Where to eat in the Sila National Park

The Parco della Sila includes plateaus, forests, artificial lakes, mountains and no less than 600 kilometres of trails, which can be explored by hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and e-biking, and birdwatching. It is the right time of year for chestnuts, mushrooms and berries, but there are also many typical products: caciocavallo silano Dop and other cheeses, wild saffron, honey, potatoes from Sila, cured meats, black pork and Podolica beef. Here the best addresses.

Where to eat in the Sila Park

Where to eat in Acri

Il Carpaccio

Trattoria. A place in the hills where the territory is celebrated with Calabrian ingredients and dishes that, although more “modern”, do not deviate from a healthy interpretation of tradition, such as the sausage ravioli with yellow cherry tomato sauce or the barbecued black suckling pig, where the morsels of pork are accompanied by the classic “mpacchiuse” potatoes, but are drizzled with a cooked must sauce with sweet and sour notes almost reminiscent of the Far East. Good choice of bottles, not only regional, pleasant outdoor seating.

Il Carpaccio – contrada Cocozzello, 197/A – 0984 949205 – Facebook

Vadolì

Pizzeria. Fabiano Pansini brings all his skill and creativity to the table, proposing delicious mini buns (the amatriciana one is excellent) and single portions of pan pizza before moving on to the real star, the pizza, with a 75% leavening dough and the use of only type 1 flour. The menu is well thought out, such as the Rape e Alici (fiordilatte, cream of turnip, pistachio-flavoured stracciatella di bufala, anchovy fillets from Anoia, broccoletto della Sila, fried turnip leaf, crusco pepper powder). The desserts on the menu are excellent.

Vadolì – via S. Scervini, 21 – 347 9331657 – vadoli.it

Where to eat in Albi

Osteria San Nicola

Trattoria. In a pleasant, central and panoramic location, this restaurant's strength lies in the simplicity of its menu, prepared with seasonal ingredients that are mostly km0. One sits in a well-kept environment, in winter with a lit fireplace, while when the weather is favourable one eats on the terrace. If you are a fan of mushrooms, here you will find them in every way, raw in carpaccio, to season egg noodles, or cooked in a pan with potatoes. Reservations are recommended.

Osteria San Nicola – via Aldo Moro, 4 – 334 9054870 – Facebook

Where to eat in Bocchigliero

San Rocco

Agritourism. Named after the town's patron saint and distinguished by its careful family management, the farmhouse is located a few kilometres south of the town centre and offers both rooms and flats with all the necessary comforts, a swimming pool, stables for horses and plenty of greenery around. Upon reservation, you can enjoy the classic local cuisine, ranging from the inevitable antipasto misto with cheeses, cured meats, pickles and other tasty morsels, to first courses with tasty seasonal sauces. Plus grilled meats, pizzas, desserts and house wine.

San Rocco – contrada Marmare – 324 8959777-348 0643799 – Facebook

Where to eat in Casali del Manco

Tullio Bistrot dal 1993

Bistrot. A multitasking address in the heart of the village, with non-stop hours from 6am to midnight. Breakfast time is punctuated by delicious croissants, pastries and muffins made in-house, espressos and well-made cappuccinos. Cakes, tarts, monoportions and mignons also come from the pastry laboratory, ideal for a mouth-watering break, as do gelatos in various flavours. During the festive season, Easter eggs plus dove cakes and panettone cakes made with sourdough starter. Sandwiches, burgers, chopping boards and snacks of the day accompany cocktails and glasses of wine.

Tullio Bistrot dal 1993 – località Spezzano Piccolo via F. Gullo, 13 – 331 7511696 – tulliobistrot.it

Where to eat in Celico

4 Stelle

Agritourism. A family-run facility in the countryside. There are well-kept, quiet rooms, and there is a restaurant where everything speaks of authenticity. After the inevitable mixture of antipastini, try the fresh, hand-rolled pastas with various condiments (fusilli al ferretto, tagliatelle, ravioli), fried meatballs, tasty 'mpacchiuse' potatoes, grilled meats, and desserts that taste good. Cured meats, dairy products and cheeses, vegetables, preserves and meat can be bought at the shop. Always book.

4 Stelle – s.da prov.le 206 contrada Lagarò-Lupinacci, 113 – 329 1771869-333 7514827 – agriturismo4stelle.com

Where to eat in Corigliano-Rossano

Bistrot La Cantina

Trattoria. A safe and reliable address since 1969, run by Patrizia (in the dining room) and Beppe (in the kitchen). The cuisine is pure Calabrian; among the house specialities, to be enjoyed after the ritual of the various appetiser samples, are bean soup, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, 'nduja and caciocavallo cheese gnocchi, kid stew, stew and meatballs. Sweet conclusion with homemade tarts and liqueurs. An intelligent selection of labels accompanies everything. No-frills ambience, outdoor tables.

Bistrot La Cantina – località Cantinella via Favella della Corte, 15 – 0983 808025 – Facebook

Mimosa

Pizzeria. Pizza of the Neapolitan school has its worthy outpost in this spacious restaurant, complete with outdoor area. Among the toppings, great classics and more original toppings, for example the Mantovana with fiordilatte, pumpkin cream, rolled bacon and scamorza cheese. Even for the doughs, in addition to the traditional ones, alternative flours (wholemeal, cereal, hemp) are proposed in rotation. Worth tasting are the calzone and the pizza aria, a kind of thick and soft focaccia. Cheesecake and Pizzo truffle in closing.

