Langhe & Roero

Family & friends lunch | Da Gemma, Roddino

One of my favorite restaurants in the whole of the Langhe area, a truly traditional trattoria. They offer a fixed menu which has so much wonderful food you won’t want to eat for the subsequent 2 days. I highly recommend booking in advance – months in advance – to ensure yourself a table.

For a celebration | Trattoria della Posta, Monforte d’Alba

Elegant restaurant which serves delicious food made from locally sourced ingredients. Great for a “dinner with parents” or to celebrate a special occasion. Like all places in the area, it has a great wine list.

Exclusive aperitivo | Villa Beccaris, Monforte d’Alba

My all-time favorite aperitivo spot in the Langhe for its sweeping views of the hills and valley. They are not formally a restaurant or bar, making the place even more special. Order a bottle of wine and feast your eyes on the spectacular view and sunset. 

Lunch with a view | Osteria Veglio, La Morra

Quaint restaurant with a spacious terrace and wonderful view overlooking the Langhe’s vineyard-covered hills. Their menu is filled with traditional dishes which aren’t the “mainstream” ones you can find in every other osteria. I highly recommend their capunet as a starter! NOTE: they are unfortunately closed on Sundays.

Favorite place | Locanda Fontanazza, La Morra

My second favorite restaurant in the area (basically every restaurant on the list is my favorite restaurant) which is perfect for a quiet and relaxed lunch with friends, family or a partner. Slightly smarter and pricier than a few of the osterie mentioned here, with truly amazing food. Their menu is perfectly balanced with traditional, renowned dishes, such as vitello tonnato, as well as more researched and rare finds.

Weekend lunch | L’Osteria del Vignaiolo, La Morra

Lovely, laid back osteria nestled in the middle of the Langhe’s rolling hills, with breathtaking views of Barolo vineyards. A curated menu which offers the most traditional local dishes as well as more “modern” dishes featuring fish – there is something for everyone!

Easy dinner with friends | Osteria Murivecchi, Bra

A great restaurant in a rustic, warm and welcoming exposed-brick setting. A rich menu, filled with local ingredients and dishes, from salsiccia di Bra to risotto al Barolo. Their impressive cheese selection can be admired as you walk into the restaurant – so be sure to try some dairy goodness too! Their primi piatti come in a shared serving dish, giving you the chance of tasting a variety of different ones.

Date night | Osteria La Pimpinella, Bra

Intimate setting in the heart of Bra with linen tablecloths, crystal wine glasses and… salsiccia di Bra covered in hazelnuts. A refined and curated menu which offers local flavours in contemporary, reinterpreted ways. Great for a one-on-one dinner during which you can focus on the wonderful food and company.

Family lunch | Ristorante Battaglino, Bra

An institution in Bra which recently celebrated 100 years of activity! At Battaglino you can taste and discover some of the Langhe’s most traditional dishes, like plin al tovagliolo (served in a napkin, without condiment, to highlight the filling’s rich flavour), or bollito misto alla piemontese, with all its accompanying sauces.

Natural wines | Zero Enoteca Conviviale, Bra  

The best natural wine bar in Bra, with a wonderful selection of local and international biodynamic and natural wines, all accompanied by delicious small plates like pane, burro e acciughe. Maurizio is the most welcoming host who loves to share his endless knowledge on the world of natural wines.

Favorite place in the world | Osteria del Boccondivino, Bra

Okay, this is truly my all-time favorite restaurant in the area, I am deeply emotionally attached to it. The food is delicious, traditional yet delicate, and the setting is warm and welcoming. Late spring is the best time to visit, when it is warm enough to eat in the courtyard and feast your eyes on the thriving, bright purple Wisteria. I highly recommend their plin as a primo and the panna cotta, which is known for being the best in the world (and it is) to finish.

Dinner date in town | Osteria dell’Arco, Alba

Osteria del Boccondivino’s brother — literally. The family run, quaint Osteria, just off one of Alba’s main squares has many (wonderful) similarities to the famous restaurant in Bra, and a few twists. I highly recommend their plin, which are just the right amount of juiciness, and the cannolo delle Langhe to end your meal – only if you’re a fan of hazelnuts!

Lunch with friends | Osteria La Libera, Alba

Great place for an easy going, yet refined, lunch with friends – especially when you’re desperate for a break from all the meat and sauces of Piedmontese cuisine. They always have a few delicious fish and seafood dishes on offer which in my experience are wonderfully flavorful and balanced. As basically every place in the Langhe does, they too have a wonderful wine list.

Smart lunch | La Piola, Alba

A gourmet-ized osteria di paese (village osteria) in Alba’s picturesque central square where you can taste traditional piedmontese dishes which change often, in sync with the changing of the seasons. Although the focus is traditional cuisine, some dishes, especially the antipasti, are playful reinterpretations of local flavours. I recommend starting with their mixed antipasti followed by the plin in sugo di arrosto – although if you happen to stop by during truffle season I recommend their tajarin with a generous shaving of Alba’s precious white truffle. 

