Choosing a place to eat in the Langhe is either very difficult or, conversely, very easy. When you go in front of the ice cream counter, do you know you have to choose “only three flavors,” but you would like to taste at least twelve? Here, choosing a restaurant in the Langhe is more or less like that.

The choice is manifold, the quality is diffusely excellent, and the chances of finding something special are highly probable.

So I’ll give you a few pointers, restaurants, and trattorias that I love, but know that the best way is to wander around, stop, and browse.

Are you looking at the plate or admiring the view?

Let’s say we usually use the view to admire the dishes they bring to our table. You’ll even choose between plate and view in specific restaurants in the Langhe!

Here is my particular selection:

• La Ciau del Tornavento in Treiso offers only fine dining and a terrace with a breathtaking view.
• Guido Ristorante in Serralunga d’Alba, Piedmontese cuisine served with a view of the vineyards. You’ll feel like you’re inside a painting.
• Osteria Veglio – Frazione Annunziata in La Morra. After a glance at the Cedar of Lebanon, sit back and admire the elegant hills of Barolo. Traditional Piedmontese cuisine, refined and balanced

On the other hand, if you wanted something more authentic, you could choose a trattoria langarola. However, some trattorias are of a high standard and have prices appropriate to what is on offer.

May I suggest:

• Trattoria La Libera in Alba is one of the best in town. Here, you can enjoy real Langhe cuisine in a cozy setting. The convivial table is also a nice idea.
• Trattoria dai Bercau in Verduno is famous for its homemade dishes and family atmosphere. It has an excellent wine cellar with a good assortment and fair prices.
• Trattoria nelle vigne, Diano d’Alba. Here we have two attractions: a trattoria with excellent dishes and a charming view. Langarola cuisine, relaxed atmosphere

When I talk about restaurants in Langhe, I mean those places where you can feel immersed in this area. Where the dishes, the products, and the wines speak of the most authentic Langhe

• La Terrazza da Renza, Castiglione Falletto: A glass of wine, a cutting board, a first course. It’s a place with an extraordinary view and the possibility to choose without problems a snack or a full meal.
• Osteria da Gemma is the temple of traditional Langhe cuisine. Here, we are faced with an institution with a long waiting list but an assured experience: quality and quantity.
• Trattoria del Bivio. Cerretto Langhe. A few miles from Alba, perhaps escaping a hot summer day, this trattoria offers tradition, hospitality, and a high level of friendliness and kindness.

What are the criteria for defining “the best restaurant in the Langhe“? I would say the quality of the food, the impeccable service, the location, and the details.

• Piazza Duomo, Alba. Three Michelin stars and even the Green Star already pretty much say it all. Attention to detail and extraordinary dishes are assured. The price is commensurate with excellence.
• Locanda I Cannubi In the heart of the Barolo vineyards. Overlooking the vineyards, a little gem with attention to detail. Large terrace, unparalleled views, attentive and intelligent service. Excellent wine list.
• Trattoria della Posta: Monforte d’Alba. Don’t be fooled by the name. This is an excellent and elegant restaurant. It combines tradition and modernity, offers attention and care for the customer, and has a very pleasant environment.

A day out walking in the Langhe, wanting to stop for lunch but without long waits and many courses. It’s not easy, but I would say it’s possible!

• La Piola Alba. This excellent trattoria-restaurant is located in Piazza del Duomo, in the same splendid building as the starred Piazza Duomo. You can enjoy fast service and one or two dishes that are excellently cooked and presented. There is no prohibition on enjoying more than two!
• In Murazzano, the restaurant with a slightly complicated name is Osteria Ra Ca’ ‘D Baruc. In this case, we are in a restaurant with a fixed-price menu. It’s not really fast because you will have a hard time not accepting all the good things they offer!
• Buon Padre Restaurant, Barolo. This historic restaurant has been a dining spot in Barolo for decades. It offers a short menu with lots of tradition, good wine, and fast service. It’s a great idea after a nice walk in Barolo.

The taverns of the Langhe are where you can find the atmosphere recounted in Beppe Fenoglio’s books. There are not many, but there are some that I could call just right!

• The Ostu of Monforte d’Alba. The wooden table with a beautiful checked tablecloth. “Old-time” atmosphere with a glass of wine and friends to comment on the latest fist-ball challenge. Zero-mile fruits and vegetables, lots of smiles, and sturdy dishes. A couple of young people recreated the tradition.
• Trattoria da Lele, Murazzano. Set menu but also a la carte choices. House wine. Excellent cuisine, genuine and tasty. Extensive wine list. Fair and balanced prices. A walk in the upper Langhe and a tasty stop can create a perfect Sunday!

Hello, reader of the Piedmont Guide. I want to tell you a little about the culinary paradise in this corner of Piedmont. Here, I also leave you with some general information that may be useful.

Each village has its traditions and specialties. Each season brings perfumes and flavors you will find in the dishes, and then the unfailingly good wine will do the rest!

