Buffet da Pepi

Amazing Austro-​Hungarian buffet with a great selection of boiled pork.
Order the pork mix and you won’t regret it. The tongue and the snout are a specialty!
A nice panino with porcina, senape and Kren if you’re not that hungry or need a quick bite to go is simply amazing.
The portions aren’t that big and it’s a bit pricey but definetly one of the best buffets in town.

Pricey but consistent through the years.
High quality meats in a great location.
Come hungry and you will not be disappointed.

BUFFET DA PEPI
Another Trieste classic you can’t miss! This is similar in «authenticity» to Trattoria Da Giovanni. Prices in proportion are a bit higher here, but it’s a must visit for tourists who want to experience the real local taste.
Da Pepi, also called «Pepi Sciavo» informally in Trieste (Sciavo is pronounced «schah-​voh» and it’s a very informal and by same considered vulgar way of referring to people from the former Yugoslavia). In this case the name doesn’t mean to be offensive, pepi is a legend in Trieste.
Here you go deep into the traditional cuisine of Trieste which encompasses traits of the old Austro-​Hungarian empire. In Trieste, Pepi is famous for his «panini»; but also for some «tartine» (small round-​cut pieces of bread with something on top).
Typical panini would be: Panino di porcina (pork meat), «the» panino in this traditional place. It’s a must to have it with «senape» (mustard) and «cren» (freshly grated horseradish).
I love the Panino di carre’, a part of the «prosciutto cotto» (ham), also with senape and cren.
But for visitors maybe the best thing to do is to order to Piatto misto or Bollito misto, which will give you a quick tour of their offerings, from lingua (tongue), to porcina, to «luganighe» (Trieste dialect, in Italian «salsicce», in Englsih «sausages»).
Drink some Refosco wine, a red, hearty wine typical of this area. It comes in glasses or better caraffes of a quarter-​half or full liter.
Authentic, simple, a little pricey for Trieste standards (when it comes to traditional food), but won’t break your bank.

Not a place for vegetarians, Da Pepi specializes in various boiled pork products, served on cute pig-​shaped plates with mustard and grated horseradish. I shared a giant plate that included tongue, cotecchino (my favorite), belly, porcina, two types of sausages, and testa, washed down with some cold beer, and left full and happy.