Eating in a Michelin-starred restaurant is, without doubt, synonymous with quality... and not necessarily one that requires excessive expenditure, as many one-star restaurants offer tasting menus for less than 75€. And, in some cases, lunch menus for around 30€. We have selected over twenty of these that you’ll find across the length and breadth of Italy.
Osteria degli Assonica, Sorisole, Lombardy
Business lunch menu with a choice of two main courses and coffee, served Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays - 25€ (with dessert 30€). For dinner, a choice of two main courses - 70€.
Located in the hills around Bergamo, this elegant restaurant is the fulfilment of the Manzoni brothers’ dream. Here, they offer a choice of à la carte dishes and three menus. The latter includes a business lunch that changes every Monday, and features dishes such as salmon trout with artichokes and a green pepper sauce, and veal cheeks. If you’re not constrained by time, the six-course tasting menu is a delicious ode to the bounty of the land.
Vintage 1997, Turin, Piedmont
Two-course menu plus dessert, served from Monday to Friday - 30€.Umberto Chiodi Latini could be described as a perfect host – someone able to put his guests at ease thanks to his attentive presence, valued advice, and plenty of anecdotes to enhance your meal. Located on Piazza Solferino, one of Turin’s most fascinating squares, Vintage 1997 boasts a welcoming dining room with large windows, through which guests can watch city life continuing outside. Every menu provides a deep dive into the authenticity of the Piedmont region, although the Mediterranean also exerts its influence, adding some sea air to this city surrounded by mountains. At lunchtime, the winning formula includes a choice of two meat, fish and vegetarian options. The restaurant’s signature dishes are also available on the à la carte, such as Piccola Sinestesia of vegetables with a citronnette and honey sauce – a homage to chef Alain Passard – and the shrimp and calamari salad with rocket and lemon zest.
Oasis - Sapori Antichi, Vallesaccarda, Campania
Two-course business lunch (homemade pasta starter, main course, plus a small pastry), served Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays - 30€.This gastronomic restaurant has been run for the past 35 years by the Fischetti family. It opened its doors in 1988, a date that is celebrated on the front page of the wine list, which features an impressive selection of labels from the same year. Today, two woman are at the helm in the kitchen: Michelina Fischetti and her granddaughter Serena Falco, who continue to conjure up dishes in line with family tradition. The ravioli with ricotta, walnuts and pan-fried garlic created by the restaurant’s founder is still listed on the à la carte. The brothers of the family, meanwhile, are in charge of service in the dining room.
Zappatori, Pinerolo, Piedmont
Business lunch including snacks, a choice of two main courses, small pastries, water and coffee, served from Wednesday to Friday - 30€.Tucked away along a narrow street in the historic centre of Pinerolo, Zappatori is a timeless space featuring an interesting play of light and shade that adds to its romantic ambience, enhanced by the small private dining room and winter garden for a more intimate supper. Guests flock here to savour dishes that are all about local tradition, such as the famous vitello served with chilli-peppered caramel. Chef Christian Milone offers two menus, including one market-inspired option entitled “Il Mercato”. It is from the latter that diners can choose two dishes as part of Zappatori’s renowned business lunch. Dishes you’ll find here include hare “almost à la royale”, served with carrots, green leaves and pistachios. Some ingredients are sourced from the chef’s own farm.
Locanda Tamerici, Ameglia, Liguria
Two-course menu, available for lunch from Wednesday to Saturday - 30€. “Menu del mare” - 75€.
This seafront “inn” mainly specialises in local fish and delicacies from around the region. It is situated in the province of La Spezia, an area that has Tuscany as it neighbour but which is firmly rooted in its own traditions. In addition to à la carte options, chef Mauro Ricciardi also offers two menus with a choice of four or seven courses. At lunchtime, these are complemented by a lunch menu with a choice of two mains, ranging from tagliatelle to guinea fowl and the fish of the day. Every menu is a homily to the region’s gastronomy, on which the often-unusual combinations showcase top-quality ingredients.
Gardenia, Caluso, Piedmont
“Classico e Natura” lunch menu served Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays - 40€.
“Gourmet” menu - 45€.
“Tradizione” menu - 35€.
“Orto” menu, available daily midweek - 60€.
Caluso is a culinary reference for aficionados of local cuisine who are keen to discover what the pristine nature of its surrounding mountains has to offer. This 19C property boasts welcoming guestrooms as well as a large vegetable garden, which is a key resource for the cuisine here. Chef Mariangela Susigan is also a foraging expert who has a deep connection with the Canavese, the land of her birth. Her lunchtime options are particularly interesting and include a 30€ menu on which you can savour guinea fowl ravioli with a Marsala glaze and Jerusalem artichoke, or Carnaroli risotto with Cervere leeks.
Osteria del Viandante, Rubiera, Emilia-Romagna
Three-course business lunch (including dessert), served from Monday to Friday - 50€.
