Mediterranean food at Brachetto

Brachetto just sprung up somewhere down the road from the US ambassador’s residence in Kacyiru slightly over a month ago. Though the wait staff we encountered insisted on calling it “bracket,” we finally got the correct pronunciation from the horse’s mouth, that is, the owner: “Brachetto”. It is a fine-dine restaurant, wine and cocktail bar that specializes in Mediterranean food—Italian with a touch of the French and Spanish. It does not draw too much attention to itself, relying on two medium-sized banners pinned to the wall fence. Walking into the lobby, one immediately catches a glimpse of a neat display of used wine and champagne bottles that not only serve a decorative purpose but also as a pointer to the wide array of imported wines in store. It is obvious that the wines and fancy Mediterranean food are the restaurant’s main thrust. And as with most wine haunts, expect that light jazzy mood created by low-decibel Jazz and Classical tunes piping from hidden speakers. There is also a splattering of wine-related magazines and booklets should you wish to up your wine game. The owner, Alessandro Merlo, is a chef and wine specialist with more than twenty-two years experience in a gastronomic journey that took him to Paris, New York, Los Angeles, and Milan, before he finally wound up in Rwanda. He is not only the chef, but also personally caters to clients. When asked why he opted for Kigali, he said simply: “I decided to open in Kigali because the country looks like it wants to develop”. Later, he sounded like someone on a gastronomic adventure when he said: “I’m here to contribute to the development of the local food and wine culture. If people appreciate, I will stay.” They do a buffet lunch that goes for Rwf 7,300 and which runs from 11:30 am -02:30 pm. It chiefly consists of different salads served with chicken, fish, and pasta. In the evenings, they host the fine-dining dinner that comes in the form of prawns in mango basil sauce, grill calamari, and tomato gazpacho, going for Rwf 12,000 on average. They do not serve breakfast.