Frescoed ceilings, tarot cards and signature menus. The mysterious restaurant on Lake Garda

by Fiorello Bianchi 

There is mystery concealed within this beautiful venue, opened in July, in Desenzano, in the palace that once hosted Garibaldi. Starting from the name Rebis, which stands for Res-Bis, Rebis Alchemico, the union of opposites. The restaurant, divided into four areas, each with frescoed ceilings and furnished in a modern and minimalist style by Alice Nicoletti, an engineer specialising in the restoration and interior design of prestigious historic buildings, is truly of great scenic impact.

On the table you immediately find a tarot card, just to feed the sense of mystery, and then the menu is presented in a booklet, naturally dark, which inside contains another tarot card with an extract from a poem by Alda Merini, Mare e Terra. The choice of the poetess and of that specific poem is of course not accidental, because in the cuisine of chef Giovanni Di Giorgio, Alice’s partner, the sea-fish and land-meat pairing often recurs, so much so that one of the tasting menu dishes dedicated to Merini is The metamorphosis of the squid: a veil of squid, seared buffalo carpaccio powder, black truffle caviar, nasturtium, oil of peperone crusco, squid extract, buffalo jus.

The metamorphosis of the squid

A dish that exemplifies the chef’s approach and philosophy, in search of the alchemy of different elements, an original and distinctive cuisine, where dismantling and recomposing creates new forms, new life, new flavours. A cuisine that is a compendium of the chef’s various professional experiences: originally from Ciociaria, he began in Tassa’s kitchen, then moved on to Apreda in Rome, then to Noma and Azurmendi, before returning to Italy, gaining a Michelin star in Tuscany at Meo Modo at Borgo San Pietro, a spell with Airaudo, then with Ribaldone, and finally opening in Desenzano, the restaurant where he can express himself in his total essence and freedom.

What you eat at Rebis

The metamorphosis of the squid is one of the best dishes, along with the risotto with toasted yeast cream, liquorice powder and porcini, fermented and then charred cabbage, a particularly intense and intriguing dish. The tasting journey also features Glacier 51 (the wagyu of the sea), with a delicious foie gras sauce, hibiscus powder and drops of dashi, served with a side dish of an indulgent foie gras crème brûlée. Sardinian bluefin tuna is served with pollen powder and a katsuobushi sauce, skilfully playing with sweet and savoury contrasts.

Tuna, pollen and katsuobushi

Pigeon is, of course, present, served in three courses: the breast, with burnt hay sauce, fermented corn and plankton oil, finished with pigeon jus; the confit leg, seared and served with a popcorn powder crust; the pigeon heart, slightly tangy, with raspberry powder alongside the fillet, marinated with plankton oil; and finally, a fake feather filled with pigeon liver cream.

Pigeon and plankton

The service is absolutely top level, with the care and attention of a prestigious venue, and the prices of the two tasting menus – deMoth, 7 courses at €185, and Trasmuta, 10 courses at €220 – are certainly significant, but they reflect the use of prestigious ingredients, the service, the setting, the staff as a whole, and the research behind the dishes.