Osteria da Gemma

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Osteria da Gemma has made this village in the Langhe, a few kilometres from Alba, famous, with its splendid view of the hills. A lifelong cook, Gemma learned from her mother and grandmother: in 1986, she opened a small club with a kitchen in a garage, which immediately won over customers; in 2005, she opened the osteria, now a destination for gourmets, tourists and lovers of  authentic flavours. The walls are covered with photos of actors, musicians and Michelin-starred chefs who have enjoyed her Langhe cuisine. Strong and kind, she welcomes guests with a shy smile and a clear gaze. On Thursdays, the ritual of “social plin” is renewed: the women of the village prepare ravioli together. The menu, unchanged for years, remains faithful to tradition: generous appetisers served on a platter with cooked and raw salami, Russian salad, veal with tuna sauce and minced meat. This is followed by tajarin with ragù and ravioli del plin. Main courses include local meats: roast, rabbit, braised beef or wild boar. To finish, a trio of homemade desserts including bonet, panna cotta, meringue or strudel. The set menu at €34 offers excellent value for money. The wine cellar stocks local wines, with Dolcetto di Roddino being particularly popular. The family atmosphere and friendly service make a visit here an authentic experience.

Osteria la Salita

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Located in the historic centre, this tavern offers an intimate and welcoming dining room, with the option of dining outdoors in the green courtyard or on the panoramic terrace. Chef Marco Saffirio offers simple yet creative cuisine based on high-quality local products selected directly from producers. Bread, breadsticks and fresh pasta are homemade. At lunchtime, there is a tasting menu for £30 with a starter, first or second course and dessert; in the evening and at weekends, there is a menu for £42 with a trio of starters, first course, second course or cheese and dessert, which can be paired with 2, 3 or 4 glasses of wine (£53, £60 or £65). The à la carte menu features classic Piedmontese dishes: veal with tuna sauce, hand-cut raw meat, poached egg with Murazzano cheese fondue and mushrooms, and giardiniera (€14-17). The first courses include ravioli del plin with roast sauce, tagliolini with Bra sausage ragù and gnocchi with radicchio and Moncenisio blue
cheese (€15-16). Main courses include local rabbit with Arneis and braised veal cheek with crispy polenta (€17-19). There is a good selection of cheeses. Homemade desserts include Madernassa pear with zabaglione and cornflour biscuits or panna cotta with fennel and apple cream (€8). There is an extensive wine cellar with a wide selection of labels.

Al Bistrot dei Vinai

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Located near Piazza Galimberti, the restaurant has a modern, youthful feel, with light wood furnishings, bottles on display and an open kitchen, where chef Paolo Vinai and his staff work at a lively  pace. The lunch menu varies daily with a first course, second course, salad or pizza priced between £9 and £13, including a drink and no cover charge. The menu offers a wide choice: from seafood and meat starters to tasty handmade pasta dishes, such as sea bass ravioli or hand-cut tagliatelle with fish or meat sauces. For main courses, you can choose between brasserie meat and sliced tuna or swordfish. The desserts are beautifully presented and definitely worth trying. An average à la carte meal costs around £30. In the evening, the atmosphere is more relaxed, and there are often themed evenings, particularly on Thursdays. Suitable for all hours of the day, it is open continuously from 12 noon to midnight. The wine list is extensive and includes prestigious labels. The new modern and elegant rooms offer a more intimate setting, ideal for dinners with friends or as a couple. There are also some new rooms with kitchens, designed for tourists who want to extend their stay in Cuneo and discover more of the city and its surroundings.

