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Restaurants in Central Italy
By admin | May 29, 2008
Do you have a favourite restaurant in Umbria, Tuscany or Marche? Whether it’s an old favourite or a recent find, here’s the place to spread the word.
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Topics: Miscellaneous |
May 29th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
If you go beyond Città della Pieve on the old road to Orvieto you will come across a hilltown called Monteleone. It had been some years since I had bothered to stop the car and wander its narrow streets so it came as some surprise when we were invited to dinner there by some friends who had recently moved to Città della Pieve. They had discovered a new restaurant in the old town centre by the name of L’Antica Stalla, run by an Italian lady and her English husband. I have to admit to a degree of trepidation when I discovered that it was the English half that did the cooking and if I had known at the time that he came from York I may well have feigned illness! Had I done so I can honestly say that I would have missed a real treat.
From the moment you walk into L’Antica Stalla it is evident that this is something rather different for this area. No bright fluorescent lighting, no television in the corner to distract attention - and the decor looks as if it has been done by an adult. In fact there is a warm, charming elegance that fully invites you to sit down and enjoy what is to come. The menu is not extensive but instead offers a small selection of exquisitely prepared and presented dishes. I opted for a simple Umbrian dish of pici al ragu and it took me back to the old days when all restaurants served ragu that had the strength to hang on to the pasta - a real trip down Memory Lane.
For main course we chose cinghiale alla cacciatora and it was a rich, succulent serving of juicy boar meat in an aromatic sauce littered with juniper berries, just the perfect autumn dish yet so hard to find it done properly these days. We had a feisty Super Tuscan red for just Euro 25 to wash it down.
If you have a large appetite I would recommend that you go for the full four courses. No one can be disappointed with the desserts on offer and they are a refreshing change from the usual drab afterthoughts of too many Umbrian restaurants today.
Finding L’Antica Stalla was a real bonus and I shall be a regular from now on. The dining area is not large so I would recommend booking in advance. Oh - and allegedly the expats from Citta della Pieve like to go there on a Sunday lunchtime so unless you are into that sort of thing you may want to choose another day.
Above the restaurant is what the owners describe as a luxury bed and breakfast, Palazzo Consoli, and having spent a night there I can warmly recommend it.
L’Antica Stalla, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 46, 05017 Monteleone d’Orvieto (TR), Tel: 0763 834032. http://www.palazzoconsoli.it
May 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Panicale is a beautiful, small medieval hill town, high on a ridge about 10Km south of Castiglione del Lago. Within its walls, overlooking the main piazza and its lovely well, is a tiny restaurant called Lillo Tatini.
There are only three or four tables on its minute terrace and around eight more inside, so it is important to book in advance, as it fills up quickly. The menu is very poetic in describing the dishes designed by Patrizia, the owner (a very glamorous lady, with more than a passing resemblance to Juliette Binoche about her).
It is based on all the traditional Umbrian ingredients (game, lake fish, truffles, pulses and herbs) but with a distinct modern twist. It is particularly good for its delicious pasta, the pigeon with Umbrian lentils, lamb with truffles, rabbit and some mouth-watering desserts, especially the special fruit ice creams.
Patrizia also designs seasonal menus every few months, which have four courses and are highly recommended. She will also choose a different wine to go with each course if you like. Her wine list is not cheap by Italian standards, but offers an excellent choice.
The atmosphere is wonderful and the only complaint we have is about the painted light bulbs which can make the place a bit gloomy in the winter. However, on a summers evening, sitting outside, watching the swallows do their aerobatics around the piazza or listening to the local children chase one another (and the town dog) around the fountain, it’s a great experience.
Lillo Tatini
Ristorante/Caffe, 18 Piazza Umberto 1,
Panicale, PG
Tel: 075 837771
May 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
An oasis of tranquillity in the middle of Castiglione del Lago, Ristorante L’Acquario offers, as the name suggests, a wide selection of lake fish (perch, carp, pike, tench, eels) and regional specialities, plus very good quality meat dishes, especially, in our view, the lamb. Other favourites include the gnocchetti with gorgonzola and their version of pici, the local handmade pasta.
Whilst slightly expensive by local standards, the service is excellent, the wine list imaginative and the ambience is enhanced by the classical or jazz music playing softly in the background. This is one of our favourite restaurants and is definitely worth at least one visit during your stay in Umbria/Southern Tuscany.
