La Villa Hotel and Restaurant

Asti – Our friend found this lovely small boutique hotel in a former 17th century villa on top of a hill in Piemonte that allows you a spectacular view.

It offers a cosy lounge with a fire place for colder days as well as a beautiful pool and outside terrace for sunny lunches and dinners under the stars.

One funny thing to mention though…..you have to pay for your food with cash…the English landlord Chris Norton will explain to you 🙂

http://www.lavillahotel.net/

 

Ristorante Donatella – Versace style in food!

Oviglio/Asti – This November we went for a long weekend to Piemonte in Italy to enjoy the truffle season. We found out that the season was exceptionally good and prices for the truffles therefore not as high as previous years.

Donatella gives the truffle a pride of place on the menu in this special season of the year. The dishes are selected to give the “Tartufo”-scent priority what also delighted our taste buds.

http://www.ristorantedonatella.it/

 

 

 

Truffle Market Alba

Alba – On our weekend trip we visited the truffle market in Alba. The scent was almost making us high and we could not resist to have some pasta with fresh truffle….fantastic!

http://www.fieradeltartufo.org/2014/it/evento/mercato-mondiale/74-mercato-mondiale-del-tartufo-bianco-d-alba-albaqualit

 

 

 

 

Clos Malverne – A light lunch? Not really…

Stellenbosch – We thought about a light lunch in the vineyards of Stellenbosch and made a reservation in the Clos Malverne. Soon we found out that this menu would be minimum a 4 course style and wine pairing one….we enjoyed not only the food and wine but also the spectacular view.

http://www.closmalverne.co.za/

 

Rust en Vrede – Heaven for the taste buds

Stellenbosch – If you ever visit Stellenbosch you should definitively pass by Rust en Vrede restaurant. It was a beautiful evening in a lovely picturesque setting, delicious food and wine – a highlight of our South Africa visit. I recommend to drink “Peter Barlow” whenever you see it on the wine list.

Reservation about 2 months in advance is a must!

http://rustenvrede.com/