ANTICA CARTIERA - Trattoria moderna con cucina tradizionale e creativa. — Restaurant in Pella

My wife and I are staying in Pella and we were looking for a local restaurant with good food for lunch. We are not 'foody' types and want a place with friendly service, good local cuisine and a relaxed atmosphere. This restaurant more than met our expectations. Whilst you will get more polished service at a more 'refined' establishment, what the staff lacked in polish, they more than made up for in their warm approach and desire to be helpful. The owner and head chef, Sabina, was so welcoming and was an absolute delight to chat with. She is really passionate about her food and the menu will always be original, based on her own ideas and 'twists' on traditional recipes. She is even open to requests (having had lunch there, we are going back for an evening meal in a few days and Sabina is going to prepare a sweet course based around a request from my wife. Now that's real service!). The food will stay long in the memory. A five-plate lunch following the traditional antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce (sorry Sabina, I'm missing a course there somewhere!) approach and every single plate was an absolute delight. Words won't do the flavours and presentation justice, so please, visit for yourself and relish Sabina's stunning food. Normally such amazing dishes are associated with far more pretentious, showy restaurants (and judging by a couple of the reviews, it would appear that's what some people are looking for). If you just want amazing food in a relaxed, warm, friendly atmosphere, then visit Sabina and her team and be prepared for an experience you will...

On travels every so often you find a place that exceeds all expectations and creates a memory that you will never forget, Antica Cartiera is that place. It all begins with Sabina, chef, creator, founder, and host. Like being welcomed to an old friends home for a lovely evening. 5 course, 3 wine pairings, creative, well presented, but really it's about the food, delicious. We are not big fans of Prix Fixe Tasting menus, but this is a rare exception. No pretense, no over fussing, no egos, just a great meal with wonderful wines, all sourced by small producers in the region. We wish we could linger in the area to enjoy many more meals. We will return, and I'm sure when we do Michelin will find this star and Sabina could care less, because for her its all about the food, the wine, her guests and providing that memorable experience we all crave...

Oh my we were so sad when she was fully booked but luckily she had a spot the next day. Now we know why, she just makes a daily menu based on fresh products that she prepares for the tables she has. And damn, that was so good. We never saw a chef who introduced herself and the menu for every table. It looks amazing with only really basic ingredients and the wine menu is matching perfectly with the food. What a great chef with a lot of positive energy, even though we we were the only tourists we felt so welcome, if this restaurant was next to us we would have come there every single week. We wish restaurants in the Netherlands would have a similar concept, no menu, let the chef choose because, that’s why she became a chef in the first place! (No worries; she takes allergies and preferences...