On the fifth floor of the former Banco di Napoli, today one of the headquarters of Galleries of Italy of Intesa Sanpaolo, is located Cocktails & Tapas Bar Anthill, a name that reflects a metaphor very dear to the chef Joseph Iannotti, that his gastronomic projects are also based here Toledo 177 And Luminist.
The birth of theAnthill
Iannotti he sees his team as a industrious anthill, where work is carried out in harmony both in the kitchen and in the dining room and where each member contributes with small but essential steps. This strong spirit of collaboration is particularly evident in the Naples project, where theand activities are divided between the Bistro, the Cafeteria, the Cocktail Bar and the Restaurant.
«I met chef Iannotti in November 2021, I had already notified the place where I worked (The Merchant of Venice ed) of wanting to change, to dedicate myself to other projects without having a precise idea – he tells us Anna Garuti, Anthill Bar Manager – I met the chef in Milan at an event Nikka Whiskey and he was one of the three judges while I was a competitor. He had already opened Luminist and he was looking for someone for the Cocktail Bar, I was looking for a project to dedicate myself to and so in February 2022 I was already here at'Anthill».
Inaugurated theMay 11, 2023, the Cocktail Bar Anthill It offers both an internal room with 25 seats, with tables facing the counter, and an external area that extends along the large terrace enriched with the planting of various plants and greenery; the outdoor area can accommodate over 70 people and overlooks the sea of the Gulf of Naples.
Anthill arrives with a completely new proposal in the Neapolitan capital, between the large space dedicated to signature mixology, a combination of fun and originality, and the wide selection of tapas studied by chef Iannotti and proposed by the Executive chef of Anthill Anthony Grazioli.
«The idea in my opinion is to create a space that is far from the usual labels that can be a restaurant or a cocktail bar. Here at Anthill you can try different experiences because you can come for an aperitif, for dinner and after dinner. It is a much broader project than simply being a Cocktail Bar».
The mixology proposal drawn from Campania culture and literature
Anthill works on reservation to ensure greater organization and care towards its guests and, once entered and seated at the assigned table, the very particular looking menu is delivered.
«The menu is presented in a white and pink box similar to the one containing Tachipirina. – Anna tells us – We chose this packaging because, in our opinion, the bar must heal us, lift us up from a stressful day or from a particularly intense daily routine, therefore the customer relies on us to relax and unplug; moreover, for a long time alcohol has played a fundamental role in the medical and alchemical fields. The box remains with the guest, also acting as a business card, since behind the package there is a QR code where you can consult other projects of the chef, information and where you can also book for the next times. Our proposals are written inside the "leaflet", while the box contains a blister of mints".
The drink list is divided between classics, twists and 10 signature cocktails, which are real stories in the form of drinks and mysterious ingredients, each of which has its own container that tells, together with the raw materials used, a character or an anecdote linked to the culture and literature of Campania.
«The cocktails on this drink list are inspired by the Tale of tales, literally the tale of tales, Of Giambattista Basile who, in 1636, created the first literary text in Neapolitan. It is divided into "5 days", or five chapters where each of these contains 10 stories and for each of these we are going to create a drink», says Garuti.
«I didn't want to indicate the alcoholic part on the menu, because it is not considered an ingredient but a tool: for us the components of the cocktail are the olfactory and gustatory notes that we find in the drink. The customer has the choice to know in advance the alcoholic part or not: it is not that we do not want to communicate it because it is secret, but we like the idea of letting it be discovered later, because sometimes it can represent a limit that does not allow the customer to consume the cocktail. The important thing is that you like other ingredients, rather than spirits.».
The names of the signature wines anticipate the story that is revealed only at the moment of tasting: fromDrunk Donkey at the Blasphemy of the Fairy, from the Crystal tear to the 3 Gifts up to the Master Grillo's Medicine.
«Some of our drinks are very scenic and entertaining – continues Anna Garuti -, we also make use of the 3D printing for the objects of the place and the glasses in which the drinks are served. Apart from the season, there are many drinks that continue to entertain, such as the Bestemmia della Fata that comes with a fairy and a spicy candy, with the drink washed down with buffalo milk that goes to calm the spicinessto.
Another drink that is very popular is Capuzzelle, a twist on Tommy's Margarita, so slightly smoked because it is based on Mezcal and liquorice, served inside a little house with the little hats, or skeletons. This drink is also inspired by the Fontanelle Cemetery of Naples that resemble the Parisian catacombs. Even theDrunk Donkey It is very popular, but it is a more wintery drink because it has a style old fashioned. Very nice because it is served inside a fake barrel (it is a barrel-aged drink) with a donkey on top that you have to pull the straw off to avoid it finishing all the insides».
Anthill, as previously mentioned, it combines the mixology experience with the gastronomic one, giving the possibility to choose between dozens of dishes in small portions in style tapas Spanish: caviar and salmon tortillas, Genovese tacos, but also O' muss and red shrimp, Paella, carbonara omelette, pacchero stuffed with ragù and many others.
«We chose to propose tapas to promote conviviality at the table – concludes Anna Garuti – they are small dishes that we serve in the centre of the table. We propose the "carousel", which includes 5 tapas which are always the same and which are all brought together and shared with the whole table, and the “complete treatment”, a succession of tapas chosen by the kitchen obviously following allergies, intolerances and any requests of the gueststhe.
This choice replaces a real dinner, because it is 6 tapas but they are served according to the timing of a restaurant. In my opinion, you can particularly feel the strong cohesion between the kitchen, pastry shop and the cocktail bar».
Anna Garuti
Born in 1993, Anna Garuti during her studies at Ca' Foscari in Venice began working in a Venetian club, the Chet Bar, where she began her training in mixology thanks to the team of bartenders who taught her the basics in the field.
Four years later, the same managers of the Chet Bar opened a new space with a more advanced and studied mixology project, the Merchant, but it was love at first sight in November 2021: the meeting with Giuseppe Iannotti and the Anthill Cocktail Bar project, where together they studied the 10 signature cocktails to create a real tactile mixology experience.
His favorite cocktail is “anything with Chartreuse in it,” like the Nuclear Daiquiri, while as for the spirit, it’s either rum agricole or agave.
