Locanda del Carmine, Pavia

The Locanda del Carmine is situated in Pavia’s old town, the ancient capital of the Longobards, where fascinating stories of kings and warriors, intrigues, struggles and conquests lie around every corner. The building which today hosts the Locanda, looking out over Piazza del Carmine, is where the Church of the Holy Trinity once stood, more than 1000 years ago. During renovation work, architectural features from this ancient sacred site such as columns and small niches came to light, and have been preserved and valued: today they are distinctive details of the main dining hall, just like the cuisine offered to the guests, which speaks of history and modernity at the same time.

Indeed, the Locanda del Carmine crew, the two young chefs Alex Agnelli and Giulio Mazzeo, have created a cuisine based on the union of tradition and innovation: the typical ingredients and dishes of Pavian cuisine are reinterpreted in a modern way, exalting their unique qualities, making use of the most up-to-date technology and latest cooking techniques to use traditional flavours to create brand new dishes.

A warm and familiar greeting awaits guests at the Locanda: Lorella, Raffaele, Livio e Daniela know how to welcome their guests with ease and the best of manners, to transform a meal into an experience capable of satisfying all of the senses. The spacious dehors, suitable to both the warm and cool times of year, affords guests the priceless pleasure of looking out over one of Pavia’s most beautiful piazzas, while savouring high class cuisine. As the sun sets, the majestic Basilica del Carmine casts dozens of evocative hues over the whole piazza.

The dishes are accompanied by a rich selection of Italian and international wine labels, chosen by Lorella Soldati, a certified sommelier and wine taster. Particular care and attention is given to Oltrepò vintages, which enjoy a great deal of space on the Locanda’s wine list; while selections of wines from Italy and all over the world, together with suggested food matchings, are far from absent.
For some years now the Locanda has been featured on the certified guide of the AIC (Italian Celiac Association), and is a point of reference for customers with gluten intolerance, who know they can find here products that are not only safe, but fresh and of the highest quality, like the bread and pasta hand-crafted with naturally gluten-free flours.