Founded by the Umbri, Gubbio is a stunning Medieval hilltown in Northern Umbria that holds the famous Eugubine Tablets, seven bronze slabs that survived from the ancient city of Iguvium. Engraved in the 2nd century BC, the tablets were discovered by a farmer in 1444 who later sold them for two years of grazing rights, having no idea of how valuable they would be to historians. The tablets are written in the local language of the time, the only documents of this ancient culture which has come down to us in a complete state, and underscore the importance of Gubbio as one, if not the most important political and religious centres of ancient Umbria, providing crucial evidence of the life of the region before Roman times. Housed in the impressive Palazza dei Popolo overlooking the Piazza Grande within the walled city of Gubbio, the building is an incredible example of Gothic architecture and holds the astounding Museo and Pinoteca Civico — custodian of the Tablets as well as an extraordinary collection of paintings, frescoes, ceramica and artifacts from Gubbio over the centuries.
No visit to Gubbio would be complete without a leisurely lunch at La Taverna del Lupo. Located in the historic centre of Gubbio, within the walls of a beautiful medieval building, La Taverna del Lupo is a landmark culinary destination for gourmet Umbrian cuisine. Run by the Mencarelli family since 1968, this award winning restaurant set within the stunningly beautiful barrel-vaulted interior, is one of the best restaurants in Umbria, which is why we make reservations for a leisurely lunch each time we visit Gubbio. With an exceptional menu of classic Umbian dishes, white linen draped tables, polished professional service and soft lighting to create a lovely warm ambiance, the restaurant also has an excellent wine cellar with over 5000 labels. We decided to fully embrace the exceptional quality of Taverna del Lupo's cuisine and chose to revolve our meal around a Bistecca di Chianna alla Griglia, a specialty of the region and one of the premier cuts of beef in Italy, and is generally served in portions large enough for two people to share, which is what we decided to do. To start our lunch we selected the Delizie Tipiche della Taverna, a parade of five plates of appetizers typical of the region, that were simply outstanding. Deliziosa.
Overlooking the Chiana Valley from the Palazza dei Popolo
La Taverna del Lupo is a landmark culinary destination for gourmet Umbrian cuisine in Gubbio
Run by the Mencarelli family since 1968, this award winning restaurant set within the stunningly beautiful barrel-vaulted interior, is one of the best restaurants in Umbria
Beautifully set tables with linens, fine stemware and custom ceramic bases for the table lighting,
which are made in Gubbio with the iconic red, green and cream hues
Elegant stemware and pressed linens add to the elegant ambiance
A carved wood buffet sits in the centre of the dining room with a dramatic candelabra
Taverna del Lupo menu of classic Umbrian dishes
Montresor Cuvée Royale prosecco
Delicious and with lots of tiny bubbles
Selection of grissini and fresh baked bread
Prosciutto di Parma on Gnocco Fritto, the first of six appetizers as part of Taverna del Lupo's Delizie 'Tipiche della Taverna', a parade of seven plates of appetizers typical of the region
Luxurious scrambled eggs with shaved white truffles and topped with fresh parmigiana cheese
Sformato di zucchine con crema di parmigiana
Sautéed Porcini mushrooms with shaved parmigiana and arugula
Carne cruda affettata con crème fraîche
Prosciutto Cotto
Anatra a fette con carota: Sliced Duck
Wine glasses and bottle of red wine on a small side table waiting to be served
A very special 2013 Campo alla Cerqua Montefalco Sagrantino by Tabarrini
Decanting the wine to allow the wine to breath and become more full flavoured
The decanted wine set on our table along with the bottle and cork
An intense and fullbodied red wine from Umbria, it was the perfect wine for our
Bistecca Fiorentina de Chianina
Brecce Rosse olive oil for the Fiorentina
Himalayan pink sea salt to be used as a garnish for the Fiorentina
Our wonderful server carving the Fiorentina tableside
The tenderloin of the Fiorentina is the finest cut, and is served with great reverence
This lovely fellow has served us each and very time we have dined at Taverna del Lupo and he is retiring this November 2019 after 35 years
Served 'sangue', the Fiorentina at Taverna del Lupo is outstanding and the most flavourful
of any Fiorentina we enjoy while in Umbria
The handsome carved bone is set on the table for us to admire and slice additional steak if we so choose
Porcini Trifolati
Patate Arrosto
Sformato di carote
Complimentary biscotti and talian meringues
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