Restaurant in Trieste, Italy
Adriatic seafood, surprise menu, book it.
Al Petes is Trieste's most recognised Adriatic seafood restaurant, holding Michelin Plates in both 2024 and 2025 with a 4.2 Google rating across 593 reviews. The surprise tasting menu is the reason to come. At €€€ in the historic centre, it delivers more structured value than most of the city's seafood competition.
Al Petes has a 4.2 rating across 593 Google reviews, which for a €€€ seafood restaurant in Trieste's historic centre is a reliable signal that this place earns its price point. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) confirm it sits above the city's average seafood offer without crossing into the territory of a formal, high-stakes dining room. Book the surprise tasting menu if you want to get the most out of the kitchen. If you prefer à la carte control over your spend, that's available too, but the tasting menu is where Al Petes makes its case.
Al Petes occupies a contemporary room in one of Trieste's tighter historic alleyways, at Via dei Capitelli 5/a. The space has a modern, unfussy feel — a deliberate contrast to the older architecture surrounding it. The room is run by young owners with a noticeably warm front-of-house approach, which makes it a better fit for explorers who want genuine hospitality rather than formal theatre. Seat counts are not published, so expect an intimate setting rather than a sprawling dining room.
The kitchen draws almost entirely from Adriatic seafood, which is the right call for Trieste's geography. The menu applies Mediterranean technique as its base but pulls in occasional Asian influences — a combination that keeps things from feeling predictable without veering into fusion gimmickry. The surprise tasting menu is the format the kitchen clearly favours, and the Michelin recognition supports that assessment. For food and wine enthusiasts visiting Trieste, this is the restaurant that offers the most structured way to eat through the local catch.
On the wine side, the database does not publish a detailed list, but a €€€ seafood-focused restaurant with Michelin recognition in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region almost certainly draws on the exceptional white wine production nearby. Friuli is one of Italy's strongest regions for indigenous whites , Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Vitovska , all of which have natural affinity with Adriatic seafood. Whether Al Petes has the depth of list that serious wine drinkers would find at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence is not confirmed by available data, but the regional context is strong, and a restaurant at this tier in this location should have at minimum a well-chosen selection of local producers. Ask about Vitovska and Malvasia Istriana specifically , both are grown close to Trieste and pair directly with the Adriatic-sourced menu.
Al Petes is also attached to a small hotel, James Joyce, just around the corner. If you are visiting Trieste specifically to eat well, combining a dinner reservation with a night at James Joyce removes logistical friction entirely. Check our full Trieste hotels guide for broader options.
For context on where Al Petes sits in the wider Italian seafood conversation, the benchmark venues include Uliassi in Senigallia, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, and Alici on the Amalfi Coast , all operating at starred or near-starred level with national profiles. Al Petes is not competing at that tier, but it is the strongest Adriatic seafood option in Trieste with documented recognition, which matters when you are already in the city. If a dedicated seafood pilgrimage is the goal, Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica or Dal Pescatore in Runate represent longer Italian dining trips worth planning separately.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. Al Petes does not publish a phone number or website in available data, so the most direct route is to contact the restaurant through its address at Via dei Capitelli 5/a, Trieste, or check reservation platforms such as TheFork or Google for a live booking link. Given the intimate size of the space and the tasting menu format, booking ahead rather than walking in is the safer approach, particularly on weekends. Hours are not published in available data , confirm before visiting.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Michelin | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Petes | Seafood (Adriatic) | €€€ | Plate 2024, 2025 | Easy |
| Al Bagatto | Seafood | €€€ | , | , |
| Harry's Piccolo | Modern Italian | €€€€ | , | , |
| Harry's Restaurant and Dehors | Italian Seafood | , | , | , |
| Menarosti | Seafood | €€ | , | , |
See the full Trieste restaurants guide for additional options. For broader city planning, explore our Trieste bars guide, Trieste wineries guide, and Trieste experiences guide.
Yes, with caveats. The Michelin Plate recognition, €€€ pricing, and tasting menu format make it a credible special-occasion choice in Trieste. The young, welcoming ownership means it feels warm rather than stiff, which suits celebratory dinners better than a formally austere room would. For a higher-ceremony experience at a higher price point, Harry's Piccolo at €€€€ is the alternative to consider.
