Il Boccaccio

Il Boccaccio is a restaurant and pizzeria in San Pietro Avellana, a small truffle town in the Alto Molise highlands of Italy, celebrated for making the most of the area's prized white truffle, wild mushrooms, and mountain produce. San Pietro Avellana is one of the region's great truffle centres, and the kitchen puts that bounty front and centre: pasta dressed with the local white truffle is the dish to seek out, alongside gourmet pizzas topped with regional ingredients and platters of mountain cheese. The combination of refined local cuisine and high-quality wood-fired pizza gives the restaurant broad appeal, from those after a special truffle meal to families wanting something more casual. The setting is welcoming and informal, suited to the relaxed pace of the mountain town, and service is friendly and attuned to the seasonal produce. The wine list runs to Molisan and central-Italian bottlings, including the native Tintilia, well matched to the earthy truffle and mushroom dishes, while the pizzas pair easily with beer or house pours. Autumn is the high point of the year, when the white truffle season brings visitors to San Pietro Avellana and its annual truffle fair; reservations are recommended then in particular. The remote, high-altitude location makes the restaurant a destination in itself, a reward for travellers touring Alto Molise — Capracotta, the bell town of Agnone, and the region's fir forests and nordic-ski trails. For those seeking the prized truffle of one of Molise's most renowned truffle towns, Il Boccaccio offers an authentic and memorable taste of the high country, paired with gourmet pizza that makes the trip worthwhile.