La Piazzetta

My family and I were staying near Motone, and our host strongly recommended this restaurant. We were excited to go because of its « bib michelin » distinction, but the whole dinner was a letdown. The chef greeted us and handled service, which made me wonder who was in the kitchen. The champagne pours were all different amounts, and the rosé my brother-in-law got was undrinkable, as if the bottle had been open for a decade. The complimentary hors d'oeuvres seemed days old, with soggy, cold, stale buns. The chef recommended the steak for two, but it was overcooked. Dessert was the worst thing we'd ever eaten, and the service was very poor. I rarely leave a bad review, but for a restaurant this pretentious and expensive, I can't accept being served such bad food so badly. Don't go.

The hotel's rooms are fairly ordinary and basic, but the restaurant gave us the best meal of our week in Italy. It's in a lovely spot just off Montone's main square, in a charming hilltop town with beautiful views all around. We sat on the terrace and got a warm welcome from the chef patron. Since we couldn't agree as a group on the tasting menu, we chose à la carte. I'd definitely try the tasting menu next time to sample more dishes. The roe deer carpaccio was lovely, served under a smoke-filled dome that was lifted with a flourish. One of our group thought the lamb fillet was the best they'd ever tasted, and it really was special. The chocolate square at dessert may have been the highlight. A truly memorable meal.

The dinner alone may be the best I’ve had in Italy, and I’ve eaten well there before. We came in July 2024 for our honeymoon and the Umbria Film Festival, and loved the hotel’s charm, spotless comfortable rooms, and genuinely lovely hospitality. We couldn’t tell whether it was a restaurant with rooms above it or a hotel with a restaurant, but we were glad to enjoy both. If you can, go for a superior room: its terrace is a great place to take in the village while having prosecco as your wife gets ready for dinner. Pintyő and Daniel will make sure Montone and La Locanda del Capitano are on our future Italy itineraries.

The food was excellent, and the wine list was great. Staff were very good too, with helpful suggestions for both food and wine. The building itself is lovely. We did stay during a heat wave, though, and room 5 had no air conditioning, so it was quite uncomfortable. When we mentioned it, they brought us another fan.