Assisi

Ristorante del Corso is one of the best places to eat in town. Located in the Asisium Boutique Hotel, this restaurant is a warm retreat with a kind staff and incredible cuisine. Your meal begins with an amuse-bouche (like a creamy potato and saffron soup) alongside a variety of bread made in-house. For the meal we recommend getting umbricelli. If you come in autumn, you might get it with hazelnut pesto, porcini mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. Another dish not to be missed is Malfatti pasta, served with duck sauce and truffle. The best course however, might be dessert. The sfera di cioccolato (literally a sphere of chocolate) with mascarpone, lady fingers, and coffee poured over it at the table will blow you away with the flavors and presentation. Be sure to book ahead, as there are limited tables and often folks wandering by get turned away.

Located in the north west side of Assisi, this restaurant feels tucked away from the hustle and bustle, despite its proximity to the Papal Basilica and Sacred Convent of Saint Francis. We recommend trying the Umbrian bread (torta al testo) and meats (tagliere di salumi umbri) as your antipasto. For pasta, we highly recommend the Strangozzi alla Norcina and gnocchi del Podestà. The best part of the meal is at the end; on the menu, you’ll notice there’s a dolce del giorno (dessert of the day). When you ask what it is - you will receive the response that all of their desserts are since they’re all made in-house daily. Try the panna cotta with frutti del bosco; you won’t be disappointed!

Osteria San Vittorino is the perfect place to go on the way in or out of Assisi. Just before you head up the hill and into Assisi, you’ll find this charming restaurant nestled roadside in the olive groves. Because Osteria San Vittorino isn’t located in the city center, that means the food must be high quality to get folks to drive (and you’re not going to see an overrun of tourists). We’re here to tell you that they deliver on the food quality and make some of the best pastas we’ve eaten in Umbria. Among the favorites to try are the umbricelli and also the rose ripiene (a stuffed pasta). If you’re a meat eater, the mixed grilled meats plates are flavorful and offer a substantial portion. And if you still have room after that, the dark chocolate souffle is the star of the dessert menu. The owners and staff are welcoming and very friendly. A highly recommended stop. Be sure to book ahead! They also have a hotel on-site if you’re looking to stay on the outskirts of Assisi.

With its large dining room and beautiful arched ceilings, this restaurant makes for an elegant night out. With typical Umbrian dishes, the menu offers a wide range of local specialties to try. Buyer beware: while incredibly delicious, the Rigatoni alla Norcina is a very large and rich plate of pasta - covered in the most creamy sauce with Parmigiano melted on top! We recommend sharing it, and offset the heaviness with Cappellacci al Bufalo, a much lighter dish. If you are in the mood for red wine, their house wine is very good. The tiramisù was creamy, traditional, and the perfect end to the meal. You can email them ahead of time for a reservation.

If you are looking for a pastry and a coffee for breakfast in Assisi, this is the place! The owners are welcoming and friendly, and the croissants are delicious. They also have a wide selection of other pastries to choose from, as well as a well-stocked bar for aperitivo. Note that this place, when closed, is non-discript and there’s no obvious signage. If you’re there before they open for the day, find the smell of the pastries.

The gelato here is creamy and made with high quality ingredients. As creatures of habit, our go-to flavors of pistachio, stracciatella, and bacio (chocolate with hazelnuts) happen to be some of their best choices (it’s the ultimate flavor combination, trust us). With a wide variety of traditional and unique flavors, they also offer several lactose-free options.

For those of the Roman Catholic faith, or those drawn to religious architecture, Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi needs no introduction. As you drive into town, you’ll begin to see what the fuss is all about. The combination of Assisi being a hilltop town, and the Basilica located on the edge of town, makes the church just look massive on the horizon. You’ll be awestruck before you even get to town! The church inside is just as impressive. With multiple levels built over centuries, religious followers can spend hours or even days navigating the church as part of their pilgrimage.

While these are separate destinations, we combine them because they are indescribably linked. Temple Minerva is in the main piazza of the town. It was built in the 1st century AD, so there’s incredible history here. Inside is a small church, however, the Roman architecture on the exterior is visually breathtaking. What is more incredible is what’s below ground level. In the main piazza in front of Temple Minerva, you’ll notice some lines oddly painted, almost like for a parking spot. This is where going into the Roman Forum and Archaeological Museum will reveal something incredible; the main pizza has been built on top of Roman ruins, that are below the city street level today. Although it is a very small museum and tour, it’s pretty incredible to go underground and see what Assisi looked like 2,000 years ago. We recommend you take the time to check out this ancient treasure.

Umbricelli is one of the more unique pastas you’ll try. It is made with eggs and handrolled, giving it a more dense, chewy bite than other pastas. Because it’s handrolled, every piece is unique. Because it’s dense, it holds up well with hearty sauces. Umbricelli is served in diverse ways—you’ll see it from simple preparations featuring black truffle to meat sauces (ragù). You’ll probably eat it more than once on your trip to Umbria.

Torta al testo is one of the region’s unique breads. It is named for the type of cooking utensil that is used, a sort of ‘pan’ called a testo. While you’ll see it used in street food with seemingly endless choices of filings, you will also see it on finer restaurant menus as a starter, deconstructed and served with cured meats. We love it served both ways and think you will too.

There are a few wines made from the Sagrantino grape that is from the region of Umbria that you should try. Often Sagrantino is offered as the table wine or there’s the Montefalco Sagrantino, Montefalco Rosso, and a sweet dessert wine called Montefalco Sagrantino Passito. Sagrantino grapes are known for having tannins, and a very dark, almost purple color. It goes very well with hearty Umbrian dishes!