• Bar del sole means “Sun Bar” because cheerful and fun
• Embodies the Italian concept of bar as space to socialize
• We tried pizza and spaghetti
• Staff welcomes with funny Italian expression

Meaning

In Italy, bars are a bit different than in the other countries, it is not only a place for beer, snacks and dard games, but it is also a meeting space where you can even go for breakfast to drink an espresso eventually paired with a cornetto (croissant). It is also sometimes possible to eat light meals like panini(sandwiches) or pasta. It is common to see the aficionados reading their morning newspaper or the group of elderly people meeting for a card match every single day at 2pm. In the evening it might then become a more lively place with music and young people socializing before or after dinner.

Concept

Bar Del Sole, or just Del Sole, embodies this Italian perspective of friendly and comfortable space, always guaranteeing Japanese impeccable service. Food is Italian, but adapted to Japanese taste. I ate a pizza margherita that was ok, made with real mozzarella and basil leaves at least. I think they sprinkled a bit of Parmesan cheese that gave more flavor but that I would say I have never seen in Italy. It is not a pizzeria so it was not as good as specialized ones, for example the dough was pale and tomato was not of the best quality. I tasted the spaghetti with bolognese sauce (although very few tomato) and they were ok as well, the sauce at least was well mixed with the pasta and the spaghetti were well cooked, not too soft or too hard. I have to say it looked like the very first pasta that an italian student prepares when he or she go to live abroad, with scarce ingredients and the mum directions read from the whatsapp message.

Menu

In the set menu it was also included a small salad and an ice cream. Espresso was made by a real italian coffee machine like those that I always see in cafeterias in Italy. It’s actually one of the very few places that allows drinking coffee just standing at the counter as Italians sometimes do, quickly getting an energy boost before entering the office or in a break from work with colleagues. While in Japan most of the time it is mandatory to take a seat and drink it at the table and table fee.

Staff is very quick and kind, they know some italian greetings and expressions that they use to welcome clients or to communicate client`s orders between them. It was funny to hear them preparing our table with “due persone per piacere” or after an order “prosecco bianco bicchiere!” Which translates as “two people please” and “a glass of white wine prosecco”.

I read on the website that they follow the Slow Food principles and I was pleasantly surprised. Slow Food is an Italian movement and organization preserving local food cultures and traditions, preserving biodiversity and teaching the values of genuine ingredients.

This time we were in the Giza branch, next time we would like to try also other locations and a different time of the day. They have a varied selection of drinks and they prepare Italian aperitivo cocktails like spritz Campari (although in Japan alcohol percentage is always smaller than in Italy)