Places to eat and drink in Acquasparta and surrounding towns
The best place to enjoy the Palazzo Cesi is from Caffé La Piazza or Bar Loretti, both favourite local spots, both have tables and chairs set out during the summer months and there is a nice buzz with families and kids playing and the locals discussing the never ending debates / arguments that all Italians seem to be constantly having! You can sit outside and enjoy a coffee or a beer in the newly restored piazza, which up until 2005 was actually used as a car park! Both bars are relaxed and friendly and you will always find the local men huddled over a game of cards inside. They also serve light snacks and great ice cream. Caffé La Piazza is closed on Mondays and Bar Loreti is closed Tuesday.
Further up heading out of the town on Corso Dei Lincei you have Barrique 255, newly restored and renamed to 'Bar Holidays' caffetteria and wine bar. They have tables outside during the summer months and serve light snacks, beer and wine. There is a Pizzeria on Via Stelluti offering inexpensive pizza slices to take away. Open Tuesday - Saturday 8.20am-13.30pm and again from 15.40 - 20.30. It also opens on Sunday afternoon from 15.40 - 20.30.
Pub al 55 is just 2 mins from Casa Lillà and they open about 9pm till late but are closed on Sundays, the owners, Vincenzo and Patrizia are very nice and tell them you are staying at Casa Lillà and they will look after you. They have a nice seated area outside under a large canopy which is great in during the long summer nights. They usually have live music on Saturdays upstairs. Just watch out for the Belgium beer though, it is very strong!
Ristorante L'Agape on Via Bentivenga (just off Galileo Galilei ) which is part of Martini hotel offers a large variety of local Umbrian dishes. The restaurant has been tastefully refurbished and is open for both lunch and dinner. They serve local pasta such as picchiarelli and fire grilled meats. The owner / chef Lucianna is a very nice lady and has won lots of awards for her cooking, it is a lovely place to sample real Umbrian fare cooked well. Closed Tuesdays.
Just at the bottom of our road we have a newly opened (spring 2008) ristorante, named "Le Chat Noir" of all things, and no it is not French. They serve antipasti dishes, some pasta and meat dishes, and great pizza. They also do take away pizzas and have a little bar, it is a nice and cosy little place.
One of our favourite places for take away pizza is 'Acquas Partas' Pizzeria & Focacceria which is on the main road as you are coming into the town on the left hand side. Here you can find pizza slices, panini, foccacia bread as well as a large and inexpensive take away menu, the main pizza menu is on the wall behind the counter. It's a great place to buy some munchies for a picnic, they are closed on Wednesday.
Outside of Acquasparta a short drive away is another favourite, Il Vecchio Mulino agriturismo. On leaving Acquasparta take a left before the station heading towards Massa Martana. The farm is well signposted taking a right turn at the first junction. Is a friendly family run business offering truly local cuisine, most of which they produce on their own farm. There are no menus here and a typical meal consists of local antipasti, two pasta dishes and a selection of meats cooked over the fire, followed by salad and or vegetables, desert, grappa, limencello and coffee! Also included are wine and water. It is incredibly good value and we would advise on booking before hand, especially for Sunday lunch.
There are more restaurants and Agritourismo in Portaria which is only a few minutes drive from Acquasparta, Ristorante L'Arieta is very good and one of our favourite places for Sunday lunch, you can sit outside and enjoy the views of the countryside. In the center of Portaria 'centro storico' there is a traditional trattoria, Due Sorelle, serving very authentic Umbrian fare in. For a more refined dinning experiance there is a wonderful ristorante, L'Umbriaco, serving local Umbrian food with a contemporary twist.
Supermarkets & Bakeries
There are three main supermarkets in Acquasparta. Superconti supermarket is on your left as you are driving in to the town or just at the bottom of our road, Via IV Novembre, across the street. The deli counter here is good; of course the best place to buy salami and cheeses is 'Tradizione Umbre' our local salami shop, the owner Marina and her husband are very friendly and they make a lot of the produce themselves, it is all the best we have tasted and we highly recommend them. There is also a butcher and Tabaccheria beside the Superconti supermarket.
Further up the hill take the first left turn just opposite the newspaper Kiosk you will find the Conad on the left. This is the better supermarket to buy meat. Close to the Conad you have Aldo and Ilaria's fruit and veg shop Mondo frutta, it is the best place to buy your fruit and veg. They also supply local wines and pasta and one of their specialities is fresh buffalo Mozzarella from Campagna, really delicious. At the top of the hill when you pass the little bunch of shops and the pharmacy on the left you will see the maxi sidis. If you want to buy meats or bread from the deli counter take a ticket and wait for your number, again just point if you don't know how to ask in Italian. Our favourite bakery is on the road behind the conad supermarket, but you need to get there early cause by afternoon they never have much left!
Market Day-Thursday
This is a big morning for the town and very busy. It is a good idea to walk as it is impossible to park anywhere and also the main town is closed off to traffic. You will find the best fish available from the fish man who is parked opposite the Conad supermarket. Take a ticket from the end of his van and keep an eye out for your number on the little clock. It doesn't matter if you can't ask for what you want in Italian just point! He will dangle the fish in front of you to make sure; he also guts it and may even give you instructions on how to cook it! We love the gamberi, lovely big king prawns, which are really sweet, lovely tossed in pasta with some fresh tomato, chilli and rocket. There are also a couple of "Porchetta" vans selling pork pannini. If you don't want any fat just ask for one "magro". All shops are also open on Thursday but close at 1 / 1.30pm for half day. Please remember most shops close from 1pm until 4 / 4.30pm every day. Supermarkets then stay open until 8pm at night. The conad supermarket now stays open during lunch time, except on Thursdays, and both the superconti and conad supermarkets open on Sunday mornings during the summer months, July and August only, from 9 - 1pm.
Read Our Guest Comments