Where to eat in Monferrato. The best restaurants

Monferrato is a vast hilly territory that stretches between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria, almost reaching the Ligurian Apennines. It is a destination that every wine lover should get to know, exploring the villages and towns, visiting wine cellars, tasting good food and - why not - buying good bottles and typical products. Here is a list of the best addresses.

Where to eat in Casale Monferrato

Osteria Bar Sport

Restaurant. Fine cuisine in this bar-osteria opposite the church. The historic identity is kept in the morning, with the coffee offer and the delicious breakfast pastries, in a pleasant, well-kept ambience with an open kitchen. It is here that chef Tommaso Negri draws inspiration from the territory but winks at a wise creativity with some echoes of France. In his dishes, each one more interesting than the last, he knows how to blend elegance and vigour, with flavour and skilful pairing. In the wine cellar, fine labels, with the pleasing possibility of drinking by the glass. Better book in advance.

Osteria Bar Sport – strada Alessandria in San Germano, 85 – 0142 50686 - WordPress

Cascina Faletta 1881

Restaurant. Set in the middle of the luxuriant Monferrato hills, this accommodation facility is a winery, farmhouse with rooms and restaurant with a range of additional services such as a swimming pool and surrounding relax area, and a beautiful wine cellar where guided tours and tastings of the maison's wines can be organised. The kitchen presents traditional dishes in an impeccable manner and the menu offers the chance to explore the entire edible territory. The wine list includes 'house' labels and other references from the rest of Piedmont and Italy.

Cascina Faletta 1881 – regione Mandoletta, 81 – 0142 670068 – faletta.it

Radice Osteria Contemporanea

Restaurant. A beautiful idea from a well-known young team in the city: a designed restaurant in the old town center, with two large basement rooms offering a mix of modern and antique furnishing elements. One is more classic and cosy; the other, more “easy” and “green”: a large depiction of an undergrowth covers all the walls, while the ceiling is a wooden latticework. In such a place, the talented chef Nicolò Guaschino proposes his vision of Piedmontese cuisine, with combinations and intuitions that are never common or obvious. Cellar up to standard.

Radice Osteria Contemporanea – via A. Piccaroli, 7 – 0142 230941 - osteriaradice.com

Where to eat in Pontestura

Casa Anna

Trattoria. A farmstead halfway up the road to the hamlet of Quarti, where Gianni and Anna with their daughter Silvia run this gracious and intimate restaurant. A room with a monumental stove, a bright veranda, only 12 seats and limited openings - which make reservations essential - are the accessories of a cuisine that is both refined and mouth-watering at the same time. A reassuring elegance and classicism dominate, in which the profound knowledge of the ingredient is perceived. Desserts, homemade bread and focaccia, good drinks.

Casa Anna – frazione Quarti via Raffaldi, 46 – 351 5461830 - Facebook

Where to eat in Asti

L'Angolo del Beato

Restaurant. The location is housed in a prestigious 18th-century palace, but in the summer season it is the adjacent Piazza Statuto that becomes the “grand hall” of a restaurant that Marco and Antonio Campagna continue to run very well. The cuisine portrays tradition, seasonality and territorial resources, with many dishes that have become a must, such as Russian salad, agnolotti astigiani (squared) with Bra sausage ragout, jellied gurnard with boiled eggs and vegetables, fried frogs and baked peaches with amaretto. The wine list is wide and well balanced.

L’Angolo del Beato – vicolo Cavalleri, 2 – 0141 531668 – angolodelbeato.it

Il Cavallo Scosso

Restaurant. A small villa with an elegant, cosy room and a bright gallery that becomes a dehors in warm weather. Enrico Pivieri (at the stove) and Barbara Tosello have created this little treasure chest of pleasantness and excellent cuisine - in clear growth - in which the stylistic code is perfectly balanced between land and water, between territorial adherence and concrete creativity supported by product, technique and measured contamination. Cellar in continuous evolution, with solutions well aligned with the gastronomic proposal.

