Ventuno.1 Ristorante e Bottega — Restaurant in Alba

Unfortunately, this was by far the worst dining experience we’ve had in Italy. The restaurant might have a minimal and elegant look at first glance, but what happened inside was a complete disappointment.

From the moment we arrived, the service staff seemed visibly tense and disorganized. We opted for the tasting menu, but had to wait over 50 minutes between each course. Not once were the dishes explained or introduced properly, which is the bare minimum one would expect from any restaurant offering a tasting menu.

The table next to ours, visible in the photos, remained uncleared throughout the evening. Instead of resetting it, the staff used it as a dumping ground for empty plates, used corks, and random leftovers.

During wine service, the wine was spilled directly onto our table. The staff simply wiped it off without saying a single word.

As for the food: the tartare starter was quite tasty, but the truffle pasta was bland, characterless, and entirely forgettable. The third course, a meat dish, arrived completely overcooked—dry and charred around the edges. Portions in the tasting menu were so small they bordered on laughable. In hindsight, ordering a single full-sized dish would’ve made far more sense—though coming to this restaurant in the first place clearly didn’t.

And finally, dessert. The panna cotta was a disaster. It had lost all shape and collapsed to one side of the plate like a puddle. It looked and tasted like unset cream. To make matters worse, they clearly noticed the issue and tried to cover it up by smothering it with some chocolate sauce. Honestly, I’ve had better desserts from a supermarket.

Maybe this place went downhill after being listed in the Michelin guide. But based on what we experienced tonight, I can’t understand how they made it onto the list in the...

Ventuno.1 Ristorante e Bottega: A Refined Truffle Experience in Alba As two couples embarking on a culinary adventure during Alba's white truffle festival, we were drawn to Ventuno.1 Ristorante e Bottega that promised a modern take on the region's traditional cuisine. The restaurant's contemporary interior created a sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere. The staff were knowledgeable and attentive, guiding us through the menu and extensive wine list with ease. Each dish was beautifully presented and showcased the region's finest ingredients. While every course was delightful, the standout was undoubtedly the egg dish with potato cream and a generous shaving of white truffle. The combination of flavors and textures was simply divine. Ventuno.1 Ristorante e Bottega offers a refined dining experience that celebrates the essence of Alba's culinary heritage. It's a must-visit for those seeking an elegant and memorable meal during their truffle pilgrimage. Recommendation: Reservations are highly recommended, especially during the peak...

Food was excellent, second only to the extravagant and incredibly well priced wine list. By the glass options change frequently and require me to ask the servers. This is fine but unfortunately some servers had no idea what the wines were and all except for one gentleman were not eager to talk about them. In the end however the by the glass selection was impeccable, showcasing high quality and unique wines from the region as well as a stunning Sicilian Grillo(we tried the sparkling, both dry whites sauvB+grillo and the Barolo+Barbaresco which vary depending on the week). In conclusion a fantastic unique perspective on traditional Piemontesi and general Italian cuisine with an absolutely stunning wine program. Service seemed choatic as we took orders and interacted with 3 different people only 1 of whoch spoke English and another 1 only knew about the wines. Besides these things though service was professional, friendly and quick. I can’t imagine a better restaurant in Alba for a deeply memorable experience and would...