ristorazione — Gubbio · Umbria
Gubbio sale sulla pietra come poche città medievali sanno fare (Gubbio rises in stone as few medieval towns can), and in one of its historic palazzos, in the heart of the old town, Ristorante Alla Balestra has for years kept the cuisine of Gubbio alive, with the measure and fidelity of those who know every ingredient by name.
The entrance opens onto a palazzo in Gubbio's medieval old town, where Marco Paciotti and Leandro Bianconi run the place with the care of those who chose this location for a reason. Bianconi, an accomplished cook as well as owner, brings to the dining room the same attention he reserves for the kitchen: a family-run management that shows in the details.
Inside, a spacious roof garden opens the dining room onto one of Gubbio's most unexpected views: piazza San Giovanni, the logge dei tiratori (the weavers' loggias), the convent of San Francesco and the bell tower of the palazzo dei consoli arrange themselves like a painted backdrop. Eating here means keeping the medieval town within sight.
At the stove, chef Quarteroni works the cuisine of Gubbio with rigour: pappardelle al sugo d'oca (pappardelle with goose sauce) and friccò with crescia are the dishes that tell the story of Gubbio better than any guidebook. Prepared with modern cooking methods yet true to the original recipes, they bring to the table the memory of a territorial cuisine that does not yield to trends.
The typical tasting menu of Gubbio brings all of this together in a fixed-price journey: the most direct way to meet the table of Gubbio.
