Restaurants in Valle D'Aosta

[Alex F]

I'm going back to Italy in a weeks time, this time Val d'Aosta. Does anyone have any restaurant recommendations? I've got 'Eating in Italy' which has always been quite good but I wondered if anyone had any other gems?

Also, Craig are there any wines that I should look out for?

Edited April 25, 2003 by Alex F (log)

[Bill Klapp]

Pomme Couronnee in Aosta (Gressan) offers a funky but fun menu based entirely on local apples. The best restaurant is Aosta is Vecchio Ristoro da Alfio e Katia (Michelin-starred and higher end). Lo Dzerby in Arnad (Locanda Pied de Ville) gives you the authentic home-cooking on a working farm experience. Gambero Rosso thinks Le Petit Restaurant in the Hotel Bellevue in Cogne (Localita Valnontey) and La Tour in Saint Pierre are the best restaurants in the province, while Lou Ressignon in Cogne gives you the local osteria experience. (Another local osteria, Lou Tchappe, seems to be in decline these days.) Pizza du Tunnel in Courmayeur is a great family-run pizza place, but do not hesitate to go for the meals other than pizza here. Otherwise, the ski towns of Courmayeur and Breuil-Cervinia don't offer much in quality dining at any level. One of my all-time favorites is Maison de Filippo in Entreves (a crarming medieval village right next door to Courmayeur), which alleges a dinner of 40 courses of purely local and mostly great stuff. (They get to 40 courses by counting every salami on the antipasto plate-it's not really too much. I still dream about their baked ham and trout!) Nuovo Batezar-Da Renato in Saint Vincent is another Michelin-starred attraction., as is the newer Maison Laurent in La Thuile (Localita Thovex). I finish with Locanda La Clusaz in Gignod for local cuisine, and you now know everything that Michelin, willinger, Plotkin and 7 Italian restaurant guides know! Look for the wines of Les Cretes, particularly the Cuvee Frissoniere Les Cretes Cuvee Bois Chardonnay, and a red wine they make that has something to do with the devil in the name (Iwant to say L' Enfer). Not a great wine area. Try to drink Piemontese reds with this hearty meat-and-cheese cuisine.

Edited April 25, 2003 by Bill Klapp (log)

[Alex F]

Wow! Thanks Bill, they all sound great.

A

[Craig Camp]

Bill's list is as always complete and right on the mark. I also like:

In Aosta La Cave is a nice wine bar but only serves cheeses and cured meats - no full menu.

Lou Ressignon in Cogne has a very good local wine list and good food to go with it.

Don't miss (as Bill mentioned) Locanda la Clusaz in Gignod for the best in truly local cuisine. Rustic but delicious and very authentic.

Concerning the wine you have to realize that Bill is a born again Piemontese. A fate I have been spared by living 10 minutes over the border in Lombardia. Contrary to what they believe in Piemonte there are some very good wines made in Valle d'Aosta. Some suggestions:

>Institut Argicole Regional makes nice Chardonnay and Pinot Gris

>Les Cretes Chardonnay Cuvee Bois is quite delicious (Bill likes it because it tastes like Burgundy - me too)

>Grosjean makes an excellent Pinot Noir and a fresh and fruity Torrette

>Marco Martin make the best Pinot Gris in the region

>The excellent Chambave Rouge of Enzio Voyet - the most famous winery of the region

>the passito Chambave Muscat is great with the local cheeses

As good as these wines are - Bill is right that Piemonte has nothing to fear from the competition. However there are many lovely wines and often Valle d'Aosta is the only place you can drink them.

