Da Fausto

Even Renzo Piano has fallen in love with this place just above Acqui Terme, which marks the maturity of Fausto and Rosella Ivaldi, a couple with the restaurant business in their blood, and their daughter Gaia, a sommelier. The place resembles a relais and the guests who overnight here can make use of a sauna with wood-burning stove. Dinner is served in the beautiful stone rooms, renovated in 2012, or in the outdoor dining area facing onto the park with pool. If there were no people like Fausto in these very beautiful places, there would be no reason to go. This place truly deserves a visit, knowing that passion will also be synonymous with homeliness and hospitality, at times touching.

Diners will be served the historic cuisine of the Salt Roads. For the starters expect the anchovies of the salt roads in all kinds of ways (and fried they will also be an excellent main course). The creamy Russian salad is a must, while the Fassone beef tartare here is served in very thin slices. Grandma’s omelet with fondue paired with red tuna belly on borlotti beans will tug on the heartstrings. On to the first course dishes: in the area of Acqui what elsewhere is known as agnolotti will be .ravioli filled with borage, but also trofie with pesto of Pra’, and there will also be agnolotti del plin and gnocchetti with Castelmagno. From the main course, don’t miss the stewed cod and the baked kid, but also the guinea fowl with potatoes; on other visits we enjoyed the roast beef in salt crust on lamb’s lettuce, the grilled fillet steak. The cheese selection is always accompanied by mostarda (spicy fruit chutney). Watch out for the seasonal products: mushrooms, chestnuts and the truffle reign supreme here. The desserts are both excellent: nougat semifreddo on chocolate fondue and apple millefeuille served with pistachio ice cream. Excellent wine list, partly because when Fausto was in his legendary restaurant of Abasse he had a regular client Giacomo Bologna, who ordered him to “Serve good quality!” A lovely place, which we will be only too happy to go back to. You will read our update.