What are the best restaurants in Franciacorta? The best restaurants in Franciacorta are:Trattoria Del Gallo, Ristorante Dina, Dispensa Pani E Vini, Rosa Iseo, Cadebasi, Al Maló, Radicí, Villa Calini, Antica Trattoria Del Gallo, Ristorante Da Nadia.
By Sofia Landoni
A triangle of land and vineyards embraced by an amphitheatre of Morainic hills, overseen by the lake and glimpsed out of the corner of the eye from the Val Camonica hills: Franciacorta needs little introduction as its name has attained an all-round identity, encompassing tourism, culture and food and wine.
And if its wines have gained worldwide fame and wide appeal, its food is equally so, rich as it is in excellence in so many ways.
The warmest restaurant in Franciacorta. Here Giuliano is a true host, a sensational landlord who welcomes guests with skill and a smile. At the Trattoria del Gallo in Rovato one appreciates the authenticity of traditional cuisine, with homage to the well-known Manzo all'olio di Rovato and culinary masterpieces based on the chef's familiarity with the historic local recipes.
The wine list resembles a library, where Giuliano himself helps guests to find their way around it. Cuisine is of the territory, even more than of the land.
Dina is the realm of Alberto Gipponi, an extrovert, creative, and absolutely brilliant chef. It is a place concealed behind a main door, without too many signs, nestled in a small space with a soft atmosphere. Dining at Dina's is not just 'eating', but a real experience, a pyrotechnic journey into the world of taste.
Alberto’s menu is made up of extreme contrasts and millimetric harmonies. His cuisine may not be for everyone, certainly, but is perfect for all those curious people who still seek discovery and wonder within a dish, without fear of risk.
Restaurant and pantry: the opportunity to lunch or dine and purchase typical local products characterises this restaurant in Torbiato.
Chef Daniele Provezza's hand is a subtle and delicate one, capable of transforming any dish that comes out of his kitchen into tasteful elegance, even a plate of vegetables, each prepared using different techniques and offered up to the palate enhanced with new textures and flavours. Attention to detail and precision is paid to every dish, which is always composed of simple but well-defined and balanced flavours.
We are in Iseo, a stone's throw from the lake shore, yet here we do not celebrate fish from the lake, but rather fish from the sea. There are the freshest ingredients, dishes free of excess and an enviable familiarity with seafood cuisine.
Chef Fausto Peci's Apulian origins are evident in his dishes, such as the not-to-be-missed potato gnocchi with raw marinated red prawns and crustacean cream. Another gem of the restaurant is the service, a perfect mix of informality and precision.
An original, young restaurant - young in ideas and in the human element. Cadebasi is the brainchild of two young men, Giuseppe Pasini and Alessandro Baccanelli, with a passion for food and wine and originality. The dishes are masterfully executed, with that creative touch that makes each one a fine novelty.
The distinctive element, however, is the format: the menu offers not only standard dishes but also the now well-known 'buffetti', grouped in a special menu. Inspired by the concept of "cicchetti veneti", buffetti allow the diner to taste various different courses, thanks to the smaller portions in comparison with the classic dishes. This is a nice and extremely useful revolution, capable of offering the diner a real and novel journey.
Again, the idea comes from the young. There are three members of the Al Malò restaurant, whose name derives from the initials of the trio, and each of them has put their talents at the service of the project. Set in a prestigious historical context, overlooking the square in Rovato, Al Malò is an extremely elegant place in its location, its dishes and the mixology on offer on the ground floor.
The restaurant, on the first floor, is adorned with beautiful tapestries, minimalist mise en place and elegant service. Finally, the menu: There is no subdivision of the dishes in the established order (starters, first courses, main courses), but rather a subdivision by ingredient (pasta, rice, vegetables, meat...). The dishes are the result of the creative vision with which chef Mauro Zacchetti assembles the raw materials, which range from sea to land.
► https://www.instagram.com/al_malo_cucinaemiscelazione/?hl=it
What can one expect from the encounter between a Brescian chef and a Sicilian pastry chef? Radicì is the answer to this question. It is tucked away in a narrow street in the historic centre of Iseo, ready to offer its charming tables, the highest level of service and a cuisine that is absolutely on a par.
Sea, lake, land, vegetables - there is no limitation in the choice of raw materials, since the common thread running through the menu is not the ingredients but the precision in working them, to give the most intense taste of tomato or of game, aromatic herbs or spices. And, of course, the deliciousness of the desserts is a real strength of the restaurant.
The entrance to Villa Calini is striking. This luxurious villa, perfect as a location for weddings and events, displays an aesthetic beauty of structure and furnishings that is also found in the interior.
The agricultural compendium to all this splendour is provided by the vegetable garden adjacent to the villa, with which chef Alessandro prepares exceptional vegetable dishes, complemented by fish or meat delicacies. An example of this skill is his interpretation of minestrone which is perfect in flavour and texture.
Similar to the name of the restaurant in Rovato, this restaurant nevertheless has a completely independent history. It is a very historic trattoria on Lake Iseo, the undisputed realm of lake cuisine.
The two owners, Giulio and Abele, are true authorities on lake fish processing. And it is here, in fact, within these walls that smack of antiquity, decorated with black and white memories printed on photographic paper and hung on the walls, that you can enjoy a trout fished from the lake a few hours earlier, seasoned just with oil and salt and accompanied by a homemade mayonnaise, in the (perfect) manner of Abele and Giulio.
Nadia is a long-standing restaurateur. If there were medals of valour awarded for skill, stubbornness and the courage to put oneself on the line, Nadia would certainly have collected a number of them. Romagnola by origin, she brings with her the maritime freshness of her tradition, together with that unmistakable accent. Her cuisine celebrates cheeses and does not disdain meat, but it is the seafood here that is king of the menu.
Her famous Zuppa di pesce served in crock pots brings back flavours which were thought to have been lost in time. Not least, at Ristorante Da Nadia, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Lake Iseo. This is a place that enchants, both for its cuisine and its scenery.
► https://www.ristorantedanadia.com/
You might be interested in:
A tight-knit team with a dream: to create a virtual meeting place between chefs, journalists and producers with Italian food and wine lovers around the world. Mamablip is a technological neighborhood cafe where a simple and intuitive language is spoken. It allows anyone to get in touch with the places of production and their interpreters and live real experiences made of scents, flavors and desire to learn. Mamablip brings producers, produce, chefs and experts directly to your home, offering authentic content that enhances sustainability and respect for the planet.