Fratelli Valentino: La Dolce Vita meets Alsergrund

Hand-produced mozzarella, an exquisite selection of appetizers, wines and antipasti, all personally tested and approved in Italy. The Fratelli Valentino mozzarella bar on Alserstraße delights gourmets and Italian fans alike, and gives the Alsergrund district a new, lively charm. Two brothers from Apulia are the force behind the unique gastronomic concept. They’ve transported the Italian way of life to Vienna, with a clear focus on the art of traditional cheesemaking and based on ecological principles. 

Pasquale and Gianni Valentino grew up in Santeramo in Colle, surrounded by the rolling hills of Apulia, vast olive groves and the typical caseifici (Italian cheese dairies) of the region. The brothers were born with a flair for high-quality food. “We grew up with agriculture and were surrounded by nature from an early age,” says Pasquale Valentino. His brother Gianni adds: “I was already sitting on the tractor at the age of seven. In our free time, we helped harvest olive oil and vegetables.” 

Pasquale emigrated to Vienna over 20 years ago and Gianni followed a few years later. Both were impressed by the Danube metropolis, but one thing was missing: fresh mozzarella, as we know it from the Apulian caseifici. “So we decided to make it ourselves,” says Pasquale Valentino. Despite the challenges and numerous bureaucratic hurdles to overcome in order to get the business off the ground, today both are happy to have realized their dream of owning their own business.

In addition to their passion for gastronomy, the Valentino brothers also share a passion for art. Before opening their bar, Pasquale worked as a controller in the music industry and as an interior designer, while Gianni still works as an illustrator today. Their combined talents are on display at their bar: Pasquale is responsible for the interior design, finances, marketing and orders. Gianni has contributed wall illustrations and takes care of the evening operations, but above all he oversees the cheese production.

The brothers found the location in the 9th district on recommendation. They opened their restaurant just six months after deciding to start the project. It didn’t take long for word to spread and the concept was a success from day one. 

The brothers' mozzarella bar celebrates the proverbial Italian hospitality. Nobody stays alone for long in the lively atmosphere of the artistically designed corner bar. And the neighbors in the Grätzel also appreciate the liveliness and warmth with which the Valentino brothers bring fresh energy to the street. Cheese nerds and lovers of the Italian aperitivo-ritual alike get their money's worth here. Freshly handmade cheeses such as mozzarella, burrata, ricotta and stracchino take center stage every day. These are accompanied by carefully selected, high-quality products – from wines and bitters to grilled eggplants on fresh panini bread and pickled vegetables from Puglia. “Quality and sustainability are very important to us. We test every product on site in Italy and only include it in our range if it meets our high standards,” explains Pasquale Valentino.

Fast and cheap? Not at Fratelli Valentino. In general, more and more Viennese markets, restaurants and producers are focusing on transparency, regionality and the appreciation of traditional craftsmanship – in contrast to the fast-moving, industrial food industry. The Fratelli Valentino mozzarella bar fits perfectly into this “slow food” environment, as the brothers' business model is based on ecological principles. The cheese is produced as gently as possible and with minimal processing, and great importance is placed on the welfare of the animals. 

“For 10 liters of milk – and therefore 1 kilo of mozzarella – we need the milk from 14 cows. That's no comparison to conventional milk production, where fewer animals often have to provide twice as much milk,” emphasizes Pasquale Valentino. The brothers source their milk exclusively from small, regional farms. And they pay a fair price for this, as Pasquale explains: “We pay the farmer 14 euros for a kilo of mozzarella milk. This makes our cheese more expensive, but it stands for quality and craftsmanship. Anyone who appreciates that will taste the difference.”

In addition to their restaurant, they sell their cheese specialties twice a week at the Markterei market in the 9th district. And the brothers' plans go further: they soon want to offer pizza, in collaboration with other market stalls. “The idea is for guests to choose the fresh ingredients for their pizza at the market themselves. We will then bake it and refine it with our cheese,” explains Gianni Valentino.