when you arrive at the
Taverna Cigui
you will think: “Well! Nothing extraordinary…”. All right. Then you sit on the porch, with a ‘spritz’ or a glass of white wine in front of you. You relax and… listen to the silence. A rustic silence broken only by the breeze caressing the olive trees and the chirping of the cicadas, and to remind you that the Adriatic begins just below you, distant ships’ sirens.
Go up to the rooms on the balcony or stay in those below: furnished without unnecessary frills but equipped with all the comforts that will make your stay a pleasant one. No TV, you will replace it by talking to yourself, your friends, your wife or in the company of a good book.
An excursion? The village of Muggia is down there, the beautiful Venetian church, the Mandracchio, the castle. There is the vaporetto to Trieste and back if you want to escape…but why? The Taverna Cigui offers you cuisine that does not try to amaze you with experiments or ridiculous ‘revisitations’. But it will amaze you with its refined simplicity. A culinary art that derives from dozens of years of experience and tradition. The fish is from the catch of the day, they show it to you and prepare it according to your taste. Owner Paolo Cigui and his staff are always happy to listen to your wishes and advise you on your excursions.
Then the night: far from the traffic, the lights, the noise of the ‘movida’… In the pleasant coolness you will fall asleep lulled by the song of crickets.
The writer is already more than eighty years old and has been coming back here happily for more than twenty-three!
Enjoy your stay.
Our Story
Paolo Cigui with his mother and a generous Jota
We are located in the hills of Muggia, the land overlooking the city of Trieste and Koper, in the locality of “Santa Barbara”.
We are an Istrian-Fiuman family that has contributed a great deal to maintaining and enhancing the traditions of cuisine, true flavours and hospitality. The first restaurant was established in Rijeka in 1887, where Aunt Elena bought the ‘Monte Grappa’ restaurant from two widowed and childless Hungarian sisters. Elena with her brother Tommaso and wife Maria ran the restaurant until their daughters followed in their footsteps.
Anny, the youngest, married Stelio and they moved to Trieste in 1957 where they opened their trattoria ‘Ai Vini Tipici’. Their love for this work spread throughout the area.
In 1984 Paolo, their son, joined the staff and the business expanded with the opening of the ‘Taverna Santa Barbara’, where Paolo still continues today.
Paolo Cigui’s grandmother and great-aunt
Over the years, the ‘Taverna Cigui’ has hosted many famous people, industrialists, musicians who have performed live, political figures, pilgrims, cyclists, basketball, water polo and football team athletes. People from all over the world have crossed our threshold, different cultures and professions have intertwined in this rural corner in Santa Barbara.
Paolo Cigui with his mother and a generous Jota
We are located in the hills of Muggia, the land overlooking the city of Trieste and Koper, in the locality of “Santa Barbara”.
We are an Istrian-Fiuman family that has contributed a great deal to maintaining and enhancing the traditions of cuisine, true flavours and hospitality. The first restaurant was established in Rijeka in 1887, where Aunt Elena bought the ‘Monte Grappa’ restaurant from two widowed and childless Hungarian sisters. Elena with her brother Tommaso and wife Maria ran the restaurant until their daughters followed in their footsteps.
Anny, the youngest, married Stelio and they moved to Trieste in 1957 where they opened their trattoria ‘Ai Vini Tipici’. Their love for this work spread throughout the area.
In 1984 Paolo, their son, joined the staff and the business expanded with the opening of the ‘Taverna Santa Barbara’, where Paolo still continues today.
Paolo Cigui’s grandmother and great-aunt
Over the years, the ‘Taverna Cigui’ has hosted many famous people, industrialists, musicians who have performed live, political figures, pilgrims, cyclists, basketball, water polo and football team athletes. People from all over the world have crossed our threshold, different cultures and professions have intertwined in this rural corner in Santa Barbara.
The Location
Situated on the beautiful and quiet ‘Monte Zuccherino’ hill in Santa Barbara, in the municipality of Muggia, surrounded by greenery, is the Cigui family’s Taverna. Here, fruit and vegetables ripen a little early, thanks to its exposure and microclimate. Meadows, olive groves, terrace, tavern, rooms, a view of the gulf: the Cigui Taverna and guesthouse truly offers everything. We are flexible and like to agree with each person on their needs. The place where we work is a versatile and welcoming meeting point, full of history and stories. We are waiting for you!
The Diary
Here, you will find in bulk memories, newspaper clippings, photographs, texts written by friends. The pages of a diary that the Cigui family started three generations ago, and still lives on.
