LOCANDA DEL SANT’UFFIZIO

Please note: you are in a magnificent place that has shaped the history of Piedmontese dining. The location is a former 17th-century convent in the Monferrato hills. The renovation has preserved the sumptuousness of the spaces, divided primarily into three elegant and bright rooms, particularly the glass-enclosed veranda that also welcomes convention guests. Chef Danilo Bortolin (30) is supported by a young and attentive staff.
The à la carte menu, after a welcome entrée, offers a selection of classic Piedmontese mixed appetizers for €18, or (€15) Fassona beef with oil and salt, egg and hazelnut cream, goose foie gras escalope with fruit and brioche bread, or seared octopus with herbs and bread sauce. Well-crafted first courses (€15) include agnolotti del plin with three roasts, mountain butter, and thyme, alongside tajarin with porcini mushrooms and Castelmagno cheese, Alta Langa potato gnocchi with sausage sauce, rice- and guinea-fowl-filled ravioli served in their broth, and creamed Carnaroli rice with pumpkin, perch, and crispy sage. The second courses (€19) are also excellent: beef cheek braised in Barbera with a potato-olive oil mousse, pan-fried chicken thighs with Taggiasca olives and roasted peppers, honey-glazed pork belly with sweet-and-sour shallots, and steamed cod fillet with leek and saffron coulis. You'll end your meal with a selection of desserts from Sant'Uffizio (€7), including a soft hazelnut tiramisu, a cup of Mont Blanc, a crispy puff pastry with orange figs and zabaglione sauce, a light dark chocolate mousse with honeyed pears and a Barolo Chinato reduction, or a selection of homemade ice creams. A traditional menu is available for €48.