Traditional eateries -
- Antica Torre (Barbaresco) – excellent pasta (Tajarin, Agnolotti), rather basic wine list. Booking needed.
- Grappolo d’Oro (Monforte) – best value, good food, nice wine list, good also for groups
- I Bologna (Rocchetta Tanaro) – Raffaella “Barbera” Bologna’s aunt makes the best ravioli
- La Stazione (Santo Stefano Belbo) – Genuine food, good value, a family place. Treacherous road.
Young trattorias with good wine lists:
- Osteria dell’Arco (Alba) – delicate, genuine food, good wine list, fair prices (Slow Food)
- Osteria Veglio (La Morra) – very nice ambience, good food and wines, young team. Nice lookout point. Park near bus stop.
- Osteria La Salita (Monforte) – relaxed osteria, top wine list, short menu with excellent food
- Enoclub (Alba) – very good service, nice food, good wine list, in a cosy brick-cellar
Creative Cuisine
- Piazza Duomo (Alba) – the best creative cuisine: light, elegant, even after 10 courses, hype
- Il Cascinalenuovo (Isola d’Asti) – very good modern Piedmontese, top wine list and service
- Antinè (Barbaresco) – elegant star-rated regional cuisine, top-value, huge Barbaresco selection
- All’Enoteca (Canale) – reasonably creative cuisine, very good wine list and service
- Tornavento (Treiso) – inventive cuisine, super wine list and a spectacular panorama window
- Borgo Antico (Barolo) – In a “post-modern” winery, elegant tables, excellent cooking. Too formal. You could be in SF!
- Da Renzo (Cervere) – star-rated trattoria, specialities: frogs, snails, Piedmontese beef
- Locanda del Pilone (Madonna di Como/Alba) – very creative chef, a nice place in the hills
- Guido (Pollenzo) – a big name in Langhe cooking, in the setting of the Culinary University
- Al Centro (Priocca) – classic fine cuisine, elegantly served, a bit formal, try Roero wines here
Cesare – Allegedly a “must” for every Langhe visitor: start with the creative salad of the season. For main course the special is capretto (baby goat grilled on the open fire)l. But Cesare is completely crazy! At present he cooks in his private house for maximum 25 diners. Prix fixed at E75. No substitutions. We decided not to risk it. If he decides not to cook that night, there’s a sign that says “Gone Fishing”. Crazy.
BEST WINE LISTS
- La Pergola (Vezza d’Alba)
- Tornavento (Treiso)
- Osteria La Salita (Monforte)
- Da Felicin (Monforte)
BUSINESS HOTELS ALBA – There is no charming hotel in Alba. But some people nevertheless prefer staying in town where they can at least find a drink after dinner. Best place for an aperitivo or digestivo is La Brasilera:
- I Castelli – With car park and all the comfort of a 4 star hotel, but not really charming
- Motel Alba – Newly renovated, swimming pool, parking, but in the industrial zone
- Hotel Savona– Best position in the centre, still a bit old fashioned
- Langhe – Relatively quiet position, rooms rather modern
The nicest hotels are situated in the hills around Alba. The first four have a pool, which is not a bad thing in the sometimes extremely hot season from June to September:
- Relais San Maurizio (Santo Stefano Belbo) – in an ex-monastery on a hill, good restaurant
- Castello di Villa (Isola d’Asti) – Swiss-managed wonderful castle, perfectly renovated
- Villa Beccaris (Monforte d’Alba) – wonderful position, different room categories, quiet
- Villa Tiboldi (Canale) – fine little hotel on a hill in the vineyards, nice restaurant
- Corte Gondina (La Morra) – a beautiful villa, cosy four-poster beds, view of the Barolo zone
- Locanda del Pilone (Alba) – a luxury agriturismo 5 km out of Alba, star-rated restaurant
Most of us wine enthusiasnts love to spend more on food and wine, often prefer simpler places but they want a clean room with efficient bathrooms and good beds:
- Cascina Barac (San Rocco Seno d’Elvio) – a winery with comfortable rooms in quiet position
- Casa Nicolini (Trestelle/Barbaresco) – very nice, air-conditioned rooms, good food available
- Cascina delle Rose (Trestelle/Barbaresco) – cosy agriturismo in the Barbaresco hills
- Le Torri (Castiglione Falletto) – family-run hotel with a good traditional restaurant
- Grappolo d’Oro (Monforte) – central hotel with apartments, good restaurant
