An ambrosial truffle and wine experience: Osteria La Cantinella (23. October 2020)

What you experience at the Osteria La Cantinella is ambrosial to your taste buds. The deliciousness of the dishes and the generosity and friendliness of the restaurant owners is just out of this world. As it was during truffle season, of course one wanted to have an overload of truffle. So the “veal tatar with fresh white Alba Truffle sliced on it” (EUR 37.00) was the first course and that was nice. The combination of the veal tatar which was perfect in taste with the fresh white Alba truffle and the olive oil really made a good starter.

Of course, it was time for some more truffle and where would it fit better than on “home-made tajarin with butter and fresh white Alba truffle sliced on it” (EUR 40.00). Now, the pasta itself looked good but somehow ‘boring’ when it was served like that.

But, there was the truffle. And plenty of it. I always wondered who had the idea to first slice it over food. I mean, it doesn’t exactly look pretty.

But once you get those truffle slices on your tajarin, you understand why it is such an ambrosial experience. And I’m not only talking about the intensity and flavor of the truffle itself but in combination with the perfectly cooked (al-dente) tajarin and the generously applied butter, this was just heaven.

Although it probably would have been enough, we decided to have some more of it and went for the “home-made potato gnocchi with cheese and fresh white Alba truffle sliced on it” (EUR 40.00) …

… which was again, lovely, pure joy to the eyes, but more importantly to your palate. The moment you would take a bite of these creamy gnocchi with the truffle, it was heaven. Admittedly, to me, the gnocchi weren’t playing in the same league as the tajarin but not much behind.

An absolute highlight was the “fried egg, parmesan and fresh white Alba truffle sliced on it “(EUR 37.00). Once you mix the egg yolk with the rest and the truffle, it becomes an intense and amazing flavor you would just want to keep enjoying for hours.

Of course, after some time it really feels like you’re overdosing from truffle – but luckily, you’re not. I mean, the dishes are exquisite and absolutely mouth-watering in their simplicity. And adding some of that ‘fancy truffle’ on top just finishes the dishes perfectly!

Luckily, they also have a nice selection of “formaggio” which was a perfect cycle of aging cheese. Just a pity there was no truffle here.

The place is absolutely lovely, a typical, simple Osteria. But what really makes the difference is the friendliness and quality of the service. They are so nice, so helpful, so caring that it is pure joy to come here.

And on top of that, they offer a couple of real gems when it comes to wines. The “Barolo Paolo Scavino, 2005, Bric del Fiasc” is something you get in a winery for about EUR 120.00+ a bottle – but here, we got it for EUR 92.00 and it was an explosion in terms of flavor and intensity. And not much behind was the “Barolo Michele Chiarlo, 2007, Cannubi” which was offered for EUR 110.00. Frankly, the idea was to eat something small and then walk a bit through the town – well, it turned out different, but it was absolutely worth it! If you are in the area, you should absolutely come to the La Cantinella and, more importantly, you should book in advance as else you won’t stand a chance to get a table!

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Contact Details:

Osteria La Cantinella

Piazza Giulia/Piazza Colbert

Via Acqua Gelata 4/a

12060 Barolo (I)

Tel.: +39 01 73 56 267

E-Mail: osteriacantinella@tin.it

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.