Winning tip: L’Osteria del Garò, Levizzano, Emilia-Romagna
If you live in Modena, as we once did, you are never short of fantastic places to eat. Which just shows how special L’Osteria del Garò is, given that it is a 45-minute drive and we made the trip regularly. Start with a luscious pasta course such as gramigna alla salsiccia, or tortelloni burro e salvia, followed by mouthwatering meats cooked alla brace (over hot coals) and served with rosemary roast potatoes; or try the local speciality gnocco e tigelle. A bottle of cold Lambrusco from the vines outside cuts through the richness. It’s superb local produce cooked really well, and served in simple surroundings in a handsome hill village. Perfetto.
• Via Cavedoni 54, Levizzano, near Castelvetro di Modena, on Facebook
marthah
La Perla Del Tirreno, Scalea, Calabria
We discovered this little gem when we recently visited Calabria. It’s perfectly located right on the beach, with breathtaking views of the sea. Step off the decking and you are on the sandy beach! They serve many fresh pasta dishes and the fish is all locally sourced. We were made to feel at home from the second we got there, and by the end of the meal we felt like one of their family! Definitely a place we will visit again.
• Corso Mediterraneo, on Facebook
ID5821104
Osteria Sant’ Anna, Cisternino, Puglia
I know you asked for trattorias, but I hope I get away with this osteria, because it is a real gem. Sitting next to Cisternino station it doesn’t look much from the outside, but this restored winery has oodles of charm on the inside, and there is a beautiful garden. The food is local, fresh and beautifully presented, and everything we had was excellent. And at the end of the meal the friendly staff leave you with a tray of homemade herb and nut liqueurs, and, of course, limoncello. We made sure to eat there twice during our week’s stay.
• Viale Stazione 12, osteriasantanna.it
Binski2015
Trattoria Il Barrino, Calci, near Pisa, Tuscany
This is a really genuine, family-run place to eat. Friendly waiting staff – no English spoken but, hey, brush up your basic Italian and you’re good to go. Fresh ingredients and the best pizzas we have ever tasted. Excellent value, and some great live music when we were there on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Via F Ruschi 6, on Facebook
Hilary Greenleaf
Vecchia Osteria Monte Rosa, Jerago, Lombardy
This place in the hilltop village of Jerago offers diners fabulous food and a view of the twin peaks of Monte Rosa in the Alps. The lavish servings of spaghetti with clams in white wine sauce go down a treat in the peaceful, shady garden. Crisp house white is served in terracotta jugs, there’s weekend jazz by local artists, and lunch specials from €10 for two courses with wine.
• Via Indipendenza 34, vecchiaosteriamonterosa.it
foxthecox
La Pergola d’oro, Tagliacozzo, Abruzzo
I have had so many great meals at La Pergola d’Oro in Tagliacozzo. For decades it was run by Anastasia and Fausto, who prepared classic Abruzzese mountain food and made you feel completely at home. Now they have handed it over to a younger team. It is not easy to find, so is all the more pleasing when you stumble upon it. On cold days you can sit by the stove. But in fine weather you actually sit outside under the pergola, and after the first glass of wine you might just find yourself transported into a world that you only thought existed in the pages of an Elizabeth David book.
• Via Transimele 26, +39 086 36558
ID8459116
Alla Casasola, Maniago, Friuli
Among the Dolomite foothills north of Pordenone sits a beautiful little place called Maniago, and Trattoria alla Casasola. Family-run and wonderfully rustic, it does open fire-roasted lamb chops and succulent steaks. Large platters of local cured meats lay beside the squidgiest cheeses and, of course, plenty of bread and olive oil.
• Via Piave 57, +39 042 754 0228
Liza Campy
La Casa del Prosciutto, Vicchio, Tuscany
This is a cosy, family-run trattoria on the banks of the Arno river, in a valley north of Florence. Open just for lunch, it’s a real locals’ hangout. The menu is written in chalk on a blackboard outside, and owner Maurizio cracks jokes in dialect while serving rural dishes rarely found elsewhere. For just €10, including a glass of chianti, enjoy hand-rolled tortellini, wild boar with wild spinach, stuffed rabbit with local white Tuscan beans or grilled pigeon and mushrooms. Eat at communal tables inside, or at the long, wooden benches next to the river.
• Via del Ponte 1, +39 055 844 031
TheCapeCruiser
Ristorante del Ponte, Scheggino, Umbria
This is a fantastic restaurant with simple rooms. The lady in charge of the kitchen works on impressive but unaffected food with local ingredients. She does the best trout recipes I have ever eaten and the best antipasti selection. There is a truffle menu for those who like them (not me), and a serious local wine list. It’s not expensive: say, €40 for three courses without wine.
• Via di Borgo 15, +39 074 361 253
lornawatson290659
Trattoria Vulcano di Savoldelli, Castro, Lakes
Three olive trees spring from the cobblestones of tiny Castro, hiding the white-painted tables and seats of the village’s only trattoria. We discovered it by chance, zooming in and out of Google Maps until we found this old Roman fort town, suitably off the beaten track. Diners settle right on the edge of Lake Iseo, an S-bend of beautiful mountain water between Garda and Como. The food? Expect crispy, Roman-style pizzas with milky buffalo mozzarella, seafood risottos bursting with mussels and squid, forest mushroom rice and oodles of prosecco to boot.
• Piazza del Porto 18, +39 035 983 434
Bolkonsky