Enoclub Umberto

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Located in the central Piazza Savona, this modern and bright bistro offers cosmopolitan cuisine. Its spacious dining room and spectacular wine cellar, with barrel v aults and exposed brickwork, provide a unique culinary experience. Dishes are carefully prepared by chef Marco Serra, linked to tradition but with creative touches. With twenty years of experience, t he restaurant offers classic local dishes using seasonal produce with a very short supply chain and traceability. Tasting menu at £55, excluding wines, with a starter, first course, second course and dessert, and a small menu at £45, without the second course. À la carte starters include Fassona beef carpaccio with bagna cauda and black truffle, Nizza Monferrato cardoons with fondue and veal with tuna sauce (from £18 to £24). First courses include tajarin with 30 rossi and Bra sausage ragù, or agnolotto del plin with roast sauce (from £18 to £20). Main courses include Fassone veal braised in Barolo (€22) and Carmagnola grey rabbit with artichokes and potato cream (€22), with a fish dish always available. In season, classic dishes are served with white truffles. There is a wide selection of traditional desserts. The wine cellar is excellent, with fine Piedmontese and international wines.

Ristorante 4 Ciance

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Located in the historic centre of the city, this restaurant is run by three partners: Gloria in the dining room and chefs Gianmaria and Gaetano in the kitchen. The large dining room with vaulted  ceilings and exposed brickwork creates a simple but effective atmosphere; in fine weather, you can dine outdoors. The attentive and friendly service is overseen by Gloria. The cuisine interprets the seasons with local specialities and a creative touch. There are two tasting menus at £45: “Il 4 ciance”, with amusebouche, “Macelleria Spada” raw meat with 45-month Parmigiano and hazelnuts, agnolotti with three roasts and brown sauce, “Terra Viva” Fassona entrecôte and a choice of cheese or tiramisu; ‘Vegetarian’, which offers poached egg with potato cream, cardoons and Valcasotto fondue, Acquerello rice with leeks, Verzin and Jerusalem artichoke chips, fried cardoncelli mushrooms and a finale of yoghurt, meringue and red fruits or cheeses. The à la carte menu also includes seafood dishes such as marinated amberjack with bagna cauda cream and escarole or seared octopus with ‘Nduja, potato cream and clams (€20). Intriguing desserts range from tartlets with  caramel, marron glacé and hazelnut ice cream (€10) to homemade sorbets (€7). Extensive wine cellar with wines from all over Italy, with a focus on Piedmontese wines and excellent sparkling wines.

Osteria senza fretta

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In the heart of Cuneo’s historic centre, this osteria combines simplicity and elegance, with a warm welcome from Marco Bertorello and authentic cuisine from Daniela Marchisio, who focuses on
seasonal and organic local produce. The à la carte menu offers creative starters such as Langa corn polenta and chestnuts with Famù toma cheese fondue and black cabbage (€17) or soft organic
egg with mountain potato cream, purple potato chips and 30-month Parmigiano cheese (€16). First courses include bread gnocchi with Fassone beef ragù and sausage (€16.50), stuffed ravioli del
plin served in broth (€16.50) and rustic onion soup (€14.50). Main courses include Fassone beef stew in red wine with pears and herbs (€17), La Granda tagliata (€21) and vegetarian millet and vegetable balls (€15.50). Vegetarian and vegan options are always available, as well as a cheese trolley (€3 per piece). Homemade desserts include Piedmont IGP hazelnut cake with Moscato
zabaglione ice cream (€9) and vanilla panna cotta with date crumble and chocolate ganache (€9). Good wine list, with Piedmontese labels in evidence. Excellent value for money. Six modern and comfortable rooms allow you to extend your stay.

Ristorante i 5 Sensi

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Family management and creative cuisine characterise  this restaurant: Patrizia warmly welcomes customers, assisted by her daughter Grace, a promising young waitress. Stefano and Diego work in the kitchen, while Andrea expertly manages the wine cellar. There are three tasting menus: “Estratto” with 5 courses (€66) and “Immersivo” with 7 courses (€88), both with two “surprise” dishes, and ‘Origini’ (4 courses, £45), which reinterprets tradition with creativity, from veal with tuna sauce to gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese, caramelised pork with oysters and leeks, and chocolate
cake with a raspberry centre and Moscato ice cream. À la carte, among the starters: rice and mussel capunet with miso and cuttlefish, artichoke with mint, egg yolk and tofu, crispy egg with cotechino sausage, celeriac and black truffle (€16-19). The first courses include ravioloni del plin with vegetables, spicy ragù and dill (€22) and paella-style rice with snails and chorizo (€28). Main courses include turbot with scallops, prawns and Moqueca sauce (€42) and Fassona beef fillet saltimbocca with hazelnuts and turnips (€38). Desserts not to be missed: tiramisu ice cream with Barolo Chinato reduction (€9) and petits fours with coffee (€3). Extensive wine list, with Piedmontese and French labels and a rich selection of sparkling wines.

