Viora Mario Trattoria Villata In Gassino torinese

We arrived at Trattoria Villata Viora Mario during a stay in Montaldo. It was a Wednesday evening in August, and out of caution, we had called to make a reservation, even though it wouldn't have been necessary that evening: we were the only customers. From the outside, the restaurant goes almost unnoticed. The building, along the provincial road, has the appearance of an old country house, and even inside, time seems to have stood still. The rooms are very simple and dated, but we found them clean. Numerous photographs of the owners, friends, and customers hang on the walls, contributing to a familiar, almost homely atmosphere. We were welcomed by Mario, the owner, while his wife worked in the kitchen. The trattoria's unique character is evident almost immediately: here, you don't choose from a menu; you eat what's prepared and brought to the table. As soon as we were seated, without having yet ordered anything, the appetizers began to arrive: pickled vegetables, prosciutto crudo, carpaccio with mushrooms, vitello tonnato, grilled peppers, and other dishes. There was also an unlabeled bottle of red wine on the table. After all these appetizers, we were practically full. Mario then offered us tagliolini, homemade by his wife that same afternoon, for the first course, and mixed fried fish Piedmontese-style for the second course. We decided to stick with the first course: very simple tagliolini, with butter and sage, but tasty. To finish, I had dessert and my wife a coffee. We stayed another half hour chatting, and by the time we decided to pay, the kitchen had completely stopped making any noise, and Mario had disappeared. We went looking for him and found him asleep on a chair in the hallway. An episode that pretty much sums up the decidedly informal and unique spirit of the place. We didn't see a menu or price list. In the end, Mario verbally told us the total bill was 75 euros. The quality of the dishes seemed good overall, and the cuisine clearly reflects Piedmontese tradition. However, one of the pickled vegetables served to us had a rather peculiar smell that I personally didn't appreciate. Trattoria Villata Viora Mario isn't a place I'd usually choose, as I prefer more traditional service, with a menu, prices listed, and the ability to choose what to order. However, precisely because of its uniqueness, it was an experience we'll remember. I would recommend it to anyone in the area who wants to try something authentic, rustic, and decidedly out of the ordinary. However, you need to arrive knowing that you're not coming here to choose from the menu, but to trust completely in what's prepared in the kitchen.

We stumbled upon it by chance and didn't know how the service worked (we didn't want to know) because the great thing is that while we were sitting down, the never-ending appetizers were already arriving, followed by more first courses and more second courses, all Piedmontese dishes, desserts and drinks and digestifs galore. Excellent quality, everyone very kind and down-to-earth. I've never found a place like it.