Caffè Umberto is an informal restaurant very similar to a bistro serving cosmopolitan cuisine made of all the uniqueness of Latin culinary culture of the Old Continent: seasonal vegetables, homemade pasta with slow processing dogh, lean meats and fresh-caught fish.
IN THE KITCHEN
Luca Boffa, Chef and owner of Caffè Umberto.
Luca Boffa, chef from Alba, represents the story of Caffè Umberto, whose management is in the hands of the family since the 80s, when it was already a reference point and a trendy place for the region.
The continuous experimentation and research, both in the kitchen and in the vanguard concept in catering, have brought Luca to transform Caffè Umberto in what it is today: an informal and cosmopolitan place, where recipes and flavors of the Mediterranean and the Old Continent merge in a pleasant mélange fusion.
The highest quality and freshness of raw materials, combined with a large and sophisticated wines-list, make Caffè Umberto a unique place and provide a satisfying experience for either a quick lunch break or an elegant and refined dinner.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Caffè Umberto a high quality simple meal can become a lavish banquet that will satisfy the desires of the most demanding gourmand.
At Caffè Umberto every single ingredient used to contribute to the success of the dish is selected after careful research and comparison between the various specialist suppliers from all over Europe.
The excellence in terms of taste, whose peculiar characteristics are then enhanced by a skillful preparation and an aesthetic that dress the plate with deliberate simple characters, aim to preserve an honest relationship between the real substance of the proposed food, the cook and those who eat.
The atmosphere of refined contemporary setting allows you to enjoy the meal in a more informal setting, the stations at the counter, or more reserved, at the tables in the dining room where there is also the circular “grand table”. This table is placed in front of the see-throught cellar, a temperature controlled glass cube housing the best wine vintages of the great crus and fulfilling the emblematic completion of the gastronomic and architectural journey in this unique and charming place.
THE MENU
Caffè Umberto is a showcase of taste and every day consistently adheres to the philosophy with which it was born: research on the international gastronomic scene the highest quality raw materials.
That is why on the menu at Caffè Umberto you can find Spain’s celebrated Sanfilippo brand Cantabrian Sea anchovies, top quality Joselito Iberian ham and salamis, prized baccalà fished off the Portuguese coast, premium cuts of meat that come exclusively from Piedmont farms selected by Macelleria Oberto in Alba, flavoursome cheeses supplied by the expert Franco Parola of Saluzzo, and the freshest shellfish from Imperia.
Do not miss the coffee – the 100% Arabica blend from coffee roaster Gianni Frasi’s renowned Laboratorio di Torrefazione in Verona.
THE CAFFÈ UMBERTO PANTRY
All products used in the kitchen by the brigade of chefs are on display on the pantry shelves lining the walls at Caffè Umberto.
The packs on display are representative of the products and raw materials that you will find in our dishes and so are available for sale. For example the rough-texture bronze-cut pasta of the old established company Cav. Giuseppe Cocco of Fara San Martino in the Abruzzi and the organic rice, grown in Vercelli by the Rondolino family.
THE WINE LIST
The selection of the Caffè Umberto bottles has more than 600 wines sub-divided among the main Italian regions from north to south and the most renowned wine-producing foreign countries.
Alongside Barolos and Barbarescos from the best-known producers there are minor but equally noble varieties from small, sought-after local wineries, great Bordeaux reds and sipping whites from the French Atlantic coast, prized Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the heart of Burgundy, and the pink and white bubbles of Champagne. Particular attention is reserved for autochthonous wines produced bio-dynamically using the wild yeast fermentation technique, and which have a low sulphide content.
At Cafe Umberto you can enjoy wine by the glass according to the selection of the day.
WHERE WE ARE
The historic center of Alba, in the heart of the Langhe, is the ideal setting where you can taste the dishes of traditional Piedmontese cuisine and more.
Caffè Umberto is located under the arcades of the central Piazza Michele Ferrero (Ex Piazza Savona, west side), the “drawing room” of Alba, a wide pedestrian area in the heart of the city, recently given back to townspeople with new greenery and urban furniture.
The outdoor area of Caffè Umberto overlooking the piazza during summer becomes a tourist magnet for gastronomes who come from all over the world to enjoy the food and wine culture of the capital of the Langhe.
Piazza Michele Ferrero, 4 12051 Alba (CN)
Tel.: (+39) 0173.33994
Fax: (+39) 0173.220629
mail: info@caffeumberto.it
