Perugia is the cultural core and also the culinary heart of Umbria.
It offers many excellent restaurants and trattorias to taste and try traditional Umbrian and Italian dishes. For those who want to travel “sitting at the table” the city offers several ethnic restaurants: from the classic Chinese to the Japanese ones, from the Mexican to the the Indian, from the Brazilian to the american and a lot of sushi bars.
Here it is our tips for choosing a restaurant in Perugia as a local.. and not as a tourist:
In the Medieval and Etruscan historical center a must for those who want a good pizza- restaurant at reasonable prices but at a high quality is “Il Cantinone” (via Ritorta no. 6, www.ristoranteilcantinoneperugia.com). It is a stone’s throw from Piazza IV Novembre, in an old building with typical vaulted halls. In summer one can eat outside in one of the appealing alleys of the city center. It is undoubtedly the restaurant with the best relation between quality and price in Perugia.
On summer, for those who prefer to eat outside but just in the main street of the historical center, there’s the restaurant Ferrari (Via Scura no. 1, www.ristoranteferrari.com). It is right in Corso Vannucci (Perugia’s promenade) equipped with many tables and good food. It also offers fine dining rooms as well as an elegant lounge bar for aperitifs and funny “after dinner”.
The cream of Perugia’s and Umbrian cuisine is the restaurant La Taverna (via delle Streghe no. 8, www.ristorantelataverna.com) which offers typical and a bit creative cooking using the best raw materials available in the area. We suggest to book first.
The most beautiful restaurant in Perugia is “Storie Perugine” www.storieperugine.it (Corso Cavour no. 46 tel. 075 372 1059), a must for those who love prized col cuts and cheeses and umbrian handmade beer. It is a medieval place with hundreds of historical photos of Perugia and many original pieces of art and antiques. More than a dinner, a journey through the time.
The trattoria “Dal ‘mi cocco” https://it-it.facebook.com/ristorantedalmicocco/ in Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 12 ( tel 075 573 2511 ) is very close from the Etruscan Arch and the University for Foreigners. It is a typical Italian trattoria with a fixed menu which changes every day, the food is typical Umbrian and quite good, the price is anti crisis: from appetizers to desserts only about 13 Euro. We suggest to book in advance.
Who wants to eat ethnic can visit the Indian restaurant Taj Mahal (via Vermiglioli no. 12, tel 075 5722894), instead who seek Japanese flavors the suggested historic restaurant in Perugia is “Tokyo” (via del maneggio no. 21) very close to the etruscan arch.
For those who look for a good sushi bar in the historic center we suggest the “Mercato Vianova” http://www.mercatovianova.it (via Giuseppe Mazzini), it is good also as a sushi takeaway.
Umbria is also the land of truffles. For those who love “the gold” of the table, the restaurant where to go to taste it and both white and black, is”Al Tartufo”.Excellent restaurant in the historic center of Perugia in Via Ulisse Rocchi, nr.4. You will enjoy lunches and dinners cooked with truffles: from appetizers to desserts. For more info You can visit their official site https://altartufo.it
And now after having confided to you our secret addresses to eat better and like a local in Perugia … all we can do is to wish you … .”Buon Appetito” (enjoy your meal) waiting to meet you in person.
In fact, by choosing to stay at Villa Nuba charming villa-apartments rental you will be very close to all these addresses and , in addition to eating well , you will have chosen the only charming and old umbrian residence in villa in Perugia tha’t at only about 15 minutes walking distance to medieval Perugia. A charming place to stay to enjoy the umbrian tradiction and be immersed in the elegance of the vllas – apartments and in a total relax.
Perugia is full of excellent wineries where one can buy and taste fine wines, mostly red.
The best wineries are in the area of Montefalco including: Arnaldo Caprai, Paolo Bea, Adanti, Colpetrone, Perticaia and Antonelli.
In Torgiano there is the Lungarotti winery, one of the oldest in the area. It has good wines, both white and red. The Lungarotti Foundation houses one of the most important wine museums throughout Italy and an interesting museum dedicated to olive oil.
In Perugia excellent wine bars are “La Bottega del Vino” http://www.labottegadelvino.net situated in the heart of the old town (via del Sole no. 1) and “Enonè” (Corso Cavour no. 61) where while tasting glasses of some of the best Umbrian and italian wines one can make delicious dinners-aperitifs.
For those who want to taste the best wines accompanied by the best quality of typical Umbrian sliced and cheeses the local where to go is without any doubt “Daje” https://it-it.facebook.com/DAJEE/ in the heart of the historic center in Via Danzetta. This one is also the place to buy the best cheeses and cold cuts of the Umbrian tradition.
As a lounge bar for aperitifs and after dinner in the historic center of Perugia you can’t miss the romantic Luna Bar (Via Scura no. 1 http://www.lunabarferrari.com) in Corso Vannucci (it is the Lounge bar of the above mentioned Ferrari restaurant on the promenade).
Finally, in Spring and Summer it is wonderful to enjoy drinks at the PUNTO DI VISTA in Viale Indipendenza, 2 https://it-it.facebook.com/Puntodiview/ a lovely open air lounge bar in the heart of Perugia with a fantastic view of all the umbrian mountains and hills around Perugia. Glamour and trendy hight suggested during the hot italian summer time.