Ristorante Il Cavaliere

Ristorante Il Cavaliere is a central reference point in Foligno for traditional Umbrian cooking built around meat, mushrooms and truffle, on Via Venti Settembre in the town's historic centre. It is a reliable, well-regarded address that draws locals for both everyday lunches and more considered dinners, with a kitchen that handles the region's prized ingredients with care. Truffle is the headline: tagliolini with white truffle is a signature when the prized tuber is in season, the delicate fresh pasta heaped with shavings, while lamb with truffle pairs the region's mountain meat with its great luxury. Gnocchi al Sagrantino, the potato dumplings in a sauce enriched with Montefalco's powerful red, ties the cooking to Umbria's wine country. Porcini and other wild mushrooms, game and seasonal produce round out a menu rooted in the local tradition. Cooking is generous and traditional, with attention to good ingredients. The dining room is comfortable and welcoming, somewhere between a refined trattoria and a restaurant, with a relaxed atmosphere and a moderate noise level; dress is smart-casual. The wine list is regional, with Sagrantino, Grechetto and other Umbrian labels at fair prices. Il Cavaliere serves both lunch and dinner, which makes it a flexible choice in Foligno. Prices sit in the upper-mid bracket, fair for the truffle and the quality. Booking ahead is advisable for dinner and weekends, and for the autumn and winter season when white and black truffle are at their best - the moment to come for the tagliolini al tartufo. First-time visitors should order a truffle pasta and the gnocchi al Sagrantino to take in both the truffle tradition and the Montefalco-wine connection the kitchen draws on.