Mimosa – Corigliano Scalo via Cardame, 22 – 0983 886731 - Facebook

Where to eat in Cotronei

Il Ritrovo da Cristina

Trattoria. A simple and essential place to eat, next to a petrol station, run by Signora Cristina with the help of her family. Rustic furnishings, a fireplace lit in winter and home cooking based on daily groceries, but also pizzas. The fresh pastas are handmade, the grilled meats and game are cooked to perfection, and in the right season the mushrooms are the stars. To close, there is nothing better than a slice of homemade tart.

Il Ritrovo da Cristina – località Trepidò Sottano – 0962 46038 – Facebook

La Taverna dei Briganti

Agritourism. Surrounded by greenery and unspoilt views, it offers hospitality in comfortable, quiet rooms. In addition, at the restaurant - a beautiful rustic setting in winter with a lit fireplace - there is straightforward, tasty and genuine cuisine based on home-grown ingredients. Fresh pasta, bread and pastries are home-made. Excellent Calabrian black pork sausages are available for sale, and there is also an educational farm. Booking required.

La Taverna dei Briganti – contrada Difisella – 0962 491979 - latavernadeibriganti.it

Where to eat in Longobucco

La Campanara

Trattoria. A solid outpost of traditional, authentic and homemade cuisine, to be enjoyed in a cosy ambience and friendly atmosphere. The gastronomic journey begins with the inevitable mixed antipasto, which alone constitutes almost a complete meal, then it is the turn of the fresh, handmade pasta served with porcini mushrooms or with mutton sauce or with peppers and toasted breadcrumbs. For the main course, roast meats and sausages are served with tasty fried Sila potatoes. Desserts and house wine, rooms to stay the night.

La Campanara – via G. Mazzini, 18 – 328 8013013 – lacampanara.it

Where to eat in San Giovanni in Fiore

Il Chiosco di Zio Tomas

Street Food. In this wooden kiosk, you can enjoy excellent sandwiches with sausage (or with caciocavallo cheese and mushrooms), sandwiches with bacon (perhaps in combination with turnips), with grilled chicken, with pork fillet (the combination with onion and caciocavallo cheese is highly recommended). Obviously all grilled. The menu is rich, the proposal genuine but the result of good quality ingredients and expert cooking. You can also buy some preserves. Branch office in Lorica, Via Nazionale.

Il Chiosco di Zio Tomas – via Panoramica – 329 2026172 – Facebook

Hyle all’Hotel Biafora

Restaurant. Inside a comfortable four-star hotel with spa surrounded by the beauty of the Sila mountains, this is a modern restaurant, both in concept and in cuisine, the work of the talented chef Antonio Biafora, characterised by a great curiosity for Japanese culture, but very much linked to the territory in the choice of raw materials and in the use of certain techniques, such as those related to food preservation. The bread-making is excellent, and the wine cellar is appropriate to the context, with the possibility of tasting sessions.

Hyle all’Hotel Biafora – s.s. 107 contrada Torre Garga – 0984 970722 – hyleristorante.it

Where to eat in Sersale

Carrozzino

Agritourism. Not easy to reach, surrounded by greenery, about 1,000 metres above sea level, it has large spaces furnished with simplicity in rustic style and a dehors. The cuisine, in the hands of Signora Rosa, the owner, is homemade, genuine and tasty. A typical menu consists of a rich hors d'oeuvre with various assortments (cured meats, pickles, cheeses, etc.), handmade tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, suckling pig in porchetta, tart with maison marmalade and tiramisu, all washed down with spring water and house wine. Reservation required, rooms.

Carrozzino – s.da prov.le 20 per Buturo, km 4 – località Carrozzino – 331 2976855 – Facebook

Where to eat in Spezzano della Sila

La Tavernetta

Restaurant. One of the best addresses in the region. Here the Lecce family has succeeded in creating a place that carries the name of Sila with its gastronomic excellence and culinary traditions. In the kitchen, young Emanuele moves with experience and tact, managing to untangle the many ingredients that this land offers, especially when it comes to mushrooms, truffles, and game. An amusing and tasteful cuisine is well supported by a wide-ranging wine list. All this in an elegant, minimalist-style setting. The owners also have a hotel.

La Tavernetta – frazione Camigliatello Silano contrada Campo San Lorenzo, 12 – 379 2514977 – sanlorenzosialberga.it

Fiorella

Agritourism. Just a stone's throw from the centre, near La Conca della Fossiata, the largest forest complex in Sila Grande, a well-managed facility offering hospitality in rooms and flats with all the necessary facilities, refreshments with tasty, well-made dishes prepared with vegetables from their own garden and typical local products (mushrooms in primis, but also meat and cheese) and the opportunity for many activities in the immediate surroundings. Maison preserves, cheeses, cured meats on sale. Always book.

Fiorella – frazione Camigliatello Silano strada prov.le 247 contrada Labonia – 0984 579217 – fiorellacibirurali.it

Where to eat in Zagarise

Contrada Carrozzino

Restaurant. Francesca De Fazio is at the helm of this multifaceted establishment in the quiet and green surroundings of a lush garden. The culinary proposal stands out from the average, if it is true that the raw materials used are mostly km0 and many are home-grown, it is equally true that the right dose of creativity makes each dish a little bit special. At the right time of year, porcini mushrooms are the absolute protagonists, from starter to dessert. Quiet and tastefully furnished rooms are available. Reservations essential.

Contrada Carrozzino – contrada Carrozzino – 339 2171415 - Facebook