06/04/2024: It is unacceptable not to go to the "Ristorante dei Pini" in Spoleto at least once. The... "risk", however, is that it could become a habit because you eat well, you spend the right amount, the food is plentiful, the service is fast, the 'mise en place' has a tablecloth and is clean, the management is familiar, the raw materials are local and selected, with extreme rigor, by the owner, Mr. Giancarlo. Furthermore, Mr. Giancarlo is a historical figure for the people of Spoleto, a man from other times, one of those people who are always careful to ensure that everything works well and serves the customers.
But be careful! You need to book or call to find out if you can go for lunch or dinner as the place is always full, as restaurants everywhere are not for tourists, but frequented by local people and representatives who have been loyal for years, aware of quality and prices not at all expensive.
If you read reviews from tourists who claim, however, that they were sent away in a bad way because there was no room or other silly complaints, such as that there is no menu card, etc., ignore them. By frequenting the Pines, we have personally ascertained that sometimes tourists arrive in groups, demanding to be able to eat and sometimes there is no time to welcome them properly since the place is crowded and perhaps there are birthdays or family celebrations taking place. When will you meet Giancarlo and the two sons, Nicola and Alfredo who together with the good Alessandro serve the customers, you will understand, therefore, that any gestures of denial made to tourists who arrived en masse at a late hour cannot have been done otherwise than by smiling, with sympathy and managing to make only a quick no from a distance, moving his finger and smiling... A very clear gestural "We're sorry" which I have seen from some negative reviews to have been interpreted, unfairly, as rudeness.
As regards the Menu Card whose absence is lamented by some, however, it exists, but it is made of flesh, bones, brain and heart and is called... Giancarlo :-) The order, in fact, is always taken directly by the owner and this is part of the tradition of the place. Giancarlo approaches the table and begins to list the dishes from memory (always fresh and prepared daily) to the point that this "litany" of his has made Giancarlo one of the most characteristic and likeable Spoleto characters; to the point of being even quoted and imitated in theatrical performances. On the Internet, in social media, there is a video showing Giancarlo in action; look for it.
And now: bon appetit!
30/03/2024: This restaurant is truly an institution in Spoleto. Mr. Giancarlo opened it in 1971, it is a trattoria with typical Spoleto cuisine. The raw material is of excellent quality, the portions are generous and the cost-quality ratio is excellent! Super recommended!
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