We have had a lot of requests for a specific list of local restaurants. This is a far from complete list of local restaurants that we have eaten at. We have included resaurants in towns we have made trips to, so maybe describing it as local is overstating it slightly.This list will be updated from time to time and I have mentioned a number of places in relation to specific locations, so check the relevant blog post too.
Generally the standard of food in Umbria is high, and I do not think we have had a disappointing meal in all our time diligently exploring the restaurants. So if we mention a restaurant without commenting specifically, please do not take that as an implicit criticism.
Bear in mind that this list is a compliation of a number of years of visiting local restaurants, so do check before going to them, as inevitably restaurants come and go, especially given the pandemic’s challenges.
Some General points
Watch out for Ferragosto (15th August) if you are eating out. Lunch time gets very busy. Dinner at the Girasoli was no problem but Montone main restaurants were all booked. Assissi was also extremely busy – the main car park was full by 10.30am and there was a service at 11am in the upstairs church.
Food intolerances
Our experience in this area is limited to the occasions when we have had house guests who have suffered. But in general terms we have found the Italians to be very good and responsive to requests over potential allergens. We had a no gluten/diary free guest who did fine in all the restaurants etc that we ate in. Pride of place to Girasole restaurant who came up, unasked, with a different starter for us (free) and were very keen to ensure all our guests had a lovely time.
Montone
Montone is certainly very well stocked for restaurants.
Ristorante Del Verziere in Montone. The address is Via Ospedale 25. Good Restaurant (probably not our favourite but definitely worth trying). As you come into the little main square through the arched gates, the coffee shop is facing you straight ahead. Turn right at the coffee shop and walk two to three minutes down the road (away from where you would park the car) and there is a passage on the left that leads to the restaurant which then go down some steps on the right-hand side. It is well signed. We ate indoors because we managed to arrive on ferragosto and had not booked anywhere. The food was very good. We ate there again in March 2019. Good pizzas and if you can get a seat out on the terrace which it has there are good views. I have never had much luck making a reservation by phone but that is probably just bad luck. We understand it is under new ownership so it may be worth keeping an eye on this. They may even put a functioning website. I can report that my younger son and his girlfriend ate there summer 2022 and had an excellent meal.
L’antica Osteria. We had our first ever meal in Montone here, so we will always think of it fondly. Lunch sitting outside in front of the square is very relaxing but they have a large room at the back with excellent views of the valley. Good food and service
Montone L’Erba Luna – Via San Albertino (closed Tuesday) Situated up at the top of the town near Braccio Fortebraccio’s tower.
Montone Tipico Osteria dei sensi Lovely restaurant for Umbrian food. Highly recommended and probably my favourite of the Montone restaurants. We have eaten here many times and never been disappointed. It is just off the main square. they have a couple of tables outside but there is plenty of atmosphere inside too. Definitely worth a go!
Umbertide
In Umbertide itself
i Fannulloni via Portella della Ginestgra 2
We were introduced to this restaurant on our most recent trip. Metre long pizza for two people, with a choice of any three topings. Excellent pizzas and the pizza bases are light enough not to overwhelm you. We managed our metre without any difficulty at all. I would imagine hungry families would love it here.
Ristorante San Giorgio Via Mancini, 3
A real find for a special meal. This is situated right in the main square of Umbertide, on the left as you enter the square across the bridge. It is slightly tucked away. Wonderful lunch, with really unusual Umbrian food on the menu. I had a duck risotto with cherry for my main course. Really worth seeking this out if you fancy something special.
Locanda Appennino Via dei Grilli If you walk across square and turn right it is a couple of minutes walk on your left. Has an open area at the back, although we have tended to eat inside.
Near Umbertide Ristorante Simone Corsetti ai Girsole. Localita Molino Vitelli. You go down to the turn off for Niccone, and then it is about 5 to 10 minutes’ drive on your left. Be warned it is not very well sign-posted (indeed from memory I think the sign posts may be a slightly different named restaurant – the photo on its website is probably the best way to recognised it!). This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. You can sit inside or outside. Visited this with my mother after the Trasimeno Music Festival. Lovely food as always. The starting salads were enormous so although the bread is very nice – do not have too much! Good on food intolerances.
Near Umbertide Monte Corona Ristorante. This forms part of the Abbazia Di San Salvatore Di Monte Corona. It is an excellent restaurant but note you cannot book online. It is near Umbertide and the Abbey is signed off on the left-hand side as you are going into Umbertide off the E45. We have often missed the sign on the left and if you end up in the centre of Umbertide you need to turn around and drive out at which point the sign is much easier to spot, on the right-hand side as you are retracing your steps. It is only about a five minute drive from the point at which you turn off the road. You follow the road back, which is quite narrow, and then the Abbey is clearly visible on the left-hand side across a field.
The Abbey itself has an old church which is well worth a visit. When we have lunch here we sit outside in the courtyard area with the old walkway around the monks garden. Excellent food and again even better that they spoke Italian to us!
Citta di Castello
Café Lea in via San Florida. Good food but service was slow and limited atmosphere. Brilliantly located on the main square. [This may have closed since we ate there]
Trattoria I cacciatore. Via della Broccina Looks nothing special from the outside but we had a lovely lunch here in August 2019.
L’Accademia hostaria Very near to the catherdral, and down a side street on the left if you are walking towards the cathedral from the main square.
Citta does get busy and so if you are trying to find somewhere for lunch it is worth trying the side streets off the main square. Again, if you are in the main square and are looking towards where the cathedral is, there are roads off the main square on your right and a series of cheaper restaurants there which get less full up. One that did us proud is Trattoria Pizzeria Roma in Via Mario Angeloni, 2 which was happy to feed us when lots of other places were full up, and which was not in the blazing sun but sheltered in the side street. Slightly cheaper than some of the others in Citta too.
Perugia
Perugia El Piatto Forte Restaurant Via Del Forte – We had a good lunch here. Sadly marred by the Italian TV reporting on the news that the Genoa bridge disaster which happened that morning.
Locanda del Bartoccio located in Centre of Perugia we had Lunch May 2019 Light and airy
Osteria Priori – Via Del Priori – 39 Perguia – very good
Further afield
Check out the blog pages but some sugestions if you are visiting
Cortona
Cortona gets very hot and busy, and so we were delighted to find Ristorante Tempero Via Benedetti 10/12 which is a couple of minutes off the main square, and in its own shady outdoor area – with scope to watch people passing by.
Ristorante La Loggetta on via Del Pescheria This is on the terrace overlooking the main square. Prime tourist spot because of the views and location.
Croce del Travaglio Via Dardano 1 Apparently the best pizza ever, according to the person who recommended it to us. It is very good.
Gubbio Ristorante alla balestra, Gubbio Pizzeria Vial Della Republica 41 – good pizza. We ate in the covered outside area at the back – which is spacious.
Chiusi La Solita Zuppa Via Porsenna, 21 Chiusi – our favourite restaurant in the world
Sansepolcro La Balestra Via dei Montefeltro About 30 minutes away, very friendly restaurant Hotel cum restaurant. We had lunch here May 2019
Deruta Taverna del Gusto Good food and welcome rest in the shade. There seem to be limited restuarants in the centre of Deruta so this is our regular choice
Magione Al Sottobosco ristorante Via del Quadrifoglio 12/A 06063 we had a good dinner here before Lake Trasimeno Festival event in Magione