Where to eat in Cuneo: great Piedmontese cuisine at the foot of the Alps
Guide on where to eat in Cuneo: tajarin with butter, ravioles de la Varaita, Cuneo chestnuts, Langhe wines and authentic trattorias. Tips and addresses.
Cuneo: a gastronomic treasure on the edge of the Langhe
Cuneo is one of Italy's most underrated food capitals. Nestled between the Maritime Alps and the Langhe hills, this elegant, discreet city offers deep, generous Piedmontese cooking built on exceptional raw materials: white truffle, chestnut, Fassone veal, alpine cheeses and the great Langhe wines. Here you eat extraordinarily well without the crowds and prices of the more famous Alba and Bra.
Local specialities you must try
Tajarin, wafer-thin egg tagliatelle dressed with melted butter and white truffle in season, are Piedmont's emblematic first course. Ravioles from the Val Varaita, delicate small ravioli filled with toma cheese and potato, dressed with butter and sage, are a speciality unique to the province.
Bollito misto alla piemontese is a ritual: seven cuts of meat served with seven sauces (bagnet verd, bagnet ross, mostarda, horseradish). Carne cruda all'albese, hand-chopped with oil, lemon and truffle, is the perfect antipasto. Vitello tonnato, with its velvety tuna-and-caper sauce, is an unmissable classic.
Desserts
The cuneese al rhum, a chocolate bonbon of meringue and rum cream coated in dark chocolate, is the city's signature sweet. Langhe hazelnut cake, bonet (chocolate and amaretti pudding) and marrons glacés complete an extraordinary dessert landscape.
Where to eat: best restaurants and trattorias
Osteria della Chiocciola
A Slow Food bastion in the old town, offering high-quality Piedmontese cooking with local ingredients. The tajarin are perfect, the bollito is an experience and the Langhe wine list is deep.
Ristorante Delle Antiche Contrade
Creative cuisine with Piedmontese roots, in an elegant setting under the arcades of Via Roma. A tasting menu that showcases seasonal produce, attentive service.
Trattoria Mondovì Vecchia
Rustic, genuine atmosphere and uncompromising traditional cooking. Ravioli del plin, Barolo-braised beef and bagna cauda are prepared the old way. Contained prices.
Locanda del Vicoletto
Hidden in an alley in the centre, this intimate locanda offers menus that change weekly following the market. Hand-rolled pastas are excellent and desserts are all homemade.
Agriturismo Il Mongetto
In the Cuneo countryside, it offers the best of Piedmontese peasant cooking: a parade of antipasti, fresh pastas, grilled meats and homemade desserts. Generous fixed menu at an honest price.
Street food and quick bites
Under Cuneo's arcades you will find historic pastry shops selling cuneese al rhum and paste di meliga (cornmeal biscuits). The Tuesday market offers alpine cheeses, artisan cured meats and Cuneo focaccia. Bakeries sell hand-stretched grissini and rye bread.
Wines
The Langhe are just a few kilometres away and produce some of the world's finest wines. Barolo and Barbaresco, from Nebbiolo grapes, are the kings of Italian reds. Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba and Nebbiolo d'Alba offer more accessible everyday alternatives. For whites, Roero Arneis is fresh and fragrant. Do not miss Moscato d'Asti with dessert.
Budget tips
- Trattorias outside the centre offer daily menus for 12-15 euros, wine included.
- On Tuesdays at the market, buy cheese and cured meats for a spectacular packed lunch.
- Cuneo costs 30-40 per cent less than Alba for the same quality of cooking.
- Buy the cuneese al rhum from artisan pastry shops: superior quality at a fair price.
- Visit Langhe wineries for tastings: often free with a purchase.
