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From Risotto Alla Milanese to Spaghetti Alla Carbonara, Italy’s gastronomical adroitness is second-to-none, which is why a guide to the most applauded farm-to-plate restaurants in the country which cultivated no less than 10 million tonnes of fruit, along with 7 million tones of vegetables, appeared to be, for lack of a better word, apt. Don’t believe us? Feast your eyes on our guide down below.
1) Il Melograno, Puglia, Italy
Nestled inside a picturesque stone courtyard, which once served as a masseria throughout the 17th-century to protect Puglia’s pungent produce from Sarcans, this restaurant, with it’s interior outlined by serpentine vines and surroundings punctuated by aeon old olive trees with their branches reaching up to the empyrean overhead, is one which envelops the Mediterranean philosophy to a T, from the chefs employing ingredients cultivated in it’s own kitchen to the homemade olive oil.
Address: Contrada Torricella, 345, 70043 Monopoli BA, Italy | Website: melograno.com | Email: info@melograno.com | Instagram: @ilmelogranomasseria | Facebook: @Masseria Il Melograno
2) Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges, Sicily, Italy
Positioned alongside Sicily’s tempestuous volcanic seaboard, Donna Carmela is an eatery which basks in the subtropical gardens it’s enveloped by. Helmed by sophisticated chef Piergiorgio Alecci, it’s menu is brought-to-life through fresh garden produce and a Mediterranean ethos.
Address: Contrada, Via Grotte, 7, 95018 Carruba CT, Italy | Website: donnacarmela.com/en/hotel-with-restaurants-catania.html: | Email: info@donnacarmela.com | Phone: +39 095 809383 | Instagram: @donna_carmela | Facebook: @donnacarmelaresort
3) Susafa, Sicily, Italy
For this family-run, 200 year old farmhouse, the phrase ‘farm to table’ is not an axiom but an quintessence, one which sees it harvest, along with press its own olives and cherries and where chefs pluck their own herbs and vegetables in preparation for each serving. Guests are also presented with the opportunity to, after feasting on a menu catalysed by Italy’s rich heritage and made up of seasonal produce, purchase their own commodities including selections for pasta, pizza and pastries.
Address: Contrada Susafa, 90028 Polizzi generosa PA, Italy | Website: susafa.com/en | Email: info@susafa.com | Phone: +39 091 7487477 | Instagram: @susafait | Facebook: @masseriasusafa
4) Il Canto Del Maggio
Resting at the centre of a classical, Italian hamlet where a hillside garden provides plentiful fruit and vegetables, Il Canto del Maggio’s menu emphases the piquant, cuisine synonymous with agrarian Tuscany, all of which can be enjoyed amidst an intimate nook set inside a garden which blooms with flora and fauna in the summer. If you find yourself in Tuscany during the colder months, this 32 year old family-run restaurant is equipped for that too.
Address: Loc, Via della Penna Alta, 30/d, 52028 Terranuova Bracciolini AR, Italy | Website: cantodelmaggio.com/en/il-canto-del-maggio | Email: ilcantodelmaggio@gmail.com | Phone: +39 339 264 16 72 | Instagram: @canto_del_maggio | Facebook: @OsteriaIlCantoDelMaggio