Piemonte - Osteria Del Vignaiolo, La Morra

This little gem can be found in a tiny village called Santa Maria, which is just 4km outside of La Morra on the way to Alba. It's a burgundy red building on the right and provides seats for about 30-35 guests. Its brick vaulted ceiling and a fire place provide a comfortable atmosphere, and the service is very attentive and friendly. The Osteria Del Vignaiolo is located in one of the best wine regions in Italy and is surrounded by Nebbiolo vines, producing some of the finest Barolo. The young chef is a master of oven roasted meats, but also features a few fish dishes on the menu, such as smoked eel, Loup de Mer and Marlin. Here are some of the highlights we sampled today:

- Insalata tiepida di coniglio, salad of rabbit, perhaps the best starter on the menu, perfectly flavoured, with tender bits of rabbit meat.
- Scallops with artichoke - flash-pan-fried, with great roast aromas, a light and extremely enjoyable dish.
- Tajarin al tartufo bianco, pasta simply served with butter and white truffles thinly sliced for you at the table - a Piemonte classic.
- Stincho di agnello, oven roasted lamb shank, absolutely gorgeous tender meat full of good flavours, top notch!
- Ossobucco de cervo, venison shank, again very tender but a little dry (typical for the very lean venison really).
- Coscia d'anatra con Arneis, duck leg cooked in Arneis, a typical local white wine.
- Tortino caldo di cioccolata, warm chocolate soufflé, of course still liquid inside.
- Tarte Tartin di mele, an apple tarte, served with gelato di fior de latte, lovely milky ice cream.
- Ravioli di cioccolata, chocolate ravioli in a slightly overpowering cherry sauce.

The wine list offers great choices in all price ranges, the puddings are served with a complimentary glass of Moscato d'Asti and with five of us sharing three starters, five Primi, four Secondi, five Dolci, two bottles of white, one bottle of Barolo and some coffees and limoncello, the bill at 370 Euro (including 160 Euro for truffles, fairly priced at 4 Euro per gram) was great value for money. This is surely one of our new favourites and top ranking restaurants in Piemonte.