Ristorante L’Acquario
Via Vittorio Emanuele 69,
06061 Castiglione del Lago, PG
Tel: 075 9652432
May 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
A small family-run restaurant with outdoor seating in the summer months, La Paprika has suffered from an unfounded rumour that the food is microwaved. Nothing could be further from the truth! The “ping” which has worried some diners is simply the alarm on the dumb waiter which brings the food down from the kitchen above!
In our opinion this is the best restaurant in Castiglione del Lago with a winter and summer menu designed to make the most of seasonal produce. Two dishes carry the name of the restaurant and both are highly recommended. In winter, the “Antipasto Paprika” is a tantalising array of mixed bruschetta, cold cuts and vegetables ( sorry to say that the delicious lemon-mozzarella has now vanished). In summer the “Insalata Paprika” echoes it’s more robust cousin with refreshing and satisfying mini-mozzarellas accompanied with fresh greens and sweet corn.
Pasta dishes are available with meat, fish and vegetable accompaniments; the gnocchi al ragu is always a favourite at our table. The meat at Paprika is freshly cooked and they will cook it the way you want it (not always easy in Italy where bloody steaks are favoured). Sea fish is now a firm favourite here and highly recommended.
Wine is a passion at La Paprika and there is always an excellent and extensive list to choose from, plus many new additions that Antonio will tell you about with enthusiasm.
Dining at La Paprika will set you back a bit more than the standard restaurant but the quality combined with the eccentricities of Antonio and his staff are well worth it.
Ristorante Papri-Ka
Via Vittorio Emanuele
Centro Storico
Castiglione del Lago (PG)
Tel: 075 951813
June 25th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
At last somewhere to give personal recommendations for places to eat in our local area. This is most useful and we will be trying these restaurants out at our next visit.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Thank you Bill! How about adding some of your favourites?
July 8th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Albergo Ristorante Masolino has been in business, according to their card, since 1959. Situated in the centre of Panicale, a beautifully preserved medieval hilltown close to Lake Trasimeno in Umbria, Masolino enjoys a wonderful view over the lake. The restaurant is in traditional style with chestnut beamed ceilings and the atmosphere is comfortable and tranquil. A high standard of service accompanies excellent quality food based on traditional Umbrian dishes with a superb wine list.
Ristorante Masolino
Via del Filatoio 4
Panicale (PG)
Tel: 075 837151
http://www.masolino.it
July 8th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
If you have a property in the Perugia area I would like to bet that you have passed Al Battibecco many times without giving it a second thought. When you come off the Superstrada at Corciano it’s right there alongside the main road that takes you in the direction of Magione. Watch out for it because, despite the less-than-romantic address, it is an oasis of culinary delights. When I went the first time and saw the car park with what must have been 200 cars I thought I would be turned away without a reservation but the restaurant is so huge that half the tables were empty! And despite the number of diners, service was by no means slow. The menu is one of the most extensive I have seen in Italy offering many types of antipasti and bruschette, huge variations of pasta, meat and fish - and excellent pizzas either traditional or more unusual (yes, even square pizza). We were there on a hot July evening when all the French doors were open and the brollies and marquees in operation. It’s well worth a try for all the family. And, above all, the food is astonishingly good!
Ristorante Al Battibecco
Via Gramsci 201
06073 Ellera di Corciano
Perugia
Tel: 075 5170328
July 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I realise that most people forget about the part of Tuscany which lies around Monte Amiata but it’s one of my favourite places. Stop off at Castel del Piano and have a lunch at the Taverna delle Logge. It’s a small family-run restaurant in the heart of the ‘centro storico’. Intimate and charming (it may be a good idea to reserve a table) it offers only fresh food made on the premises. The menu is not extensive because the dishes are all prepared on the spot to bring a true flavour of the Amiata cuisine. This is fine dining in what many may consider an unlikely setting.
Taverna delle Logge
Via della Penna 1
58033 Castel del Piano (GR)
Tel: 0564 973249
Cell: 349 7277615
Closed Tuesday
November 29th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I ve been reading along for a while now. I just wanted to drop you a comment to say keep up the good work.
Joan
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