You’ll find this osteria flying the flag for the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna within the old walls of the Rubiera military fort. Here, chef Jacopo Malpeli expresses his love for his region by showcasing local culinary tradition, while at the same time bringing it up to date with a light, aesthetic touch. Three menus are available here, enabling guests to sample dishes ranging from eel with caviar, orzotto with cep mushrooms, and eggs with truffle. The lunch menu takes its inspiration from the à la carte, with options ranging from charcuterie from the region to snails with herbs.
Trattoria da Amerigo, Savigno, Emilia-Romagna
Four-course tasting menu - 50€. Five-course seasonal tasting menu - 67€.
Located just a few metres from the village square in Savigno, the Trattoria da Amerigo is a favourite haunt for fans of local cuisine, including game and the precious white truffle in season. Access to the restaurant is via the boutique, which champions traditional ingredients from the hills around Bologna, and takes you back in time to grocery stores of old. The first tasting menu features typical Italian trattoria dishes, while the second is dedicated to seasonal flavours. On the à la carte, every dish is accompanied by the year in which it was first created. As an example, 1988 saw the introduction of rabbit with traditional Modena balsamic vinegar, served with mashed potatoes and a rustic salad.
Al Metrò, San Salvo Marina, Abruzzo
“Piccolo Menu” business lunch, including a choice of three main courses, served lunchtimes from Tuesday to Friday - 60€.
The Fossaceca brothers run this restaurant with a masterly touch, showcasing the best fish from the Adriatic as well as typical ingredients from the Abruzzo such as garlic from Sulmona and saffron from L'Aquila. An interesting “Piccolo Menu” at lunchtime enables guests to create their own three-course tasting menu, including dishes such as mackerel alla marinara, rice with clams, and amberjack with green apple carpaccio.
Mater1apr1ma, Pontinia, Lazio
3-course “preface” chosen by the chef - 60€.
Contemporary is the word we would use to best describe this osteria in Pontinique, in the province of Latina. The space is modern and welcoming with wood tables and an open kitchen, in which the ambition of chef Fabio Verrelli D'Amico is to cook with ingredients sourced from local artisans. Local farms provide his meat (buffalo meat, lamb and rabbit), as well as fish – but never less than 1.5kg in weight to ensure that the catch and consumption are sustainable. His three tasting menus are created from these ingredients. The “preface” features three main courses that change very regularly, and includes both fish and meat, with wine pairings suggested by sommelier Sara Checchelani. The wine list boasts no fewer than 350 labels, including a good selection from the Lazio region.
Il Tiglio, Montemonaco, Marche
Single 7-course menu chosen by the chef - 60€.
Chef Enrico Mazzaroni’s cuisine is deeply rooted in the region around the Sibillini mountains. Based on the concept of an agriturismo, Il Tiglio produces 60% of the ingredients it uses on its menus. Its dishes are strictly seasonal and make full use of fruits, flowers and aromatic herbs, not forgetting typical local vegetables from the region such as the famous Sibillini potatoes. The single tasting menu comprises seven dishes, part of which are taken from the à la carte, and is a culinary journey through woods, rivers and the sea – this menu can also be adapted to vegetarian guests. Dishes worthy of particularly mention include the wild boar ravioli, Carla Latini fusilli with plums, walnut extract, curdled milk and fish roe.
Crocifisso, Noto, Sicily
Vegetarian tasting menu available daily for lunch and dinner - 60€.
Having grown up in Germany, chef Marco Baglier returned to the Baroque town of Noto to take over his parents’ family trattoria which opened in 1985 and which he has now transformed into a modern, minimalist eatery with a warm and intimate ambience. In addition to his à la carte options, he also offers three menus, one of which is vegetarian. All these pay homage to Sicily, as demonstrated by dishes such as the cannoli with ricotta served with pistachio ice-cream and a prickly pear soup.
Il Papavero, Eboli, Campania
5-course tasting menu available daily for lunch and dinner - 60€.
On the first floor of an elegant building in the historic centre of Eboli, Maurizio Somma has opened Papavero, which has become a gastronomic standard-bearer for the region. In the kitchen, chef Fabio Pesticcio is assisted by pastry chef Benedetta Somma, the owner’s daughter. The result of this collaboration is local cuisine that has been brought up to date yet which remains inspired by tradition. The tasting menu, available with five or seven courses, offers an opportunity to savour dishes such as Tortelli alla Genovese with tuna, and cod with aromatic herbs and “scapece” – a vinegar-based marinade typical of the Campania region.
Lanterna Verde, Villa di Chiavenna, Lombardy
Trout-inspired menu, available daily for lunch and dinner - 65€.
Chef Roberto Tonola represents the third generation at the helm of the Lanterna Verde. For over 40 years, the Tonola family has been serving traditional and more contemporary dishes with a particular fondness for freshwater fish. Among the four menus available, one is dedicated to river and lake fish, and trout in particular, which has always been something of an emblem for this restaurant. However, you’ll also find dishes based around flour made with sweet chestnuts from the family’s chestnut grove, as well as mountain herbs, milk, cheese, egg, meat and sausages from farms around the region.