Il Cavallo Scosso – via al Duca, 23/D – 0141 211435 – ilcavalloscosso.it

Osteria del Diavolo

Trattoria. Neat and elegant location where you can enjoy real, well-crafted cuisine. The menu is distinguished by the presence of local dishes and the many Ligurian incursions: fried anchovies with Corsican sauce, tomino with crispy vegetables, plin "alle tre carni", fondant Piedmontese suckling pig ribs cooked in beer, "ciuppin"(Ligurian fish soup), and bunet dessert to close. To pair dishes, choose from a wine list that well represents regional production and beyond, with numerous proposals by the glass.

Osteria del Diavolo – piazza San Martino, 6 – 0141 30221 – osteriadeldiavolo.it

Where to eat in Canelli

Enoteca di Canelli - Casa Crippa

Restaurant. The place is remarkable: located in one of the underground cathedrals that are the historical and architectural heritage of regional oenology, lots of brick walls, columns, vaults and an encyclopedic selection of bottles resting at the right temperature. In the kitchen, for Diego Crippa and his father Riccardo the compass is the territory, without fundamentalism and always with pleasant touches; in the dining room Anita and Dario, Diego's sister and brother, both sommeliers. Tasting menu, also for lunch.

Enoteca di Canelli – Casa Crippa – corso Libertà, 65/A – 0141 832182 – casacrippa.it

San Marco

Restaurant. This family-run restaurant has been in the business for over sixty years and is now run with passion by Piercarlo, in the dining room, and Mariuccia, in the kitchen. In a well-kept environment with a relaxed atmosphere, you are welcomed and served with courtesy and professionalism. The gastronomic proposal is a tribute to the flavours of the Asti area, with well-presented dishes made with valuable ingredients (but there are also some sea-flavoured digressions). In season, white truffle is the star. The wine cellar is large and valid, with labels from the area above all.

San Marco – via Alba, 136 – 0141 823544 – sanmarcoristorante.it

Cantina Nicola

Restaurant. The place you don't expect among the rolling hills of Monferrato. A dreamlike view and the Nicola family who divide their time between the wine cellar and the actual restaurant, elegant and refined where wood and elegance triumph; outside, a panoramic terrace. The kitchen, the kingdom of the young and talented Alessia Rolla, ranges with creativity, but always with firm laces to the land where it belongs and privileges products from the vegetable garden and surrounding farms. In the cellar, "house" wine plus a targeted selection of labels.

Cantina Nicola – strada Roletto-Rocca, 10 – 392 9543291 – cantinanicola.com

Where to eat in Costigliole d'Asti

Radici Ristorante in vigna

Restaurant. Around, vineyards and orchards; in the dining room, the roots (of medicinal plants) symbol of the restaurant. Which is the heart of the wine resort (indoor pool, 'art' rooms, wine cellar), a fresh venture of the Martinetti-Grom duo. At Radici, chef Marco Massaia governs, well-managed techniques, clear propensity for full flavour. Some ideas from the menu: cauliflower with white truffle Bernese sauce, fresh pasta candles stuffed with kid offal, venison loin with rose. Desserts and bread are high-level. Extensive wine list.

Radici Ristorante in vigna – strada Pasquana, 3 – 0141 1855773 - radicimuramura.it

Where to eat in Montegrosso d'Asti

Locanda del Boscogrande

Restaurant. A cosy farmhouse with a panoramic view over the beautiful Monferrato hills, with rooms for sleeping and a swimming pool. Here, for over twenty years now, it has also been possible to taste a cuisine inspired by the territory and seasonality whose proposal rotates, but without strict constraints, mainly around traditional recipes. Tasty risottos, stuffed pastas, gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese, raw meat, veal in tuna sauce, duck and finanziera. Also good desserts. The wine cellar makes for good drinking.