The surprise tasting menu is the format Michelin's inspectors chose to recognise, which is the clearest signal available that this is where the kitchen performs leading. If you are coming specifically to eat well, book the tasting menu. If you want predictability over what you spend and eat, à la carte is available, but you will likely get less of what makes Al Petes distinct.
At €€€ with a 4.2 Google rating across 593 reviews and two Michelin Plates, Al Petes delivers value relative to its price tier. It is more affordable than Harry's Piccolo (€€€€) and roughly equivalent in price to Al Bagatto, but with stronger documented recognition. If your ceiling is €€, Menarosti is the budget-friendly seafood alternative.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in available data. Given the contemporary layout and intimate size of the room, counter or bar dining may not be a standard option. Contact the restaurant directly before assuming walk-in bar seating is possible.
The surprise tasting menu is the recommendation with the most evidence behind it , Michelin recognition and the kitchen's stated preference both point there. Specific dishes are not published in available data, so the tasting menu removes the guesswork entirely. If ordering à la carte, the Adriatic seafood focus suggests fish and shellfish courses will outperform any meat or pasta options.
Seat count is not published, and the venue reads as intimate rather than large. For groups larger than four, contact the restaurant in advance to confirm availability , do not assume a surprise tasting menu format scales easily to large parties without checking. For the James Joyce hotel next door, group accommodation logistics are separate.
For Adriatic seafood at the same price tier, Al Bagatto is the nearest equivalent. For a more formal, higher-spend evening, Harry's Piccolo (€€€€) is the city's most polished Modern Italian option. Harry's Restaurant and Dehors covers Italian seafood at an unpublished price point. For a lower spend, Menarosti (€€) is the seafood option at accessible prices. See the full Trieste restaurants guide for the complete picture.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Al Petes | €€€ | — |
| Harry's Piccolo | €€€€ | — |
| Al Bagatto | €€€ | — |
| Harry's Restaurant and Dehors | — | |
| Menarosti | €€ | — |
A quick look at how Al Petes measures up.
Yes, it works well for a special occasion. The surprise tasting menu gives the meal a structured, event-like feel, and the contemporary room in Trieste's historic alleyways is polished without being stiff. At €€€ and with back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025, the setting and format justify the occasion. If you're staying overnight, the adjacent James Joyce hotel makes the whole trip easy to arrange in one booking.
The surprise tasting menu is the strongest reason to book Al Petes specifically. Michelin's 2024 and 2025 Plate recognition points to consistent kitchen execution, and a menu built around Adriatic seafood with Mediterranean and occasional Asian inflections gives it a distinct angle relative to standard Italian fish restaurants. If you prefer to choose your own dishes, the format may frustrate — but for those happy to hand over control, it's the right call here.
At €€€ in Trieste — a city where that price point is not trivial — Al Petes earns its positioning. Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards and a 4.2 rating across 593 Google reviews suggest the kitchen delivers consistently, not just on good nights. For comparison, Harry's Piccolo and Al Bagatto operate in a similar bracket; Al Petes differentiates on the surprise tasting menu format and its Adriatic-focused sourcing.
Bar seating is not documented for Al Petes. The venue is described as a contemporary room in a historic alleyway, which suggests a standard table-service setup rather than a counter or bar dining option. check the venue's official channels to confirm seating configurations before visiting.
The surprise tasting menu is explicitly recommended and is the format that best represents what the kitchen does. Specific dishes are not documented in available data, but the menu draws primarily from Adriatic seafood with Mediterranean and selective Asian influences. If you have dietary restrictions or want to know what's running, reach out to the restaurant in advance — the surprise format means the menu changes and isn't published.
Group capacity details are not documented for Al Petes. The restaurant occupies a contemporary room in one of Trieste's narrower historic alleyways, which typically suggests a compact space. For groups larger than four, check the venue's official channels to confirm availability — and note that the surprise tasting menu format tends to suit groups who are aligned on preferences rather than parties with varied dietary needs.
Harry's Piccolo and Al Bagatto are the closest alternatives at a comparable price point and reputation level in Trieste. Harry's Piccolo sits in a more formal, hotel-adjacent setting; Al Bagatto is another small, serious seafood-forward option in the historic centre. Harry's Restaurant and Dehors offers a more casual version of the Harry's name. Menarosti is worth considering if you want something outside the standard Adriatic seafood format. Al Petes stands apart through the surprise tasting menu structure and its Michelin Plate consistency.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