Authentic tasting experience | Trattoria nelle Vigne, Diano d’Alba

One of my most recent discoveries in the area that I instantly fell in love with. Firstly, the view. Hills on hills on hills, with the odd castle and hilltop town  in the background. Then, the food. A fixed menu for €35 (!!) made up of 5 antipasti, each better than the next, the choice between a primo or secondo, dessert, coffee and water. What made me fall in love with the place however, besides the abundance of food, is the traditional yet lesser-known dishes they offer, allowing you to discover new flavours. 

Michelin Star Restaurants

Fine dining & view | 21.9*, Tenuta Carretta, Piobesi d’Alba

The perfect restaurant for a summertime intimate dining experience overlooking the Roero hills, which look like a sea of glistening gold at sunset. Elegant and classic cuisine which offers traditional & local flavours paired with contemporary touches and combinations.

Gastronomic experience | La Madernassa**, Guarene

Experiencing Michelangelo Mammoliti’s creativity and culinary expertise is truly a wonderful experience. The young chef pushes the boundaries of traditional, form and taste by offering a series of menus which reflect his journey as a chef. Highly recommended if you appreciate high level gastronomic experiences.

A classic | La Ciau del Tornavento*, Treiso

If you’re into fine dining and spectacular wine cellars, dedicating a meal of your trip to La Ciau is a must. The restaurant has a more traditional than innovative feel to it, all the while offering delicious food. I highly recommend tasting one of their specialties, the deep fried shrimps covered in hazelnuts. After dinner (or lunch) be sure to walk through their jaw-dropping cellar to admire the walls of Dom Pérignon & caveau of extra-special labels and vintages.

Experience history | Guido Ristorante*, Serralunga d’Alba

The restaurant’s ethos is “tradition and memory” and I truly believe there is no better way of describing Guido. The elegant restaurant is set within the Fontanafredda property, in its charming Villa Reale, surrounded by lush green trees and vineyards. The restaurant has been run by the Alciati family for generations, a dynasty which played a vital role in shaping Piemonte’s gastronomic heritage. You must taste Lidia’s agnolotti del plin in their two traditional variations: with juicy sugo d’arrosto and al tovagliolo, the maximum expression of plin. 

Langhe & Roero Wineries

Family owned | Ca’ del Baio, Treiso

The perfect place to experience the history of a great wine that is Barbaresco is in Ca’ del Baio, a family-run winery which has had the aim of producing high quality, excellent wine for the past four generations.

Historic | Fontanafredda, Serralunga d’Alba

Walking through the cellars of Fontanafredda is like walking through history. The winery was founded in 1858 by Italy’s first King, Vittorio Emanuele II. Nowadays it is one of the area’s largest Barolo and Nebbiolo producers, with 120 hectares of vineyards.

Monferrato

Down to earth family lunch | Trattoria La Piazzetta, Valdivilla 

Looking for a place where you can enjoy a delicious lunch in a down-to-earth trattoria with a big group of family and friends? Look no further! The characteristic, local, family run trattoria is the perfect place to enjoy bottle upon bottle of Monferrato wine as you taste the most traditional and authentic delicacies the kitchen has to offer. Lunch usually lasts anything between 2 and 5 hours and I recommend starting with the mixed platter of antipasti.

Sunday rustic getaway | Trattoria Da Geppe, Montemagno

Lovely, laid back trattoria in a beautifully untouched Monferrato town. The day’s menu is read out loud by the owner and changes often, however some staple dishes like the braised meat agnolotti and slow-cooked veal cheek are always available. I highly recommend ordering a sample of every antipasto on the menu – each is better than the next! They also have an ample selection of grappa, whisky and amaro to end your meal in bellezza.

Monferrato Wineries

Family Run | Azienda Agricola Casalone, Lu

The embodiment of a successful, family run winery which produces excellent wine and welcomes visitors into their winery as if they were family. Lovely, personalized visit in their cellar followed by a wonderful tasting in what is basically an extension of their home. They pair the tasting of their wines with a delicious selection of local cheeses and cured meats.

Biodynamic & funky | Azienda Agricola Ferraro, Montemagno

A warm and welcoming super funky biodynamic wine producer who loves sharing his passion with people. We had an entertaining, informal and laid back tasting of all his wines, including his Grignolino, an indigenous grape variety which is making a comeback on the Italian wine scene.

Historic & UNESCO | Contratto, Canelli

A must visit if you happen to pass by this area of Monferrato. Their UNESCO World Heritage cellar, known as “the cathedral” will literally leave you speechless. The group visit is followed by a tasting of a variety of their metodo classico wines and local cured cuts.