Italia Restaurant, Montalto Pavese (Oltrepò)

Ristorante Italia Montalto Pavese is a historic restaurant located in the centre of Montalto Pavese, a small hilltop village also known as “the queen of Oltrepò Pavese”. This pearl this town, located 380 metres above sea level, is certainly the castle, which dates to the late sixteenth century, when it was built at the behest of the Belcredi, a wealthy family who ruled the town at the time. At the beginning of the twentieth century it was purchased by the Balduinos, who renovated it in an eighteenth-century style. Built in stone and exposed brick, with a regular plan and considerable size, the castle is equipped with four squat and square towers. There are two gardens surrounding the building: one in the Italian style and one in the English style.

Established in the first half of the twentieth century, the restaurant has been run for 38 years by family members Anna, Chiara, Daniele, Davide and Alessandro. The kitchen, led by chef Daniele Dellabianca, offers typical and traditional dishes, after all, the restaurant’s motto is “Cooking as it once was”. The flagships of Ristorante Italia Montalto Pavese are the cured meats of its own production. Salami, coppa, pancetta, lard and cotechini are produced by Davide Dellabianca. The fundamental phase to make cured meats that truly stand out from the competition is that of seasoning, which takes place in historic underground rooms suitable for the delicate process, which can last several months.

Other very famous and sought-after dishes of the Ristorante Italia Montalto Pavese are the braised-steak ravioli, which have been produced since 1983 with a secret recipe that has been handed down for generations, the saffron and porcini risotto of Monte Penice, the pisarei (a recipe from Piacenza made with skill by Anna), baked guinea fowl (a delicate dish almost impossible to find elsewhere), mixed boiled meats accompanied by a homemade green sauce; all the desserts are homemade and the latest news is the coffee that is roasted by the new artisan family roaster and is sold under the Caffè dello Zar brand. The house wines are also produced by the family business and are of excellent quality. The wine list features over 60 100% Oltrepò Pavese drops, proudly and carefully selected by the owner Alessandro Giribaldi, including various producers awarded with the prestigious 3 Gambero Rosso glasses.

Ristorante Italia Montalto Pavese focuses very strongly on local wines, excellent products that thoroughly deserve to be made known to guests from other areas, to create awareness and interest in the quality that only the Oltrepò Pavese is able to achieve. The restaurant can accommodate up to 220 people: in the large internal hall with panoramic windows there are about one hundred seats available, while in the spring and summer season lunch can be enjoyed in the fantastic outdoor area, amid the greenery and shade of magnificent horse chestnuts. The outdoor area has 120 seats and a panoramic space from which you can admire the beautiful valleys, up to the plains and on clear days even the snowy Alpine peaks.