Locanda del Boscogrande – via Boscogrande, 47 – 0141 956390 – locandaboscogrande.com

Where to eat in Montemagno

La Braja

Restaurant. In a beautiful little villa on the outskirts of the city centre, the restaurant, active since 1975, has always remained under the management of the Palermino family. The cuisine is the classic one of the territory, respectful of the course of the seasons, with raw materials from the local area or from the Asti region, but with modern openings that include flavours from the sea. To finish, cheese trolley and maison desserts. There is an important oenological presence, with a wine cellar full of a considerable number of references, with fine vintages and noteworthy verticals of wine.

La Braja – via San Giovanni Bosco, 11 – 0141 653925 – ristorantelabraja.it

Where to eat in Nizza Monferrato

Le Due Lanterne

Restaurant. In the city centre, a solid family-run establishment with more than thirty years of experience. The cornerstone of the gastronomic offer is the solid anchorage of the cuisine to the typical regional recipe book, which here is interpreted with the right balance between faithfulness to tradition and modern sensitivity. At the table, in a cosy restaurant, arrive agnolotti, stracotto di manzo, carne cruda, vitello tonnato and bonet, with variations dictated by the seasons (truffles and mushrooms above all). Very rich wine cellar.

Le Due Lanterne - piazza G. Garibaldi, 52 - 0141 702480 - ristoranteleduelanterne.it

Where to eat in Penango

Locanda del Sant'Uffizio

Restaurant. Within the walls of a former monastery, a suggestive relais with spa, swimming pool, cosy rooms and a gourmet table excellently led by Gabriele Boffa, to whom chef Enrico Bartolini has given the keys to the kitchen. The culinary proposal is strongly focused on all of the good that is produced from the surrounding land and takes the cut of dishes with a minimalist approach that on the one hand interpret tradition with precision and accuracy, and on the other use the land, but not only, to create preparations that are the result of an imagination that is never daring. Rich wine cellar.

Locanda del Sant’Uffizio – località Cioccaro strada del Sant’Uffizio, 1 – 0141 1852069 – relaissantuffizio.com

Where to eat in Portacomaro

Bandini

Restaurant. Over twenty years in business, this restaurant run with passion by Antonello Bera, in the dining room, and Massimo Rivetti, in the kitchen, whose place celebrates the protagonist of a series of novels by the American writer John Fante. Well-executed dishes arrive to the table, such as agnolotti gobbi al sugo d'arrosto, tajarin alla monferrina, porcini mushrooms and truffles when in season, fine cuts of meat but also skilfully handled fish. The gelato and homemade desserts are also good. Cellar aligned.

Bandini – via Cornapò, 135 (strada Provinciale, 38) – 0141 299252 - Blogspot

Where to eat in San Marzano Oliveto

Del Belbo Da Bardon

Restaurant. One of the most interesting tables in Monferrato, thanks to the Bardone family who has been running it since 1884. Seated in a neat and pleasant environment, on the veranda or in the small courtyard outside, it is a pleasure for the eyes and the palate to taste each dish that is displayed on the table or chosen from the various trolleys. In season, game, mushrooms and truffles. The wine cellar is excellent, with labels that, starting from the territory, embrace the entire Peninsula and reach across the border in every direction, with fine vintages, special formats and much more.

Del Belbo da Bardon – regione Valle Asinari, 25 – 0141 831340 

Where to eat in Aqui Terme

Il Moncalvo

Restaurant. Downtown, in a historic building overlooking a magnificent courtyard with a beautiful loggia that serves as a dehors, this is one of the most popular establishments for those who want to take a journey through the best of Piedmontese cuisine, with a few successful digressions. Angela Gerbino and Luca Guidetti (in the kitchen) and Filippo Tirri in the dining room places at the centre the guest's pleasure. A very rich menu ranging from the land to the sea, fresh pasta and home-made desserts, mushroom and truffle dishes, and a respectable wine list.

