Basilio Inn
The oldest restaurant on Staten Island, established 1921; is located in a carriage house that was built circa 1850. The founder, Basilio Giovannini, was a cooper from the Piedmont area of Italy.
Basilio Inn was the gathering place for Italian immigrants from all over New York. It was the place where they would play bocce, make wine (and drink it), dance, and crown Miss Basilio. In its 85 years history, Basilio Inn has retained the character that you would find in a countryside restaurant in Europe with its own vegetable garden, grape harbor and a bocce court.