[peterpumkino]

There are a few restaurants that I would really go out of my way for (i.e. drive three hours just to eat there) and one is Bill's rec. (we are alike aren't we?) Maison Di Fillippo in Entreves just outside of Courmayer. It's rustic and has a great mountain 'feel' and in ski season you must make a reservation (+39 0165 869797 - Closed Tuesdays and June 01-July 15 and November) as even the French visit in droves by driving through the Mont Blanc from Chamonix. Yes, they have about 40 antipasti but it's not a buffet, they are brought individually to your table then taken to the next table and the next and so forth (would this be illegal in Britain - health laws and all that?). And these 40 dishes come before you even order anything! Only then do you order the pasta course which comes before you order the main course! (they have lovely trout for main but you should try something different and that's the Bagna Cauda (dialect for hot bath), which consists of massive, fresh vegetables dipped, fondue-style, in hot, spicy oil.

And then comes the dessert and then the fruit. With unlimited house wine it's about L85,000 set charge (I haven't been for over a year so I don't know in Euros). Amazing value for what you eat.

Also sample the Coppa D'Amici here (cup of friendship) also called the Grolla which is a Val D'Aosta specialty whereby coffee and liqueors are flamed and is poured into a fancy wooden 'cup' with 4 or six seperate spouts, it is then handed around the table and you each take a drink until it's finished or you fall over!

Enjoy Maison Di Filippo anybody who goes, It's also pretty outdoors in Summer under a beautiful view of Monte Blanc.

There's also a great 'find' just before you hit Aosta itself. Come off the Autostrada just before Aosta (coming from Milan or Torino) and there's a sign on the road for St. Christophe, turn right up this small road and you come to a restaurant (I can't remember the name) which is superb. I found this restaurant by asking in a bank in Courmayer for a great restaurant en route back to Milano - this request created a massive argument amongst clerks and clients alike which lasted fifteen minutes culminating with the bank calling long-distance to the restaurant that everyone finally agreed on (now that's a better rec. than Michelin!) to ensure that it wasn't their day off! Don't you all wish you got that kind of service at your bank! As is common in Italy the best thing to do is get the owner and just ask him to "bring a few things" (!) he won't rip you off and you'll have a great experience.

[Bill Klapp]

Good work on those additional local wines, Camp! I forgot about the Chambave Rouge! Just in case somebody asks in the future, start lining up your Ligurian wines. I would respond "Pigato and Piemontese wines" there! I also want to second La Cave (I have to cut myself off somewhere!). Glad to hear from Peter, but apparently he didn't eat as much of the Filippo ham as I did!

[peterpumkino]

Oh yes he did! But my favourite antipasti is the Tummin - a white goats cheese that is kept in a bottle of oil and spices. At La Maisson they offer two types, one im a pakrika oil and one in a sort of spicy oil. Mmmmh.

[Alex F]

Have just returned from Cogne, Valle d’Aosta and here’s the low down.

Flew to Turin and drove up to Valle d’Aosta.

I stayed in a small Hotel in Valnontey very near Cogne.

Hotel La Barme

Fraz. Valnontey

11012 Cogne Aosta

Tel 0039 0165749177

Fax 0039 0165 749213

Email labarme@tiscalinet.it

www.hotellabarme.com

I found the hotel in ‘Hip Hotels – Italy’ which is book I recommend to everyone who is planning a trip to any region is Italy. La Barme a small family run hotel converted from an old mountain dairy.

Lou Ressignon : Cogne €60

Fantastic rustic restaurant in Cogne which was quiet but very welcoming. I started with the Salumi which included Prociutto, Lardo and Mocetta which was all delicious. The wine I had with this was a Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle which was perfectly sharp and went very well with the Antipasti. As a first course I had the Soupetta di Cogne a risotto made with Fontina and rye bread, which I accompanied with a Vallee d’Aoste Donnas which proved to be a perfect match to this and the next course which was a Carbonada – a spicy beef and red wine stew served with polenta.

Ristorante Vecchio Ristoro : Via Tourneuve 4 , Aosta €124

Went here for lunch after spending a day wine shopping in Aosta. I had the set Degustazioni menu which I finished off with cheese selection. I had a half bottle of Les Crêtes Chardonnayand then a bottle Costantino Charrère Torrette which for me was the wine of my trip (I brought 6 bottles back with me!).

