Ristorante Apollinare

Ristorante Apollinare is one of Spoleto's leading kitchens, a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant set beneath timber-beamed ceilings in the rooms of an ancient convent on Via Sant'Agata, near the Roman theatre. The historic space - low beams, warm stone and candle-soft light - gives the dining a sense of occasion, and the cooking matches it with contemporary Umbrian dishes built on the region's finest produce. The black truffle of Norcia is the star: tagliolini al tartufo nero di Norcia, the delicate fresh pasta heaped with the prized winter truffle, is the emblematic plate, while egg with truffle is a recurring favourite and a 'caramella' of pasta filled with cacciatina and finished with truffle shows the kitchen's more inventive side. Game, seasonal vegetables and refined desserts complete tasting and a la carte options. The dining room is romantic and quietly formal, with well-spaced tables and a calm, conversation-friendly atmosphere; dress is smart. The wine list is serious and strongly regional, with Sagrantino di Montefalco, Trebbiano Spoletino and Grechetto well represented and informed pairing advice from the floor. Service is polished and attentive. Apollinare serves lunch, roughly 12:30PM to 2:30PM, and dinner from about 7:30PM to 10PM, and is often closed Tuesday. Prices sit in the upper-mid bracket. Because the room is intimate and the restaurant well regarded, reservations are recommended, particularly for dinner, weekends and the summer Festival dei Due Mondi, when Spoleto is at its busiest, as well as the autumn and winter truffle season. The tasting menu is the most rewarding route for a first visit, while ordering the tagliolini al tartufo nero a la carte is the way to focus on the Norcia truffle the kitchen is known for.