Al Monastero — Restaurant in Cividale del Friuli

This exquisite establishment was visited by us - four friends, who have been exploring unique culinary establishments in Slovenia and the surrounding area every 2-3 months since 2012. Just a few meters from the city center, this restaurant is hidden in an ancient, historically protected house with charmingly arranged spaces and a magical inner courtyard, where they serve guests during the warm seasons. At this restaurant Cristina tells stories of Cividale and the Friuli Venetia Giuglia region through her gastronomic creations and wine. With her emotional intelligence and exceptional cuisine, she captivates guests. She has also managed to create a team equally dedicated to satisfying even the most demanding guests, much like herself. We chose one of the two recommended 4-course menus with wine pairings. During the welcome and introductory explanations, she even handed us a specially printed menu for the evening. The kitchen's welcome consisted of excellent, delicately fried local vegetables served in elegant baskets. They paired it with a yet-to-be-tasted glass of sparkling yellow Rebula wine, which welcomed us upon arrival. For the appetizer, they presented us with a special selection of San Daniele ham – Crudo di Bagatto, accompanied by corn flour grissini. It was exactly as advertised – exquisitely aromatic, tender, and almost sweet. We continued with excellent maltagliati – "pasta for the poor," which had been enriched in the kitchen with truffle-infused duck ragu. If it weren't for the truffles, one could argue that a Friulian grandmother from 80 years ago had prepared them. Brilliant! For the main course, they served us their signature "turnedo" steaks with a sauce made from their house Refosco p.r. wine. They were exceptional, prepared flawlessly with a consistent texture across the entire cut, reminiscent of sous-vide cooking at first glance, although, of course, they were prepared using traditional methods. The result was superb, with the sauce elegantly complementing this culinary masterpiece. The experienced hostess discreetly prepared us for the end with an excellent classic sorbet, which eased our decision between three of their desserts. We tried all of them and couldn't decide on a winner. Competing for recognition were a cheesecake with forest berries, a charmingly presented meringue with a delightful pastry cream - vanilla cream and fresh fruit, and a renowned local specialty – gubana and strucchi served with a mandatory glass of plum brandy. All three were excellent, and credit goes to their creators. The wine pairing was impeccable. There were no mistakes, as the family also owns the La buse dal lof – Wolf's Den estate in not very distant Prepotto, producing excellent and somewhat unique wines. For the appetizer, they served their dry, fresh, straw-yellow Friulano, continued with the indigenous, almost forgotten Schiopettino di Prepotto, and accompanied the main course with their excellent Refosco p.r. The service was excellent, led by a young lady who, in addition to her primary profession, mastered sommelier skills remarkably. The wine presentation was on a level rarely experienced by ordinary mortals. At the end, Cristina wrote a dedication and a thank-you for the visit in one of our menus. The whole team signed it. We didn't leave them indebted. This wasn't just a dinner; it was an emotional theatrical performance. And in terms of price: much more value than what they charged on our...

We found this restaurant by searching the best of Cividale on the internet. On a Saturday 7 pm we arrived without reservation and were very happy to get a spot in the cozy patio! The service was fantastic (one waitress even spoke German and explained the entire menu to us) and the food was delicious. Prosciutto crudo great as expected, the cheese platter was VERY hefty (only for the cheese lovers), Zucchini Spaghetti Carbonara was awesome but also very hearty and salty. My pasta Bolognese with truffles also was great. We had yet another great meal with a ham wrapped steak and wine sauce; can't recall the name though. Overall the meals were heftier than expected...so in the end we ordered a bit too much. But we took our time and just calmly went along with one or the other glass of wine. All of the served wines (Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon barrique) were good.

Long story short: would definitely recommend and...

Excellent pasta that doesnt taste like anything I've had before, very good price for what you get and the staff is nice. I had ravioli with ricotta and spinach and my friend had the pasta with truffle, both excellent choices. With that we had a very nice local red wine) My friends were happy with their meat dishes too. I tried the apple strudel-cheese-and-ham antipasti -- it was good but not spectacular (puff pastry with cheese, ham and apple). For dessert I had a white chocolate bavaroise (white chocolate pudding with rasberry coulis) which was nice and creamy. All in all it was a great restaurant. If you go I would suggest you go first and foremost for the pasta. 5 stars because it feels like the food is made with love and the price is great for...