Ape Wine Bar — Restaurant in Alba

We had lunch for 2, as a starter we had salty anchovies served in a can with bread and butter. Not my favorite!

Then we had gnocchis with shrimps (however the menu says octopus) and spaghetti beef ragu. The gnocchis were fine nothing very phenomenal and the spaghetti was also ok. For me coming to Italy I expect better pasta but I could do the same in my own kitchen at home.

The dessert we took their homemade panacota

The most disturbing is the bill at the end. They charged us 4€ for Coperto Pranzo. I always wonder if this charge is also for locals or only for tourists?

I had food in other restaurants in Italy and not always charged for cover but most of the time they charge when they hear us speaking other languages.

Overall a 60€ lunch in a small city like Alba seems a little over priced...

Ape is one of our favorite restaurants in Alba. We liked it so much the first night, we went back another night. Vanessa was a great server who makes the evening fun for everyone. They recommended nice wines and they had a couple special bottles open we got to taste. The first night the menu was a bit limited but still plenty of options and we enjoyed the traditional dishes. We went back the next night and they had gotten in some fresh seafood so the menu was completely different. It was nice to find a restaurant that really did adjust the menu based upon what was available.

We enjoyed all their dishes but standouts were the Vitello tonnato (great presentation and super flavorful), the yellowtail crudo and the handmade pastas. Save room for dessert as the panna cotta was great....

This is perhaps my 100 times to this place, sometimes alone but mostly with friends. It's right in front of Duomo of Alba, easy to find by walking and also easy to park when driving (Just park behind Duomo). This place has wonderful wine list and the single glass comes in many different choices of brands of wines. Pasta good, served quick as well. This is the place open almost all the time, and if it's closed, nearby it's easy to find bars or restaurants too. So usually when I am in Alba, I go this direction to hunt for...