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“Carlo Zarri - a true renaissance man”

Ristorante San Carlo
Ranked #1 of 12 Restaurants in Cortemilia
Cuisines: Italian
Dining options: Reservations
Restaurant details
Dining options: Reservations
Reviewed November 5, 2012

Carlo, helped by wife Paola can do it all! Explain all you need to know about Italian wine and food? Check. Cook up sumptuous but not pretentious dinners? Check. Maybe even play the piano for you after one of those dinners? Check. Spend the night there so you can avoid a tortuous drive after your wonderful meal and be treated to one of the best breakfast buffets the next morning. Insist on some hazelnut cake! Worth whatever detour you have to take to arrive in Cortemilia, you won't regret it.

Date of visit: June 2012
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2  Thank Larry T
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviews (116)
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36 - 40 of 116 reviews

Reviewed October 29, 2012

We were simply blown away by our dining experiences at Ristorante San Carlo. On our first night, we were treated to a "gran gourmet" dinner which was nothing short of superb. Truffles as well as hazelnuts abounded which was only fitting, this being truffle season, and Cortemilia, the hazelnut capital of the world. Our wine, which was recommended by Paola, was also a perfect match for our food. Our second dinner was equally as memorable and only served to reinforce our view that Carlo is a talented, creative chef. The fact that he uses only the freshest of ingredients is an added delight. He is also very willing to share his knowledge of food and wine - for this we felt extremely privileged. This is a restaurant not to be missed.

Date of visit: October 2012
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1  Thank Celeste N
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 6, 2012

Carlo works every hour of every day, his love of food and wine warms your heart. You could choose from the menu blindfold. 2500 bottles in the cellar, and 43 pages of Barolo in the wine list. Cannot recommend this place strongly enough

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1  Thank dandr050
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 9, 2011

We have eaten here once during truffle season. We will be returning!

The food was simply wonderful, the chef is a local character and worth a good chat.

The town is a very agricultural rough diamond and to be honest we were surprised to find such a high end restaurant. But here it is.

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2  Thank LarrysBadger
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 20, 2008

Chef Carlo Zarri is well known internationally. He did Sophia Loren's 70th birthday party, her son's wedding in Budapest, and he was a major figure in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He is a trained sommelier and speaks English well. The restaurant has really nice furnishings with very efficient service. I can't find words to describe the two meals we ate there. If you are anywhere near, you MUST eat here. Try the degustation. WOW!!!

4  Thank Dick S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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