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Collepino: Taverna S. Silvestro

Phone: 0742.651203

Reviewed by: Russell Wayne from CT, review #1898

When: 2005

A tiny gem in the middle of a tiny, quiet, medieval village up in the hills. Pasta piccante was stupendous. This rest was great, too.

Directions: Up the hill several kilometers north of Spello. Go slow, since there's a steep cliff on your right side. Collepino is tiny. It's the only "sizable" place you'll see.

We were staying in Spello and wanted to go just outside town for a meal. So S. Silvestro was a logical choice. The short drive from Spello was uneventful, but even though it took no more than 10 minutes we were convinced that we had gone through a time warp. No bright lights along the way; nothing.

And then we saw a stone wall with an unlit sign for Taverna S. Silvestro. Very easy to miss. We parked alongside two other cars outside the town walls and ventured within. Absolutely quiet and barely lit, with walls that were so close one could touch both sides at once. We walked perhaps 100 yards and couldn't believe that we were in the right place. And then we saw a light on the right side.

We walked down a small path toward the light and came to Taverna San Silvestro, a brightly lit (inside) restaurant with no more than 10 tables. Only one was occupied. We remained in shock until the waitress came over with menus and then began to realize that we had not left the planet. Everything was excellent. What stood out for me was the Pasta Piccante, the finest pasta dish I had ever had.

Altogether, our meal came to about 55 euros and included the young lady's e-mail address in case we wanted to help her practice English after we returned home. Highly recommended for a change of pace and a most pleasant meal.

Reviewed by: Amy from MA (moderator), review #517

When: 2003

Great food in a beautiful, tiny hamlet a short drive up into the hills beyond Spello.

Directions: From Spello, find the tiny road up to Collepino. Park outside the walls, and wander in to Via Collepino. The restaurant is next to the outdoor caffe.

This is a small, family run restaurant in the tiny hamlet. Mama cooks, teenage son waits tables in the pretty dining room. Nice variety on the menu, but what they actually have of course varies with the seasons. Bruschetta with pomodoro was very good; tagliatelle with porcini tasted of mushroom and herbs instead of heavy sauce; and the kids' cinghiale ragu over tagliatelle was intense and delicious. I had one of the best filets I've ever had--great quality meat, grilled over wood, and served over arugula and lemon slices. Roast lamb was also excellent. Nice salad, and lovely grilled eggplant brushed with pesto. The four of us ate an excellent, full meal (2 antipasti, 2 primi, 2 secondi, 2 contorni, (no wine) for 46 euros.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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Collepino: Taverna S. Silvestro

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