Country House Montali

The vegetarian meals were a highlight, with local flavors done beautifully, and the staff were warm and attentive. We also loved relaxing by the lovely pool. Country House Montali is a comfortable, charming base in the Umbrian countryside, with peaceful surroundings and breathtaking views. It felt like a real escape from the bustle, especially for anyone who enjoys nature and a slower pace.

The food was great, and Alberto made us feel like guests in his own home instead of customers. He was a wonderful host, and the scenery was amazing.

Set among the hills and an olive grove, this is a lovely little boutique hotel with only 9 rooms. Alberto and Malu make the service feel very personal. The food is excellent, and although it’s fully vegetarian, you don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy it. The hosts wrote a famous Italian vegetarian cookbook that’s sadly out of print. We got to look through an English-language copy and would love to own one.

My wife and I were almost the only guests when we stayed in March 1999. Two newspaper journalists from London were there for cooking classes and to write about them. It was every bit as fabulous then as people say it is now.