GD Hotels

Almost as if on a postcard, the warmth of an old barn set in verdant silence, on the border between Piedmont and Liguria, inspires a cuisine based on seasonal and local raw materials, in which there is a fine commitment to the search for 0 km products. The management is obviously direct and family-run, and the recipes aim to give you a taste of the simple but exquisite flavours of the Val Borbera.

The magnificent biodynamic La Raia farm, an enchanting 180-hectare oasis between Novi Ligure and Gavi, is home to a contemporary art foundation, the Rossi Cairo family winery, a Steiner school for employees’ children, guest accommodation, and this restaurant which benefits from a fertile ecosystem that provides much of its zero-mile produce. The cuisine is rooted in local traditions which have been reinterpreted in contemporary style. In the evening (and at lunchtime at weekends), choose between an à la carte, a tasting menu inspired by wines from the property’s estates between Gavi and Langhe

Villa Sparina is an elegant rural resort named after its winery. The Orangerie hosts guests, whereas fine dining unfolds at La Gallina restaurant: amid rustic and elegant settings, contemporary cuisine is presented, drawing ample inspiration from Piedmont, as well as nearby Liguria (the dessert "Good Morning Genoa" playfully mimics breakfast with cappuccino and focaccia), though Campania references, the chef's homeland, never falter. Personalised wine selection: exclusively Champagne, abundant Piedmont choices, with particular emphasis on Barbaresco and Barolo.

A grandparents’ home has evolved into a charming bistro-like restaurant, while outdoors, the owner-curated garden beckons a peek. The cuisine is simple and classic, comforting, with certain regional dishes alongside fish courses, while an entire menu page is dedicated to risottos.

Situated in the countryside around Alessandria, this 18C farmhouse has a modern, minimalist decor which serves as a backdrop for traditional Piedmontese cuisine with a clever modern twist. The chef offers just the right amount of creativity, with a focus on meat dishes and satisfying, memorable flavours that appeal to the emotions as well as the palate. Adding to the appeal, the elegant and exclusive ambience is the result of careful refurbishment, which has transformed the dining room into a triumph of art and design.

Almost ten years after it opened, this restaurant run by the Billis twins is moving towards what its owners describe as a “new tradition” – a personalised way of interpreting local traditions through the lens of global influences. While maintaining roots in solid Piedmontese traditions, the cuisine combines local ingredients with international techniques. Examples include “roasted rice”, a dish which is cooked in the oven and then flavoured according to the season and whim of the chef, and the “Carpaccio in Ramino”, beef which is lightly seared in a copper pan with rosemary, bay leaf, salt and

In the evocative vaulted dining room that once housed the celebrated Cavallino, Ciccio Bistrot now brings to the table a forthright, deeply local cuisine, faithful to tradition and free of unnecessary digressions – except in the playful titles that punctuate the menu. Among the offerings, the whimsically named “no name” deserves a taste: agnolotti del plin served with the sauce of your choosing, a small ritual of personalization that wins over regulars. Each day brings a few off-menu delicacies, while wine maintains the role tradition assigns it: a discreet yet essential companion, supported b