The seasons in the restaurants of Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato

• Spring on the plate: When everything wakes up, restaurants show off the light and fresh dishes with garden produce, such as asparagus, to enjoy with fondue. Or tender garden vegetables mixed into Russian salad—excellent first courses accompanied by fresh vegetables and freshly bottled wines with fruity aroma. Imagine the meadow ending up directly on your plate!
• Explosive summer in colors and flavors. Sweet, savory fruit and tasty dishes to enjoy cold, such as the classic Vitello tonnato. Thin, tender, and with a  fantastic tuna sauce for mopping up your plate with bread!!
• Autumn to die for Intense colors and scents of the forest. Truffles (trifle as the locals call them!), mushrooms, and great wines dominate the dishes.
• Winter and long cooking: Braised in Barolo, polenta, great first courses, and unique dishes such as ‘financiers.’

In short, every season has its special dish here in the Langhe, and something delicious is always waiting for you at the table. Please do yourself a favor and come and enjoy it. If you want to learn more about when to go to the Langhe, follow me in this other article. When to go to the Langhe, follow me in this other article.

Food and wine events

At certain institutional moments, the Langhe, Roero, and Monferrato become an all-around food and wine showcase. Earlier, I mentioned the cheese festival in Bra, Cheese, but Vinum in Alba also deserves mention, as does the famous Truffle Fair that I have already mentioned several times. You can look at the page dedicated to events in the Guide you are looking at.

Guided tastings

I have told you about restaurants and trattorias, but surely, if you are passionate about food and wine, you will also appreciate guided wine tastings. The most popular are those offered by wineries, where you will have the chance to meet the producers and understand how much dedication and love is behind a bottle of wine. If you are curious, I have also prepared a wine cellar-tasting guide that might be useful.

If, on the other hand, you would also like to delve into the subject of Food Tours, you may be surprised at how original and engaging this gastronomic offer is that allows you to visit Alba and taste while walking around.

Cooking courses

This opens up an exciting world for food and wine enthusiasts. Do you want to enjoy a few excellent dishes while relaxing with a good glass of wine? Then choose a restaurant in the Langhe, Roero, or Monferrato, and you will undoubtedly be satisfied.

Are you instead curious about some recipes? Do you like to put your hands in the pasta and would like to prepare your lunch, taking home the secrets of how to make it? Please look at this proposal created (and much appreciated) for groups of girls celebrating hen nights, but we have already declined on many other occasions. It is a Piedmontese cooking course with a formula also designed to take advantage of hazelnuts, a typical product of our area.

It’s an excellent way to take home some nice and tasty memories.

Where to eat in the Langhe

Starred restaurants Langhe, excellent awards for the territory

As mentioned, Alba boasts a 3* Michelin rating, obtained and confirmed by Enrico Crippa for the Ristorante Duomo. Also awarded the Green Star for sustainability.

2* Michelin for Antica Corona Reale in Cervere, with Gian Piero Vivalda, and for Rei Natura by Michelangelo Mammoliti in Serralunga d’Alba.

1* Michelin for a fine list of restaurants:

• Locanda del Pilone in Alba, chef Federico Gallo
• Massimo Camia in La Morra
• Borgo Sant’Anna in Monforte d’Alba, chef Pasquale Laera
• FRE in Monforte d’Alba, chef Francesco Marchese
• Guido’s Ristorante at Costigliole in Santo Stefano Belbo, with chef Fabio Sgrò, directed by Ugo Alciati
• Guido Ristorante at Tenute Fontanafredda in Serralunga d’Alba, chef Ugo Alciati
• La Ciau del Tornavento in Treiso, chef Maurilio Garola. This place also has a particular mine as one of my favorite Langhe-view restaurants.

As you may have guessed, it is difficult to answer the question: which would you define as one of the best Langhe restaurants?

Beware of particular dietary regimes.

Piedmontese cuisine is rich and mouth-watering. It does not pay too much attention to calories and restrictive diet talk. But… there is a, but that is increasingly in evidence. More and more people are demanding special attention to food, so I’ll tell you what’s happening in Piedmont’s food and wine itinerary today.

1. Food intolerances and allergies:
   • Clear labeling:  Efforts to improve food labeling to be clear and complete. Food companies are often required to indicate the presence of common allergens, thus facilitating informed consumer choice. Restaurateurs, in turn, must consider these labels to offer food accurately.
   • Allergen-free options:  Many restaurants and food shops now offer allergen-free options or specific menus for those with food intolerances. Food chains often develop dedicated menus for those with special needs. Of course, this must be reported in good time so those preparing can equip themselves appropriately.
2. Ethical choices:
   • Growing offer of vegetarian and vegan options:  The demand for vegetarian and vegan food is growing, and many restaurants and grocery shops now offer an alternative without meat or animal products.
   • Environmental Sustainability: Besides personal ethical choices, there is an increased awareness of the environmental impact of food production. This also leads to the search for sustainable and environmentally friendly food options.
3. Health-specific diets:
   • Increase in specialized diets:  More and more people know that food and health go hand in hand. Dietary regimes that take special situations into account are, therefore, standard. One of them is the need to control gluten for people with coeliac disease. As a result, restaurateurs are increasingly faced with new challenges and demands to make their offerings enjoyable.

In summary, there is a growing awareness and attention to individual dietary needs, ranging from food intolerances to ethical choices and personal preferences for health reasons. This attention is reflected in the food options available on the market and restaurant policies, creating a more inclusive environment for a wide range of dietary regimes.