Il Moderno — Restaurant in Perugia

We had a destination wedding in a castle near Passignano, and most of our guests stayed in Perugia. We wanted to host our ~40 guests who had travelled so far for a rehearsal dinner in Perugia. We, and many of our guests, are foodies and were excited to experience local cuisine, but we also had a few dietary restrictions to accommodate too. My wedding coordinator was unfamiliar with Il Moderno when I proposed it as a potential dinner venue, but I saw the reviews touting their excellent reputation for delicious food as well as for accommodating people who are gluten free, vegetarian, and have food allergies, and so I wanted to take a chance on it. I am so thrilled we did. Our friends and family raved about every course of the meal. The service was excellent, and the food was incredible. The staff reserved the interior of the restaurant for our event and the space was so comfortable; there is also outdoor seating available too, to enjoy the night air and charming street views of Perugia. The location is really central and walkable for those staying in the city centre neighborhood, though it was not so easy to find parking nearby (at least for us non-locals).

For our guests, they offered us options for either of two set menus of either 45€ or 50€ per person. Alternative gluten-free options were prepared for each course, and a lovely assortment of wines was available to order as well.

I wish I’d had time to take pictures of the delicious food, but things were just too hectic. All I can say is: grazie mille to the wonderful people at Il Moderno for the hospitality, the amazing food, and the fond memories. I hope we will be able to come back for our...

The restaurant is located just outside of the main old town area. Our waiter spoke good English. Wine by the glass selection was limited to house (red) and house + one other (white) which was a disappointing start.

The menu is via QR code and written in Italian so we persevered with google translate which took a little time to order. We were served a kir and a aperitivo of the local chickpea bread whilst looking which was a nice touch.

I am very open minded and have spent 3 weeks in Italy trying local specialities but the food unfortunately wasn’t to my taste on this occasion, hence the score.

My starter was 3 friselle (toasted bagel) with fried caramelised onions and olive pate. The onions were piled high with only about half a teaspoon of the olive pate so for me, the flavour was onion and the ratio wasn’t balanced.

My main was sausages made with pork and spelt, served with a mustard sauce and a side of vegetables prepared similar to ratatouille. The flavour of the sausages was lost with the mustard sauce and their texture resembled vegetarian sausages.

My dessert was a a chocolate “nipple” with rum. It was a delicious dense chocolatey end to the meal and the rum went well with it. I really enjoyed the dessert.

Hopefully the overall 3 score is considered fair based upon my feedback. I tried my partner’s bresaola with paramesan ice cream starter and her courgette and saffron lasagne and was equally as underwhelmed unfortunately. It just wasn’t my...

Clearly a labor of love. The owners here bring their own quirky senses of food and art to this offbeat establishment. Perhaps the most original and genuine restaurant I have visited in Italy, commendable for its individuality, inventive menu, and clearly dedicated to Slow Food ideals and ingredients. And yet I must give it only two stars. Our server was polite but seemed uncomfortable with both the menu and the job. The amuse boucher was cold potato skins. The cold fagiolini were well cooked, but cold beans with ricotta felt out of season on a chilly October evening. The Jerusalem artichoke was quite tasty, but the sliced black truffle was clearly from a jar (I should have known it is too early here). Our lasagnetta took about thirty minutes to arrive and was quite cold inside, despite being hot outside. The tajine was a curiosity, piping hot, and a generous portion, if a bit bland. The best part of the meal was their bread, which I must believe they make themselves. It was rustic, tender, dense, and lovely. If I went back, I would just sit with bread and artichoke. The prices were quite reasonable, and the vibe was quiet with both tourists and locals dining quietly. At times it felt stiff and awkward, like the patrons were all waiting for something to happen, which, combined with the often cold food made it oddly uncomfortable. I cannot recommend this place, however, I appreciate their art, their commitment to Slow Food, and their...