Osteria del Vicoletto

The master of Traditional Piemonte cuisine

Veal tartare with Alba white truffle

Osteria del Vicoletto is a classy traditional Piemonte restaurant located in the heart of Alba. No creativity and no cutting-edge cooking techniques. It is a small place that houses around 25 guests. it serves classic Piemonte cuisine with a stunning wine list largely dominated by wines from the local region. Osteria del Vicoletto pride itself on using the finest local ingredients, with simplicity in its cooking, nothing fancy. Truffle seasons mean I opted for a lot of truffle dishes which really pushed up the cost, but since I was on holiday, I went all in.

Sliced veal with tuna sauce

Tajarin with butter and Alba white truffle

Pumpkin ravioli with black truffle

Agnolotti stuffed with veal, topped with black truffle

Beef tartar is one of the most common dishes in Piemonte, with the use of olive oil to act as seasoning. The addition of white truffle gave the dish a mushroom taste and I never knew truffle could work with raw meat, it was really interesting. The classic tajarin, made with plenty of egg yolk was one of those dishes that sounds so simple yet tasted so wonderful. Cooked with plenty of butter with some salt, before topping with white truffle. It was creamy, and smooth with such a mouthwatering umami aroma thanks to the truffle. Veal cheek slow-cooked in Barolo wine was outstanding too, the meat was super tender, and absorbed all the boldness and richness of the red wine. It was the perfect winter comfort dish.

Veal cheek slow-cooked in Barolo wine

Braised veal with vegetables

Egg with Alba white truffle

Pana cotta

As far as traditional Piemonte cuisine, I found Osteria del Vicoletto right at the very top. The food was easy to understand, every dish just contained a few elements but all combined so well together to have something truly exciting. I dined on a Friday night and the restaurant was super packed so the service was a little slow with only one manager and waiter on the floor, but it was well worth the wait. 

Food 4/5


What I paid: 
£95 pp with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£45

Via Bertero, 6, 12051 Alba CN, Italy

http://www.osteriadelvicoletto.com/