian and the waiters are Bulgarians. This combination of wholesome ingredients has produced a restaurant which can easily claim to be the best in Cottbus.
Located along an atmospheric street that leads westwards from the Altmarkt towards the Lindenpforte Gate, Rossini Hosteria is an elegant restaurant that is neat, orderly, and refined to the finest details. The two large dark-wood antique tables covered with a white starched tablecloth and adorned with a central arrangement of fresh flowers and a pair of silver candlesticks can each host 12 people. The smaller matching tables each suitable for 4 people are similarly decorated. Right outside, there’s space for three more tables; in summer more space is taken over by Rossini on the other side along the southeast corner of Neumarkt.
On approaching the restaurant’s wide entrance, customers will very probably be welcomed heartily by the English-speaking Armenian manager who cordially greets diners on arrival while directing them towards a table. His personal interest and attention endures to the end of your dinner when you’ll be asked for your views, comments and suggestions about the food, the service and the ambience. Once you’re comfortably seated, take your time to examine the artistic decor of the place. Sculpted coving, strips of molded gypsum, crystal chandeliers and damask curtains gathered at the sides add up to produce a striking impression of magnificence and elegance.
This impression of stateliness was carried on with the presentation of the menu, a leather-bound booklet with embossed print and engravings. The long list of Italian food items for which Rossini is renowned is as extensive as the list of wines, drinks and cocktails. Mostly based on a typical Mediterranean cuisine, Rossini’s menu is constantly renewed, updated and bettered. Anybody who chooses this restaurant for a one-off dining experience will definitely finish off with the knowledge that each dish served at Rossini is a feast of abundance. Be it a simple dish of tortellini with ham and mushrooms or a full main dish of grilled salmon steak with peppercorn sauce and vegetables, you can be sure that both will satisfy the most hungry appetite.
A real treat was my classic dish of Gnocchi con Funghi e Erbe Aromatiche, an overabundant dish of colourful pasta surrounded with fried mushrooms and sprinkled with fresh basil, oregano and mint. Beautifully and artistically arranged, it was almost a pity to ravage it. But once I took the first mouthful, it was impossible to stop. As I sipped a glassful of lovely red Trentino imported from Italy, I noticed that a couple sitting on a table opposite were making expressions of ecstasy over their superb pasta dishes.
Rossini’s food is tasty, delicious and well presented. Imagine such food served by competent waiters whose sweet manners, graceful appearance and helpful attitude towards clients are superfluous. Milena Vladimirova, one of the Bulgarian waiters who treated us with extra consideration requires a special mention.