Piemonte Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[bvus]

Wow. What wonderful posts.

I will be travelling to Cuneo (Piedmont) in June for a week and wondered if anyone had a few restaurant, winery or other interesting places they might suggest. We will be based in Cuneo, but would not be averse to driving anywhere that is worth it and makes reasonable sense.

I will be with group of 6 people and I have been assigned the food portion of planning (someone else is doing wineries, another is doing the travel arrangements etc). It is a wine group that includes foodies, but most everyone is pretty open minded and good doesn't necessarily mean expensive, but that would probably be ok too if justified. I would prefer to experience the cuisine of the region, but we will probably try a Michelin style modern restaurant as well. It would also be helpful for some guidance on how to space out the meals. There seem to be several cautionary tales here of large dinners scheduled right after large lunches that sound more like a challenge than a comfortable experience and I think I would prefer the latter to the former.

Any etiquette tips that might not be obvious to a novice traveller? Tipping customs? Winery visits? Are you expected to buy wine? If so, how much? Do you need reservations at many restaurant establishments? When is a typical time to eat lunch? Dinner?

Anywhere to get some exercise? Rent bicycles?

I think I have a great start from the previous posts here and in other threads, but any updated suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

"Antipasti in the Piemonte is mostly Salumi. I have yet to be served an olive or a pickled anything as an antipasti."

Swiss Chef:

Have you been to Cuneo yet?

There you'll find antipasti under oil or vinegar in many local restaurants and shops. At Torrismondi, at Via Michele Coppino 33 (across from the big hospital) you'll find a beautiful cart of these at both lunch and dinner. There are also many more places on the road that leads up to the Parco delle Alpi Marittime that cater to hikers and skiiers and offer inexpensive, hearty menus of local cuisine.

The area near (and in) the park is a bit more rugged than Asti or Dogliani and not really wine or truffle country, but when it comes to cooking, it's as Piemontese as it gets.

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Funny you mention Cuneo because we were there today for the first time, on advice from my friend Boris_A. (If you are reading Boris...you are right, the arcades are FANTASTIC!) We didn't get a chance to eat a meal but we did manage to visit the famous Eredi Arione Secondo and try a Cuneesi Al Rhum. I am sure you are right about the antipasti....my writings are a result of covering the area from Alba north through Asti, to Moncalvo. I have no doubt that things could easily change in just a few kilometers off my beaten path and I am looking forward to discovering more as we venture out further.

Best, Ed

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[tupac17616]

I think Antica Corona Reale "da Renzo" in Cervere deserves a look for traditional cuisine of the region. I believe they have a Michelin star as well.

I had probably the best veal tartare I've ever had there, and an exceptional egg/white truffle dish I won't tempt you with since you're going in June!

[bvus]

Thank you. I made a reservation per your recommendation.

I think Antica Corona Reale "da Renzo" in Cervere deserves a look for traditional cuisine of the region.  I believe they have a Michelin star as well.

I had probably the best veal tartare I've ever had there, and an exceptional egg/white truffle dish I won't tempt you with since you're going in June!

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[tupac17616]

Thank you.  I made a reservation per your recommendation.

I think Antica Corona Reale "da Renzo" in Cervere deserves a look for traditional cuisine of the region.  I believe they have a Michelin star as well.

I had probably the best veal tartare I've ever had there, and an exceptional egg/white truffle dish I won't tempt you with since you're going in June!

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You're quite welcome. Enjoy!

[bvus]

We are back in the U.S. and had a great trip. I would like to thank everyone that posted in this thread for their recommendations. They were very helpful.

We started in Torino and went to Ristorante Cambio. The room was very formal with old paintings in gold frames on the walls. The wait staff was very stuffy and bordering on rude until we ordered a very expensive bottle of wine and then everything changed and everyone was our best friends. (the wine was a 1990 Barolo Riserva and in perfect conditon by the way). This experience was our only experience of this kind for the rest of our trip. It should be noted the restaurant is in an extremely tourist oriented section of the City. The wait staff initial experience notwithstanding, the food was absolutely exceptional. The chef is very talented. The dishes are very typical Piemontese, but executed in exquisite fashion. In particular, the vitello tonnato was prepared perfectly. The veal was sliced very thin and was soft and flavorful and the tuna tasted as if it had just been taken from the sea.

