lavender

Considering renting for a week in Spello and doing day trips by bus/train.

We will probably cook in the apartment but would also like to sample local cuisine.

1. Where do you recommend for dinner in Spello? Prefer cheap, cheerful and hopefully authentic!

2. On a daytrip from Spello- eg Perugia, Assisi, Bevagna etc- which town would be the best place to eat dinner, yet be able to return to apartment at night in a safe and timely manner?


( Where I live, Melbourne, Australia ,I would not be catching trains late at night for personal safety reasons- however on a previous trip to Italy we have easily eaten dinner in Bologna at the end of a day excursion , then caught the train back to our apartment in Florence)

iamq

We are staying in Spello for ten nights and using it as a base. We will have a car, however. Not sure Spello would be the best place to base from without a car.

As far as restaurants go, here is a list of what I've been able to compile in Spello so far. We plan to eat dinners and lunches out mostly except for the Infiorata weekend we will be there. We'll stock up with goodies for that one and do our own cooking that weekend.

Il Molino
La Cantina
Enoteca Properzio
Porto Venere Ristorante
On market day there is apparently a truck that serves up good porchetta.

In nearby Foligno we plan to visit
Osteria del Teatro

Hope this helps.

kybourbon

Lunch at Montefalco's L'Alchimista with the local Sagrantino (secco) wine.

macanimals

I'll second kybourbon's suggestion of L'Alchemista. We've had a couple of excellent dinners there over the years and the quality, service and value are terrific. Reservations highly recommended. We even found Arnaldo Caprai's Sagrantino on the wine list!

Re: Infiorata. You are wise not to plan on leaving Spello much that weekend. We attended the celebration last year and it is spectacular and completely consumes the town. I would have loved to see the Fri-Sat preparations and activities all Saturday night. You are in for a treat!

macanimals

Oops! Meant to say we found Paolo Bea's Sagrantino on the L'Alchemista wine list. It has a limited production and almost cult-like status.

iamq

macanimals,

Yay! Thanks for the feedback on the Infiorata. I am really looking forward to it. We arrive in town the Wednesday before,so we can get the lay of the land and do some sightseeing away from Spello.

Hopefully, the nice thing about staying in town is that we will be able to move around Saturday, late Saturday night and early Sunday morning as the creations are finished. I am expecting a mob scene, but it will be a once in a life time experience for us and then we have a whole another week there after as the town returns to normal.

I also cannot wait to try L'Alchemista in Montefalco.

Dayle

Lavender,

You really need a car. Visiting the other towns via bus is not going to be easy. Schedules are rather limited from what I've seen. Rent a car - driving in the countryside is a breeze.

I loved Il Mulino in Spello. Excellent, but fine dining, not cheap. There is a nice little bar up the street with a wonderful back garden and spectacular view. Good gelato.

Have fun both of you, Lavendar and iamq. I'd return to Spello in a heartbeat and stay for several days.

lavender

Thanks for tips.

Dayle, while bus schedules may be not be the easiest, we're not in a rush and don't pretend we can see everything. It will be my 4th trip to Italy and definitely not my last!

We actually enjoy catching local buses that meander around towns and regional trains that travel slowly enough to watch the people hanging their washing out!

Still interested in other places to eat a dinner outside of Spello. L'Alchemista and Il Molino sound great

franco

Lavender, there are no "safety reasons", personal or other, in Umbria. Things like danger and crime don't simply exist there, so it's not worth thinking even one second about safety. What you should think about is Italian dining times (LATE), so what you need to know is when the LAST train runs at night to get you back to your apartment. It's absolutely impossible to violate Italian dining hour rules, by punishment of lousy service and less-than-lovingly prepared food (if you find an open restaurant at all, arriving too early - many good places open at 8.30 pm, not one minute earlier).

By the way, in Montefalco, I don't know L'Alchemista since I will always eat at Coccorone there - long time favourite, quality unchanged for almost two decades now (that's how long I know that place). I'm afraid I'll never be able to try L'Alchemista as long as Coccorone is operating: this is definitely one of the best casual restaurants all over Italy.

iamq

Coccorone added to the ever growing list of must eat at restaurants! Thanks franco.

lavender

Thanks Franco, exactly what I was hoping to hear!!

Thanks for restaurant recommendation too- casual is my favorite!

Brigolante

I love L'Alchimista...I recently reviewed it on my Umbria blog here: http://www.brigolante.com/en/2010/10...ne-co-enoteca/

A couple of other places I like (but haven't gotten around to reviewing yet) are:
Camesena http://www.camesena.it/
Locanda Rovicciano http://www.locandarovicciano.it/home_eng.html
Alla Via del Mezzo (Torre del Colle...no website)

You will need a car to get to any of these places, but they are all worth the trouble. ) (I am a huge proponent of renting a car to properly visit Umbria...http://www.brigolante.com/en/2010/06...rip-to-umbria/)

In Spello, Drinking Wine (yes, the name is unfortunate) is excellent...under new management with lots of very Umbrian ingredients.

I just tried Osteria del Teatro a couple of weeks ago, and was underwhelmed. The antipasto was fabulous, the pasta so-so, the dessert completely forgettable. Your mileage may vary.

Enjoy Umbria! Rebecca

GAC

You'll need to take a taxi back to your apartment in Spello, because there won't be any buses or trains after 8 p.m. It's seven kilometers from Foligno, so expect to pay at least 20 euros.

lavender

Thanks for all replies- I would definitely be checking train and bus timetables in advance so I'm not caught short.

GAC thanks for the warning, trenitalia website shows train leaving after 8 pm from Perugia at least-

Who knows...may eat all dinners in Spello ( including at apartment) and have lovely lunches in other towns!

Appreciate all tips and info

iamq

"Who knows...may eat all dinners in Spello ( including at apartment) and have lovely lunches in other towns!"

FWIW lavender, that is going to be our default modus operandi plan. Dinner in Bevagna during the Mercato would be an exception perhaps. Maybe dinner in Norcia depending on how that day shapes up too.

What apaartment are you staying at in Spello? We are at Casa Spello in the Augustus unit.

macanimals

Having stayed for several weeks near Bevagna and eaten at "home" as well as out--I wouldn't pass up a chance to enjoy the meal offerings in Bevagna during the Mercato del Gaite. If nothing else, it is charming being around the costumed adults and kids and the food is quite good--and communal (great fun). Don't miss the experience!
Re: Norcia. We always enjoy the lentils and local pork products there. It doesn't take much urging to schedule a trip to the Piano Grande and routing ourselves for pranzo in Norcia!

lavender

Staying at Ca'Spadolino

More than we needed for just 2 people- but I couldn't resist the terrace views!

http://www.tuscanyumbria.com/spelloplus.html