Il Moncalvo – piazza Duomo, 6 – 0144 356928 – ristorantemoncalvo.com

Parisio dal 1993

Restaurant. This historic family-run establishment now has Nicolò Conigliaro, grandson of founder Piero, at the helm. The line of cuisine, based on a careful selection of local raw materials, has stayed the same: homemade bread and pasta (from agnolotti monferrini to cannelloni alla Parisio), beef tartare, vitello tonnato, Russian salad, and a trolley of roasts, boiled meats and cheeses. Also good desserts. Fine wines.

Parisio dal 1933 – via C. Battisti, 7 – 0144 442196 – ristoranteparisio1933.it

Where to eat in Gavi

La Gallina al Villa Sparina Resort

Restaurant. A few bends from the Serravalle tollgate and you see Villa Sparina, a resort in the centre of a bucolic landscape between sky and hills carpeted with vineyards. La Gallina is the restaurant: the main dining room with high wooden trusses, well-spaced and well-set tables; in good weather, the terrace with its enchanting view. Graziano Caccioppoli guides the kitchen, reinterpreting local recipes and products in a contemporary key, also relying on his own vegetable garden. Well-stocked wine cellar, aperitivos in the vineyard, fairytale nights at the contigous hotel L'Ostelliere.

La Gallina al Villa Sparina Resort – frazione Monterotondo, 56 – 0143 685132 – villasparinaresort.it

Where to eat in Cremolino

LORTO al Relais Nordelaia

Restaurant. It feels like being on the prow of a ship walking on the terrace of this designed resort, in the middle of a natural amphitheatre overlooking the Monferrato hills. Fine dining is entrusted to Englishman Charles Pearce, under the supervision of Andrea Ribaldone, a great weaver of many haute cuisine projects and an expert of the territory. LORTO offers a refined and refined cuisine, which focuses on the enhancement of garden produce. For a less demanding stop there is the bistro. Adequate wine list.

LORTO al Relais Nordelaia – via Piazze, 14 – 0143 088045 – lorto.nordelaia.com

Mirepuà Food Lab

Restaurant. The restaurant, which chef Federico Ferrari runs together with his partner Gaia Fassone, dedicated to hospitality and service, is set in one of the main estates in the Acquese area devoted to the production of Barbera d'Asti. The Food Lab focuses on enhancing local products and the menu revisits the flavours of the territory with refinement. Two examples above all, the agnolotti Fassona and raw pork agnolotti with sausage and escarole pasta, and "capretto in tre servizi". Excellent vibes from the desserts. Wine cellar that lives up to expectations.

Mirepuà Food Lab – via Umberto I, 60 – 0143 344702 – mirepua.it

Where to eat in Cartosio

Cacciatori

Restaurant. Massimo Milano and Federica Rossini bring on a restaurant of absolute quality, starting with the candid and silent ambience and the dehors. The cuisine elevates itself without excess of style or self-referentiality. From fresh pastas to the disarming simplicity of an onion omelette, from the impeccable Russian salad to pan-cooked kid: dishes that respect tradition but with a light touch. Two tastings, a measured but adequate wine list. Also comfortable rooms to extend your stay.

Cacciatori – via Moreno, 30 – 0144 40123 – cacciatoricartosio.com

Where to eat in Serravalle Scrivia

Tracce dell'Hotel Villa La Bollina

Restaurant. A late 19th century Art Nouveau villa with beautiful rooms and suites; around the estate's vineyards, wine cellar and golf field. Tracce is the restaurant inside: a few tables between the dining room and the terrace with a view. In the kitchen is Alessandro Scardina, a young and very talented chef with important national and foreign training. The cuisine stands out for ingredient quality and creativity. Mushroom and truffle tasting menu. Excellent bread, wide wine cellar. The Bistrò La Bollina and Lounge Bar complete the offer.

Tracce dell’Hotel Villa La Bollina – via Monterotondo, 60 – 0143 302585 – hotelvillalabollina.com

by Clara Barra