Valdostana Fondue is simple to prepare but requires several steps. First and foremost is the Fontina, which, once deprived of its crust, is covered with milk and left to rest for a couple of hours. After this time, it is removed from the liquid and placed in a double boiler on the heat, adding pieces of butter. When the cheese has melted, egg yolks are added, and the mixture is stirred until it reaches a creamy consistency. At this point, it is brought to the table and served with crostini and vegetables of choice (boiled potatoes first and foremost).
Here are the 7 best restaurants where to Eat Fondue in Aosta
Le Bar à Vin – Trattoria di mont
Trattoria. Alongside excellent charcuterie and cheese boards without territorial constraints, there is a line of simple, delicious, and well-executed cuisine, featuring the symbol dishes of the Valley, such as carbonada and fondue. The fondue is prepared with alpine Fontina and served in a cocotte with bread crostini and a selection of cured meats. The various polenta recipes are highly requested. The atmosphere is comfortable, with two rooms on two levels. Good drinks at fair prices, even beyond the region. There is also a beautiful outdoor seating area.
Le Bar à Vin – Trattoria di montagna – via Porta Pretoria, 63 – 0165 263842 – www.lebaravin.it
Trattoria Il Boccio
Trattoria. Reopened in 2021 after various vicissitudes, it is a welcoming two-level venue with wooden floors, walls, and furnishings, complemented by a large outdoor area and two heated verandas. People come here to taste dishes inspired by tradition, based on carefully chosen ingredients made more interesting with a touch of creativity. Lardo d'Arnad with chestnuts in honey, spaghetti alla chitarra with game ragu, Valdostana fondue accompanied by mocetta, bread crostini, and pickles, carbonada with polenta, and, for dessert, cream of Cogne with typical tegole. Alternatively, pizzas are available.
Trattoria Il Boccio – via Sant’Anselmo, 55 – 0165 364412 – www.trattoriailboccio.com
Da Nando
Trattoria. For more than sixty years, the Scarpa family, from generation to generation, has dedicatedly and professionally managed this establishment a few meters from the Collegiate Church of Saints Peter and Orso, in the heart of the city. The kitchen is strictly traditional, with sincere and well-executed dishes of sure satisfaction. Among the highlights is Valdostana fondue, served with black bread crostini and wholemeal polenta. After sampling one of the available cheeses and a delicious homemade spoon dessert, it is recommended to try the "friendship coffee" served in the grolla, the typical cup with spouts.
Da Nando – via Sant’Anselmo, 99 – 0165 44455 – ristorante-osteria-nando-aosta.business.site/
l’Osteria
Trattoria. Between Porta Pretoria and Piazza Chanoux, in the city center, a sign of ultracentennial history, now a valid outpost for Valley cuisine. The promising options on the menu reveal their richness of flavors upon tasting. Snails à la bourguignonne and Bleu d'Aosta, liver pâté and figs, tagliatelle with venison ragu (the pasta is made in-house daily, as are the desserts), ravioli with braised butter and sage, Gressonara-style cod, wild boar stew with Pinot Noir, various types of polenta, and then the classic Valdostana fondue, satisfying both the eyes and the palate. Wines are up to par.
l’Osteria – via Porta Pretoria, 13 – 0165 40111 – www.losteria.aosta.it
L’Osteria dell’Oca
Restaurant. Spread over three levels, it has various tastefully furnished environments, carefully detailed, and for the beautiful season, a sought-after outdoor area. From the open kitchen come seasonal dishes and proposals with a strong traditional connotation, well-executed and presented with grace. Among Parisian snails, oven-baked goose thigh, rabbit casserole, carbonada with polenta, and fondue with crostini, the journey is a pleasure. Pizzas, soups, and salads are also available. The cellar also brings joy, featuring regional labels and from the rest of the peninsula, plus a few crossings.
L’Osteria dell’Oca – via E. Aubert, 15 – 0165 231419 – www.ristoranteosteriadelloca.it
Trattoria Praetoria
Trattoria. Near the Roman Porta Pretoria, from which it takes its name, in the pedestrian area (but with a convenient parking lot 100 meters away), it is a classic of city dining, a safe and reliable haven. Articulated in several rooms, it is the right place to take a journey into traditional flavors, thanks to a consolidated repertoire that does not disappoint. Among the standout offerings are selections of cold cuts and cheeses, carbonada with polenta, tagliolini with venison ragu, and an honorable version of fondue. Commendable is the presence of numerous gluten-free dishes. Regional wines take center stage in the cellar.
Trattoria Praetoria – via Sant’Anselmo, 9 – 0165 35473 – www.trattoriapraetoria.it
Sapori di casa
Restaurant. You feel comfortable in this well-furnished, tranquil center establishment. The kitchen caters to both those who crave something more creative and those who want to stick to tradition. Drawing from both, there are chestnut gnocchi with Bleu d'Aosta cream and pine nuts, homemade tagliolini with wild boar ragu, oven-baked larded quail with vegetables, carbonada with polenta, and Valdostana fondue. A cheese tasting crafted by small local producers can precede dessert, with a simple and delicious soft apple cake standing out. The wine list is focused on the offer.
Sapori di casa – via Vaudan Marché, 15 – 331 7041447 – www.facebook.com/saporidicasaaosta/
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