Ristorante Zafferano Di Buzzi Paolo — Restaurant in Vitorchiano

I call San Francisco home but have lived 4-6 months a year in Italy for more than 15 years. My second home is in Vitorchiano, one of the most remarkable medieval towns in Italy, but I have also lived in Rome, Todi and Umbertide. Because I love to eat and eat out most of the time, I have had the opportunity to sample a great number of restaurants throughout central Italy. Of course, I am spoiled by the great restaurants in San Francisco, but I have found some fabulous restaurants here in Italy and Lo Zafferano is truly one of the best.

Paolo, the owner and chef, is a Vitorchiano native, but before he came back home to open his own restaurant he spent two decades traveling internationally - from South America to New York to the Middle East - opening and managing restaurants for some of the world's top hotels and resorts. Because Lo Zafferano is just a short walk from my apartment in Vitorchiano, I have eaten there dozens of times over the years and have never been disappointed.

Paolo is a talented, creative chef who loves to cook, and his menu at Lo Zafferano takes local Italian cuisine and ingredients to new heights even as he respects Italy's great culinary traditions. His pasta is perfect, his sauces are scrumptious, his meat and fish are as fresh as they come, and his portions are always much too generous even for a serious eater like me. A TIP: His unusual pairing of grilled fish with local black truffles surprises and delights everyone who tries it.

Paolo himself is a charming, outgoing host who speaks excellent English - far better than my Italian - so I have had the pleasure of getting to know him personally. I urge you, too, to get to know Paolo and Lo Zafferano. Tell 'em Bill...

Siamo stati questa sera per la seconda volta di seguito; cosa che non facciamo mai di solito ma qui era d'obbligo! Le due ragazze sono di una gentilezza e professionalità uniche. Il menu è davvero strepitoso: la cacio, pepe e tartufo è da leggenda...infatti la prendiamo sia la prima che la seconda sera. Mio figlio stasera ha preso dei ravioli con ripieno di carbonara e guanciale croccante come guarnizione...davvero sensazionale! La prima sera ci siamo tralaltro deliziati con un tagliere misto che esprimeva al meglio i sapori della Tuscia. Anche il vino al calice, un ottimo Rosso Laziale Igt, è stato un degno accompagnamento. La seconda sera ci siamo dedicati anche ai secondi ed ai contorni; io ho preso uno spezzatino di cinghiale, mio figlio degli spiedini di manzo e maiale e mia moglie delle patate al forno; davvero il top! Avremmo voluto gustare anche i dolci ma purtroppo non si poteva esagerare 😄. Inoltre, i prezzi sono onestissimi rispetto ad una qualità elevata delle pietanze.Alcune considerazioni finali che spero possano essere utili ai prossimi turisti: Vitorchiano è un borgo molto bello, la Tuscia Viterbese è stata una piacevole scoperta e smettiamola con questi pseudo chef che propongono "percorsi di gusto" , rivisitazioni culinarie ed altre amenità che servono solo a spillare quattrini. Viva la genuinità della nostra cucina regionale! Grazie ancora per le 2 belle serate...

Four of us, from England, visited on spec on a Thursday evening in July. We were enticed by the sign on the street saying English was spoken, and were greeted like old friends. The food was fantastic, the wine excellent, and the beer good.

And a bonus for English folk like us - the proprietor spent many years living and working in London and was happy to reminisce about times past. A very happy evening spent, and would...