Food: Creative Italian
Address: Piazza Risorgimento 4 – 12051 – Alba (Cn) – Italy
Phone Number: +39 0173 366167
Website: www.piazzaduomoalba.it
Guide Michelin: 3 stars
What I paid: 800 € (dinner menu for three persons including water and wine)
Visited: March 13, 2013

Piazza Duomo is the latest restaurant in Italy to be awarded three stars in Guide Michelin (in 2013). Located in the beautiful Alba, the “wine capital” of the Piedmont wine district (e.g. Barolo and Barbaresco wines) which apart from wines also are famous for its white truffles. The Piazza Duomo is in the very heart of the old town.

Head chef Enrico Crippa have been working in both Europe (Antoine Westermann at Buerehiesel in Strasbourg, Michel Bras at Laguiole, Ferran Adria at El Bulli and Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan) and in Japan (Kobe) were he opened Marchesi’s restaurant. Enrico returned to Italy in 2005 and opened his own restaurant Piazza Duomo the same year. First Michelin star in 2006, the second one in 2009 and the third in 2013.

When I visited the restaurant it had four different tasting menus to chose from (ranging from 150€ to 200€). We opted for the “creative” one, called Evasione e Territorio (a 200€).

Even though Piazza Duomo have a very extensive wine list (largely thanks to its hook up with the Ceretto family, an influential Piedmont family that holds substantial interests in agronomy and wine) we chose to go with a wine pairing menu consisting of five different wines (2011 Roero Arneis Valfaccenda, 2008 Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Cascina Montagnola, 2006 Colli Tortonesi Barbera I Grop M.Coppi, 2004 Barolo Cannubi Brezza and 2006 Loazzolo V.T. Forteto Della Luja). Of those wines the Barolo Cannubi was my absolute favourite (Cannubi is also my top “Cru” in Barolo). Apart from the listed wines above, we also had an aperitif to the amusements and there I chose to have a 2004 Baricchi “Et Voilà” Spumante Metodo Classico.

Evasione e Territorio menu:

• Porcini Mushrooms, Duck’s tongues
• Turnip tops, scallops, sea-urchins
• Prawns, olive oil, cream
• Potato and fresh cod
• Endive and fassona veal
• Red cabbage, pork
• Spaghetti, green vegetable sauce
• Leaf cabbage, pigeon
• Fruit and vegetables soup
• Milk ice cream, burned wheat, bread

Unfortunately I cannot say that I was undivided positive in regards to this dinner. In hindsight I maybe should have opted for their traditional menu instead and this is not because I dislike “creative” food. No, it is rather related to that I think the dishes in this “creative” menu were a little bit uneven. Many dishes were of course good but a slight to many were a little bit unbalanced and this may not been the case if I had gone for their traditional menu instead (where the dishes have been on the menu for a longer time and developed during time).  That said, I really think Piazza Duomo is an interesting restaurant worth a visit. Excellent service!