Further down in Piemonte, we went to All' Enoteca in Canale. The village is very upscale and the room is white, modern and stunning. The staff was friendly but the food was ultimately dissapointing. They were trying very hard to do updated modern twists on classic Piemontese dishes, but more often than not, the visual was there, but the flavor was off. Also, some of the serving sizes were huge while others were tiny. Maybe they were trying to be generous to appeal to an American visitor?

We had a stunningly extraordinary dining experience at Piazza Duomo which I reported on in another post. The service was wonderful and the food was both creative and delicious. The service was friendly and first rate. The dinner ended up being in excess of 17 courses and none of which were less than excellent. The wine list was impressive, but probably the most expensive I saw in the area.

We had a slightly less upscale but nearly as satisfying experience at La Libera in Alba for lunch. The roast lamb had a deep savory flavor and the the cheese plate had a great variety of local artisan cheeses. To illustrate the attention to detail of the chef, he served the cheeses with a house prepared jam made from Barolo wine must, pomegranite, quince and fig. It was truly a perfect accompaniment to the cheese.

The next day we had lunch at a small cafe in Serralunda called Vinoteca Centro Storic. It was recommended by the wine maker we had recently visited. It was a slight trek to get their but ultimately more than worth it. The prices were reasonable, the wines by the glass of excellent quality (obviously expertly chosen to match the food) and the food of absolutely top quality. We had a cheese plate and a salumi plate and they both consisted entirely of local artisan produced products. This was a highlight of the trip. Further we had a insalata di pomodoro y burrata con basilico (we say it on a neighboring table and tried order an Insalata Caprese and they didn't know what I was talking about). The burrata was fresh buffala and like nothing I have ever had in the U.S. This is the reason one travels.

We had a very pleasant meal in a small cheese village in near Pamparato in a cafe called Locando del Molino. The chef came in the morning and prepared the dishes they served all day. There was only one thing on the menu (goat when we were there), but it was very rustic and since no one spoke English, I think we got an authentic meal. Obviously, the cheeses were the best of the trip, including but not limited to a later visit to the Gordon Ramsey in London.

The only real disappointment, and it pains me to say given the glowing and generous recommendation, was to Antica Corona Real da Renzo in Cereve. The service was inattentive and the food tasty, but nothing to write home (or more accurately to E-Gullet) about. The restaurant was fancy. Given however there were very few people in the restaurant, it seemed inexcusable that we had to pry the wait staff away from their friends or more familiar customers that were dining at other tables. The food was good and typical, but below the standard set at other restaurants we had dined at in other locations. The insalata Russe was overwhelmed with mayonaise. The frog's legs were cooked perfectly, but just fried in butter with no other accompaniment. The veal was light on flavor and slightly tough. The cheeses were old and uninspired. The wines chosen by the staff were excellent. The desserts were homey and delicious but nothing compared to some of the extraordinary fair we had elsewhere.

Our last dinner in Piemonte was at Villa Tibaldi. The meal was of good quality but generally forgettable. I would put it on par with our experience at All Enoteca and Antica Corona Real. They do have a great wine list, especially of local wines and the prices were reasonable for what they were. More importantly however, the building and view are stunning and more than make up for the very good but not outstanding food.

Thank you.  I made a reservation per your recommendation.

I think Antica Corona Reale "da Renzo" in Cervere deserves a look for traditional cuisine of the region.  I believe they have a Michelin star as well.

I had probably the best veal tartare I've ever had there, and an exceptional egg/white truffle dish I won't tempt you with since you're going in June!

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You're quite welcome. Enjoy!

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