With an Italian Aura – A Graubünden Café and Pizzeria in Copenhagen

“The most excellent confectioners in the world, who can also be found in all major cities in Europe and beyond, come from Graubünden. There, the people we see in grey jackets and white aprons from Mexico to Saint Petersburg own large stone palaces.”

At first glance, these words—written by a baron around 1850 about confectioners from Graubünden—may seem like an exaggeration. Yet a document preserved in the Archiv cultural Engiadina Bassa in Strada suggests otherwise. Dated 1915, it is a food and drinks menu from the Café Stephan à Porta in Copenhagen. A closer look reveals: the café in Copenhagen—also functioning as a pizzeria—was operated by a confectioner from the Engadin village of Ftan.

Alongside “Pizza Margherita”, the menu features “Spaghetti Diavolo” and “Roastbeef Milano”, while the “Formaggi e Dolci” section includes both Emmental and Gorgonzola. And Stephan à Porta was by no means the only confectioner from Graubünden in Copenhagen. Names such as Pleisch, Cloetta, Schucani, Caprez, and Gianelli also appear in connection with confectionery businesses in the Danish capital.