Trattoria la Palomba — Restaurant in Orvieto

After avoiding this restaurant throughout our 10-week stay in Orvieto last year because it was always packed with people and seemed noisy from outside, we finally stopped in for lunch today at the beginning of their lunch hours. We arrived without a reservation (NOT recommrnded) but were seated immediately by their friendly and courteous staff. The place is set up in several small rooms which helps keep the noise of diners' conversations reasonable, but without a reservation, even for lunch, you can expect to be seated in the entrance room next to the kitchen and constant coming and going through the front door. All that aside, whatever environment issues may affect your visit, you'll quickly forget them when the food arrives! Their service is impeccable, servers friendly and courteous, and the food is amazing. My wife and I shared their large antipasto plate--an excellent selection of regional standards--and then I had the Scracciatelli soup. My wife had a traditional pasta dish with truffles (a specialty of the house) and I had their incredible Cinghiale (wild boar) ragu. I've had wild boar ragu at a number of restaurants here in Orvieto and in other towns around Umbria and Tuscany, but this was the best I've ever found. Their wine selrction is excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our bottle of a local Sangiovese. Topped off with a delicious espresso, it was our best lunch experience to date. (Next time we'll be sure to reserve a table in advance!) As we might have expected, there's a good reason it's always packed and reservations are expected, but because of well-managed reservations there is rarely more than a 10-minute wait to be seated. Very highly recommended. If you're in Orvieto for only a day or two, this is one you...

Nothing but AMAZING!!!

Service and Hospitality:

My wife and I walked in at 1pm for lunch. All the tables were full or reserved but they still accommodated us, even while having 2 very well known American Diplomats and their bodyguards in the restaurant. The owner and staff where more than just good, it was as if they invited us to their home for lunch. Seriously... they gave us as much attention as they did to the famous persons in the room, that they knew were because they frequent this restaurant.

Food and Wine:

Truffles are great but we all know that if used wrong they overpower anything. Well, I'm glad to say that they know how to use truffles the right way. My wife started with the handmade umbrichelli pasta with freshly shaved black truffles and I had the spaghetti dell'ascaro carbonara, which were both great. Then I ordered the filetto alla cardinale and my wife got the filetto al tartufo (truffles). I've always frowned on putting anything on a good steak but hands down they were 2 of the best steaks I've ever had. Yes, I get to eat half of what ever my wife orders. Good for me and especially when dining at Trattoria la Palomba in Orvieto.

We would definitely recommend the house wine. We had the red with our meal, which was very good for the price but then found out that the area grows some of the best white grapes, so be sure to try the white also even if after your meal...

Definitely a must try and we will be back...

This was my fourth time at La Palomba, though the other three were a couple of years ago. Then it was friendly and hearty. On my last night that year I wanted to go there with my friend. I asked the hotel to call and see if we could come right over. No, they told the hotel they were fully booked. So, I went round myself and they said, sure, seeing that I was a familiar foreign tourist on my last night, sure, for the two of us, they’d find room. Good food, nicely hospitable place. They have since been noticed by Michelin, and the food is tastier or, at least, more original than I remember from before. Very good. But I too supinely accepted the wine they recommended to me with great assurance for my dish of pigeon, and I very soon announced I didn’t like it. Not to worry—it seemed— the sommelier analyzed my dislike and opened a new one which I very much did like. But at the end they charged me for both bottles, with the “best they could do courtesy” of ten euros discount. They did not remove the first bottle from the table or the check, something, in my experience, a properly bred Michelin restaurant would have done. La Palomba has become chichi and chintzy in its golden new moment.

Since then,, the restaurant has refunded the entire substantial credit card charge for the dinner: very generous, indeed, beyond a merely correct or fair resolution, a friendly...