Eat at Riccardo Ballerini's table and you understand quickly: this isn't just a chef cooking. It's a Sicilian cooking.
Born on the island in 1969, Riccardo arrived in Vienna ten years ago with a bag full of recipes, memories and a firm resolve: not to reinterpret the food of his homeland, just to cook it. At Hernalser Hauptstraße 33, that became Cucina Ballerini.
Sicily on the Plate
What arrives at the table doesn't chase any trend. The pasta comes straight from Sicily. Alongside it, tuna, swordfish and squid, as fresh as it would be on the island itself. The linguine al nero di seppia, jet black and intense. And to finish, homemade cannoli, because no meal here really ends without them.
Sicilian Wines, Chosen by Hand
Alongside the food, Sicilian wines that Riccardo selects himself. Nero d'Avola, Grillo, Catarratto: varieties rarely found on a Viennese wine list with this much consistency.