The cheese selection included some Fontina, Reblec, Toma and Tomini.

Also went to two Enoteca in Aosta and tried alot of the wines Bill, Peter and Craig recommended.

Bill I found the L'Enfer wine - I think it was Enfer D'Arvier which I was told was based on a petite rouge grape and goes well with salumi especially the mocetta.

Thank you to everyone who made recommendations, it really helped and I had a great time.

Edited May 10, 2003 by Alex F (log)

[Bill Klapp]

Alex F-Are your prices for one person, including wine? If so, with the Euro at $1.15, I may not be able to afford to go skiing this winter!

[Alex F]

Bill - Sorry !

These prices are for two, so looks like your ski-ing trip may be back on!

[Pille]

I'm going to Breuil-Cervinia this Saturday for a week with my boyfriend, and we're hoping to explore local restaurants after day on the slopes. We both like our food, you see Hence the question - has anyone been to restaurants in the area recently and can recommend some good places to visit?

The recommendations below have been very helpful, but they are from almost four years ago, so I'm wondering if there are any new must-visit places or places that were good back in 2003, but best avoided now. When 'googling' Maison Di Fillippo, for example, the search returned several negative comments suggesting it is not as good as it used to be and is best avoided? Is that indeed the case?

We're happy to travel a bit for a good meal, i.e. the restaurant doesn't have to be Breuil-Cervinia - anywhere in Val d'Aosta will do.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Pille

[fortedei]

I'm going to Breuil-Cervinia this Saturday for a week with my boyfriend, and we're hoping to explore local restaurants after day on the slopes. We both like our food, you see   Hence the question - has anyone been to restaurants in the area recently and can recommend some good places to visit?

The recommendations below have been very helpful, but they are from almost four years ago, so I'm wondering if there are any new must-visit places or places that were good back in 2003, but best avoided now. When 'googling' Maison Di Fillippo, for example, the search returned several negative comments suggesting it is not as good as it used to be and is best avoided? Is that indeed the case?

We're happy to travel a bit for a good meal, i.e. the restaurant doesn't have to be Breuil-Cervinia - anywhere in Val d'Aosta will do.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Pille

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I've spent a fair amount of time in the Valle D'Aosta. By far the best place we've been to is La Clotze, near Courmayeur (loc. Planpincieux). Great menu, executed very well, excellent wine list and truly wonderful hosts. Have been there four times and outstanding each time.

[Pille]

I've spent a fair amount of time in the Valle D'Aosta. By far the best place we've been to is La Clotze, near Courmayeur (loc. Planpincieux). Great menu, executed very well, excellent wine list and truly wonderful hosts. Have been there four times and outstanding each time.

←

Thank you for the recommendation, fortedei - I will report back after the trip

[Kropotkin]

I might be too late to help on this occasion, but I'll set this out anyway (as it may help others)...

While skiing in Cervinia three years ago I enjoyed a Birthday dinner at Copa Pan. This place came recommended by the tour company reps as the best eating in town. We thought it a perfectly good place - offering a good range of local meats and Valle D'Aosta specialities. I recall a decent-enough wine-list too. While it wasn't as haute as some on here would hope, portions were hearty and although a little pricey for an Italian ristorante at this level, overall it offered reasonable value. It was also a very snug and toasty setting to while (and wine) away the evening.

Otherwise, we didn't find a great deal to get excited about. I didn't have L'Espresso's I Ristoranti d'Italia to help me in those days, but their 2006 guide recommends la Chandelle (in the Hotel Hermitage) and the restaurant of the Hotel les Neiges d'Antan. I can't vouch for these myself, but L'Espresso is complementary (moreso about the former if you had to select just one of these).

One pleasant aspect of Apres-ski in Cervinia was the extensive nibbles laid on by many of the bars to tempt in the late-afternoon and early evening crowd - most included good local cheeses and meats.