STory

Day One

February 1984, Sirmione.

Work is underway for the expansion and renovation of the old "Riel" restaurant, previously reserved for the customers of the hotel. Now ready to welcome the public under the new name of “Al Braciere” .

It's the beginning of an exciting journey.

From a simple dining area for hotel guests. Until becoming the first restaurant in Sirmione with a unique and different cuisine proposal.

A restaurant visited and sought after by thousands of Italian and international customers every year. Although not in the historic center of Sirmione.

But we'll get to that later ...

In the meantime, in fact, the works are continuing at full speed. In the wake of the enthusiasm, the official opening is then set for the 3th 1984 .

The date is not accidental. In fact, a few months earlier, a group of French gentlemen had reserved the entire restaurant as a part of their gastronomic tour in northern Italy.

After months of work, including a real final sprint to complete the final preparations, the enthusiasm of the first few times pervades everyone.

Everything works great. The guests have fun and appreciate Al Braciere cuisine and atmosphere.

Eighties and Nineties

The Al Braciere restaurant & pizzeria entered the scene in the mid-80s. The years of widespread prosperity and the explosion of travel abroad.

Sirmione itself is no exception. In fact, it is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination and is beginning to attract visitors from all over Italy and Europe.

In this eventful period, Al Braciere presents itself as a spacious venue with a large outdoor terrace.

Simple in decor, but with a clear idea of offering excellent cuisine, attentive service for everyone. With no distinctions between restaurant and pizzeria customers.

Today it sure makes you smile! However, for the times it is already a small novelty, if we think of many pizzerias of thirty and forty years ago, where a little hasty service and paper tablecloths were the norm.

Not only that, next to the pizza oven there is the historic brazier, which gives the restaurant its name and which will be its distinctive feature for years.

Finally, despite its simplicity, Al Braciere embraces some culinary trend that are still very popular today.

In fact, those ingredients that we now call "0 kilometers" are privileged, which allow to optimize transport and distribution costs, while preserving at the same time the quality and originality of a local product.

Think about fish from Lake Garda, for example. Once considered the "poor relative" of sea fish, but which properly cooked gives surprising results.

These too are perhaps things that we take for granted today.

Yet if we think about it, they were already a small revolution for the 1980s. Years in which a rich cuisine with exotic ingredients was the dominant trend.

Searching for the local product was seen as a choice in contrast with the times. But who knows. Maybe a certain grade of nonconformist spirit already pervaded us at the time.

A spirit that, years later, will lead to a very precise choice of cuisine. Which still characterizes Al Braciere proposal today.

The Crisis

With the beginning of the new millennium , Al Braciere changes its face and modernizes its appearance, as well as its culinary proposal. In order to meet the needs of a loyal customer base, which is now looking for more refined tastes.
Above all, modern customers are increasingly sensitive to the issues of healthy eating, digestibility and attention to food intolerances .
Al Braciere continues to be a great success and everything seems to be going well. However some big problems emerge on the horizon.
In 2008, an unprecedented economic crisis hits the entire global economy violently.
Unfortunately, in Italy too, bankruptcies and business closures in the catering sector are countless.
It is therefore clear that, once again, it will be necessary to stand out in order to continue to prosper.

A New Beginning

After deep reflections, we choose to specialize in a very particular type of cuisine. An italian cuisine available 100% gluten-free .

How did we come to this choice?

In fact, it was a natural evolution for us, since we've always tried to have a clear and distinctive proposal for our customers. In order to be immediately recognizable.

Moreover, we had already approached the world of food intolerances and healthy eating in general.

We also understood the problems that people who follow a gluten-free diet must face every day.

However, there are many difficulties. We must rethink the whole product supply chain. Revolutionize our kitchen. Attend courses upon courses with all our staff.

All in a very complicated period for the catering industry.

We also make important investments to get our hands on the most technological kitchen machinery. Vacuum machines, blast chillers and high-tech ovens, to name a few.

Indeed, two new ovens dedicated to gluten-free pizzas take the place of the old brazier.

Precisely in the symbolic year of the crisis, in 2008 we became the first and only restaurant in the area to have a 100% gluten-free cusine. To complete the work, we immediately become part of the circuit of the Italian Celiac Association.

We set out for the open sea, moreover in the storm of an unprecedented economic crisis.

The beginnings are not the most encouraging and doubts begin to wind. Was it the right choice?

In any case, we have gone too far to go back.

Today

15 years later, we can say that the choice was a winning one.

Today here at Al Braciere we offer an experience of tasty and genuine Italian cuisine . Enjoyable without worries and in total safety even for those who follow a gluten-free diet .

Food is our language and we are honored to serve thousands of guests every year , from all over Italy and all over the world.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Al Braciere restaurant & pizzeria.

“All Available Gluten Free. From Appetizers to Desserts"