Bar Della Piazza — Restaurant in Passignano sul Trasimeno

When you saw that viral photo of the quintessential Italian Christmas you probably, and mistakenly, thought it was the brain child of a slick metropolitan agency. The lovingly restored old style Fiat 500 is Quirico's - it's his pride and joy - parked in front of his bar here. His sister Alessandra tied the Christmas tree on top and, with that nonchalant decorative ease so common in Italy, strung up some fairy lights. It's authentic. There's no need to create artificially a dream - this is how it is. The Fiat 500 is currently back being restored (the overnight winter chill outside did for the engine) but the bar continues to thrive, testament to how well Lorenza, Quirico's wife, runs it. For what seems like an eternity, but is probably only about 6 years, the next door large private residence, which takes up half the length of the piazza, has itself been undergoing an intensive (and almost complete) restoration with all the inevitable disruption you know it makes. The bread and butter of any successful local bar is its coffee and cornetti. Lorenza drives down at the crack of dawn to the best bakery around to fetch them fresh. They serve great coffee. She knows everyone. The loo is immaculate (ask at the bar for the key). There's always someone coming or going from children running up the car free, picture perfect, medieval lanes for an ice cream, or stopping off to chat with a school friend, to a group of tough men later in the day discussing the day's wild boar hunt over something stronger. Then the younger scene kicks in to hang out with the regazzi for the evening. Unlike most of the local beautiful towns and cities which have been overrun with tourism, Castel Rigone is devoid of shops (other than the food shop on the main road) which you too may consider to be a major advantage. Instead of burying your head in your purchasing power you can while away an hour or two just sitting at the tables outside the bar enjoying the quiet you originally decided to come to this part of Italy for. It takes about 15 minutes to walk slowly round the old part of Castel Rigone with the most stupendous views across a typically Umbrian landscape; head out the large arch at the far end of the piazza and turn left. You're only likely to meet a local dog on its constitutional. The houses are almost all lived in year round which provides that backdrop community feel to the whole place, bar and church included. Tourists are very much in the minority. Rather than drive up to the piazza, where parking is limited, park in the free carpark opposite the church on the main road. It's rarely full unless it's a large religious event or the evenings of festa dei Barbari in early August; it's meant for visiting football fans but home matches seem to occur only on a blue moon. You can also walk down (and then back up) the single track white road below the church. By then you'll be ready for a sandwich...

The best place to hang out with the locals in the lovely little village. Authentic vibe, as you meet vitually al the locals there! Great wine, nice prices! Grazie mille per...

In paese questo bar è considerato un fulcro della socializzazione non solo da adulti e anziani ma anche da giovanissimi che qui si ritrovano. Offre un'ampia scelta di prodotti talvolta eccellenti se si va a cercare la qualità del territorio, oltre ai soliti caffè si ha la possibilità di gustare gelati, tramezzini, aperitivi, birre tipiche.. Il wifi è gratuito, un grande punto a favore per quanto riguarda la logistica di un paese che ancora non è collegato efficientemente dalle...