Locanda del Pilone

We had a nice stay during a hot spell in June! As other reviews state: we LOVED the setting and VIEWS! It was QUIET and PEACEFUL and a short drive to downtown Alba. We enjoyed the food and wine very much and appreciated the CONVENIENCE of eating well on the premises. But be advised that this establishment is older and lacking insulation and cooling. We booked a standard room for the 2 of us which would have been fine if the Air Conditioning was working. It seemed to be running- but not cooling the room. Sleeping was difficult. I've truly never been so hot. The thermostat on the clock read 35 degrees celsuis at 7am and I believe it because it had been 40 degrees celsius when 1st woke up at 5am and we decided to open the small window without a breeze. Our second day I heard someone else complaining about the AC also. PRO TIP: Book the family suite that says it sleeps 5. It is worth a little more money. We were upgraded and it was much cooler and much more spacious. If I were to return when the weather is milder I would stay in the family suite again. The told me when I was there that its best to BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THEM BY E-MAIL. They have had problems with booking companies... Staff was friendly and helpful. However, rules are a little rigid. When we arrived after a 5 hour drive I asked if we could eat our lunch on the patio and was advised it would be better for us to go to our room and they would deliver wine if needed. It was disappointing. Also, I booked the bistro as I wanted to dine outside at the tables featured on the website. They told me they only serve lunch there. The bistro is located out front, under a covered porch which is not so impressive, but it turned out to have beautiful views of the sunset. The bistro food was delicious and surpassed out expectations! If you book dinner in the dining room then you are eating at the Michelin rated restaurant. They will do a custom wine pairing (the sommelier was thoughtful and passionate about the wine) and the server was very nice and was more flexible with the menu than I expected.

The location is wonderful overlooking the gently rolling out hills covered with vineyards. The room we got was large but came with 2 major downsides - paper thin walls that let you enjoy sanitary noises from the toilet next room or other noises when the neighbors are in the mood - the room overlooked the vineyards work area while giving you insights, makes you part of the team working down there - they start early… Excellent restaurant - made the mistake to go for a all white truffle - each dish was delicious but there is such a thing of too much of a thing