Trattoria l'Oca Fòla

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In the Cit Turin neighbourhood, among Art Nouveau villas and Renzo Piano’s skyscraper near Porta Susa, stands L’Oca Fòla, a trattoria reminiscent of the old “piole” (wine bars) offering  traditional Piedmontese cuisine with innovative touches. The owners, Massimo and Paola, offer starters such as Fassone beef tartare with citron and bergamot marmalade, pistachios, seirass and balsamic vinegar reduction, savoury tartlets with kohlrabi and Toma DOP cheese on almond pesto, and citrus tuna carpaccio with artichoke and pomegranate salad (€14). Among the first courses, the agnolotti del plin with shiitake mushrooms in porcini broth and tagliolini with white capocollo ragù and crispy leek nest (€14) stand out. Among the second courses, tripe in white wine with
red cabbage, tomato confit with chilli pepper (€22) and Piedmontese finanziera (€24). Traditional and creative desserts (€6). The wine cellar is rich in Piedmontese wines. Full weekly menu up to €40, fixed price on Sundays at €33 with 2 starters, 2 first courses, a main course and a dessert. Warm atmosphere with exposed brickwork and wooden furnishings. Massimo, the sommelier, takes care of the pairings, while Paola, a chef from the Langhe region, conveys her passion: “food should be a moment of joy”.

Tre Galline

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Behind Porta Palazzo, a restaurant that has made history in the city’s catering scene over its 500 years of existence, continues to attract both Turin residents and tourists alike with its dishes that
revisit tradition through contemporary techniques. The à la carte menu includes classic starters such as veal with tuna sauce without mayonnaise, braised tongue with rubra sauce and Fassona beef tartare with cucumber salad, yoghurt and Pecetto cherries (from €16 to €17). Bagna cauda is available in season, and baccalà confit all year round. First courses include traditional agnolotti ai tre arrosti and tagliolini with courgettes, saffron and Bra sausage, and Acquarello risotto with pea cream, turbot and onion in vinegar (€17-18). Main courses include the house finanziera (€25), veal shank with Nebbiolo wine (€18) and the classic boiled meat trolley, with seven cuts of meat and seven accompanying sauces. In addition to the extensive cheese trolley, desserts include the classic house bonet and peach semifreddo with amaretto crumbs and dark chocolate (from €7 to €8). The wine list explores the best of Piedmontese production and a selection of national and international labels. Tasting menu at €60.

Ristorante Madama Piola

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Behind the market in Piazza Madama Cristina. Large photos of agnolotti on the walls, soft lighting with table lamps on French-style tables and an open kitchen. The menu draws on the tradition of the “Piola”, the ancient tavern. While waiting for the starters, you can try the trout tartare, spring onion cream, hazelnut (€12) or the Piola pâté (€12) or the Russian salad (€14). C ontinue with baked onion stuffed with sausage, seasonal vegetable flan and rabbit tuna (all €14). Tradition is also evident in the first courses, with homemade pasta, agnolotti and gnocchi served with ragù, roast sauce, tomato sauce, butter and sage or in broth, as well as a hearty minestrone with tripe (from €14 to €14). Main courses include mixed boiled meats with various sauces served hot in a tureen, as well as tripe in red sauce, venison with mushrooms and stewed salt cod (from €16 to €18). Desserts are traditional: tiramisu in a cup, poached pear with chocolate and zabaglione (all €7). There is an extensive wine list, ranging from house wine by the glass to a wide selection of labels, almost entirely from Piedmont, with some pleasant discoveries. The tasting menu costs €45,
while à la carte dining will set you back no more than €50, excluding drinks.