Maeba Restaurant, Ariano Irpino, Campania
4-course menu available daily for lunch and dinner - 65€.
Maeba occupies a late-18C olive oil mill, where chef Marco Caputi’s cuisine focuses on the essentials without overstimulating the eyes or the palate. His cooking is influenced by his childhood spent in Lapio and his different experiences across Italy. On a choice of three tasting menus (four, six and 9 courses), you’ll find dishes such as lamb served with artichokes and egg yolk, and amberjack accompanied in season by strawberries and wild garlic.
La Coldana, Lodi, Lombardy
Tasting menu with a choice of 5 courses - 70€.
La Coldana occupies an 18C farm in Lodi, with an interior that features five rooms and around 30 seats for guests, where service comes courtesy of two attentive hosts, Alessandro Ferrandi and Fabrizio Ferrari. The cuisine here is based around three tastings menus with five, seven and nine courses, respectively. Main courses include suckling pig “served in 3 portions”, and fillet of venison with mushrooms, Pecorino Romano, chicory and a juniper berry jus.
Vite, Lancenigo, Veneto
5-course vegetarian menu, only available by prior booking at least 24 hours in advance - 70€.This vegetarian menu (available by prior booking) is the brainchild of chef Simone Selva. The vegetables used are sourced from a garden located just a few kilometres from the restaurant, while other ingredients are purchased on the day and are brought to the table as part of the tasting menu, which includes five savoury courses and one sweet. These include a “fake tartare” accompanied by shredded soybean that revisits the concept of shredded pork, which is then mixed with a fake egg yolk seasoned with oil, salt, pepper and capers. For dessert, a safe bet is the “tierra de otoño”, a chestnut and white chocolate mousse served with a sweet potato mousse, a strawberry-grape sorbet and a bay granita.
Trattoria al Cacciatore - La Subida, Cormons, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Two 5-course menus available daily for lunch and dinner - 75€.The Sirk family runs this tiny corner of paradise located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region close to the Slovenian border. The visionary founder of La Subida (which is synonymous with gastronomic excellence, warm hospitality and relaxation) is Josko Sirk, a vinegar producer. For several years, chef Alessandro Gavagna has been at the helm in the kitchen of the Trattoria al Cacciatore, which is without question a gastronomic reference in the region, and which showcases the culinary bounty of the Collio region. In the opinion of our Michelin inspectors, the shin of veal roasted in a bread oven then attractively presented and carved in the dining room is worthy of special mention.
Paca, Prato, Tuscany
6-course “Short Journey” menu available for lunch and dinner - 75€.Chef Niccolò Palumbo, his associate, pastry chef Gabriele Palumbo, and maître d’ Lorenzo Catucci run this restaurant which champions local cuisine. The “Short Journey” is a 6-course “al buio” (literally “in the dark”) tasting menu, featuring two starters, two primi, one main course and one dessert, on which you’ll find dishes such as passatelli pasta with scallops, mussels, saffron, and smoked Scamorza cheese, as well as duck risotto with winter melon and mustard. Paca’s iconic desserts include popcorn with peanuts, caramel and yoghurt.
Arnaldo, Rubiera, Emilia-Romagna
“Arnaldo” tasting menu, including a boiled and roast meat trolley, available daily - 75€.The Emilian cuisine served at Arnaldo is as authentic and traditional as you’ll find anywhere, which is hardly surprising given that the restaurant is part of Italy’s gastronomic history as the first restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star, way back in 1959! Don’t be surprised, therefore, if the cuisine on offer here celebrates its culinary past on trolleys teeming with starters, desserts and meat dishes, the latter the restaurant’s true proud and joy. The boiled and roasted meat trolley is the main constituent of one of the menus here, featuring superb slow-cooked cuts of beef and pork served with mashed potatoes and traditional “mostarde” (a type of chutney) and sauces.
Ada, Perugia, Umbria
5-course “Percepire” menu - 75€.
Il Patio, Pollone, Piedmont
5 course “Percorsi” menu and pre-dessert, available daily for lunch and dinner - 75€.
This restaurant in the Piedmont region of Italy is the fiefdom of owner-chef Sergio Vineis and his son Simone. Il Patio occupies former stables and boasts a delightful, shaded terrace where guests can dine alfresco with a view of the garden. On the menu, you’ll find dishes such as trout marinated in spruce extract, and served with caramelised pomegranate and walnuts, as well as Piedmont sirloin steak served with a mustard and honey sauce and celeriac. The white chocolate “cagliata” dessert with pollen and bergamot ice-cream is worthy of a special mention!
Abocar Due Cucine, Rimini, Emilia-Romagna
Two menus available daily - 70€.
Image d'illustration : Stefano Borghesi / Osteria degli Assonica
