Giovanni – the smiling face of bergen hospitality

Giovanni Sanchez has just opened the doors on a place that has been closed for many years. There are long queues outside the restaurant at Bergen Børs Hotel. The Chilean transplant is bringing rustic South American and Spanish vibes to Bergen city centre.

"Hola, Gio!"

"Que pasa? Eres ya estrella de cine?"

A friend shouts to Giovanni from the window of a restaurant, asking him in Spanish if has become a movie star, as he is being accompanied by photographers on the street. He laughs and debunks the rumours:

"Ja! Ja! No, no. Solo estamos rodando para De Bergenske. Todo bien?

Giovanni Sanchez, the godfather of local hospitality, walks down his favourite neighbourhood in Bergen, Skostredet. He alternates between Spanish and Bergen, while greeting and hugging virtually everyone who passes by.

Originally from Chile, he has been living in Norway's second largest city for 35 years and has many fond memories of its nightlife scene. In Skostredet, he has opened both a clothing store and Barrio Bar restaurant and has also been involved in launching a number of other restaurants. Not least, he has brought a South American atmosphere to the streets of Bergen. His thick hair shaped in grey waves carries with it a life filled with adventure and experiences. He may have the wisdom of age, but he has by no means abandoned his youthfulness. He moves through the streets of Bergen at a fast pace and is always quick to laugh.

Restaurants in Bergen city centre

Although the cobblestone streets and life in Skostredet have been important to Giovanni, he is now ready for new challenges. De Bergenske headhunted this man who knows how to create sought-after concepts. In February, he opened a place that has a level of warmth and service to which we Norwegians are not that accustomed — Fresquito, a new restaurant located in the heart of Bergen.

Giovanni opens the doors to Hotel Bergen Børs, which faces the harbour, Vågen; doors that have remained shut for years. "There's a southern hemisphere atmosphere and good flavours here. We've lacked such a place in Bergen, nothing like this exists from before."

Fresquito – a bar and restaurant in one

Giovanni shows off his new venue, located in the space next to the venerable and vibrant restaurant Frescohallen. You can book your table here.

There are high tables and chairs, large windows, and a bar at the end of the room. Traditional food such as casseroles and cuts of meat are served, and the pots are often popped right down on the table. The restaurant in buzzing with joyful chatter. There's a lot going on at once, but it's all happening in a kind of controlled cueca rhythm. Because Giovanni knows that excellent service is highly valued.

"A perfect restaurant experience starts as soon as you walk in the door. You will be shown to your table, experience good service, enjoy nice interiors, be served good food, and have an atmosphere of happy people around you. And someone will come and welcome you. No welcome, no good experience," says Giovanni firmly, adding:

"And the bathrooms. They must always be clean and nice. That's important."

Loves having people around the dining table

Giovanni was born into a culture of big parties and a desire for warm gatherings. His fondest memories come from his childhood in Chile, where his grandma Blanca would gather everyone for dinner every Sunday. In the morning, Giovanni and Blanca went to the market and shopped together. The menu was always set, preferably something with empanadas and fish. At one o'clock everyone came through the door, all eight uncles and 12 children.

"I love food and I love having people around the table. And I've brought this love with me from Chile."

Because it was a bit of a transition, coming to what he himself describes as 'cold Norway', both weather-wise and socially. Giovanni's father fled Chile in the 1980s, under Pinochet's rule. A few years later, the children also had to pack their bags and leave home. They all ended up in Bergen.

"We were used to 25 degrees Celsius. Bergen was cold," says Giovanni with a laugh:

"But we brought good stories and family memories. And family is something I have included in everything I do, both at work and in my private life. I love my family. They are my driving force."

Bergen's best host

It's not just the all-important welcome when you walk in the door you get at Fresquito — you also get that family feeling. Giovanni hands out hugs, handshakes, and a fixed gaze interested in who you are, how you are feeling, and what you need.

"I think I'm one of the best hosts in Bergen," he says with a laugh:

"As I said, Norwegians are a bit cold, and giving and spreading great joy to people is something I was born to do."

We ask Giovanni the question his friend who asked if he was shooting a movie also asked him earlier - Hechas de menos a nosotros y a Skostredet? - do you miss Skostredet?

"I do miss it sometimes," he admits. But Giovanni's heart is now set on a spot a little further down the street, in a place where the doors open wide and there are queues outside. Fresquito is the focus now for Gio and for Bergen. If you head there, you will get both a hug and a rustic dish set directly on your table. It's well worth the wait.