Osteria Nella Pia' - CARRARA

We stopped here for a coffee. We got Latte macchiato and it was excellent. Also, it was very cheap. Lady that served us was nice, too.

After a trip to Cave 177 to learn about marble, we decided to drive up the road which ends in Colonnata. There were several places to eat in town, but this looked the most restaurant like compared to the other panini type places that were open. The food was OK, just simple family cooking. The wine was nice, but seemed a bit pricey for the restarant. Service was good, the proprietor friendly, but the menu is really small. All in all, just OK.

Historical architecture with nice interiors. Friendly service. Nevertheless we did not like the resatuarant for the menu; too much sophisticated and not really 'cooked '. Clever arranged and presented dishes that pretend to be something special but are not. Beware of too complicated dishes, because Italian food is not this... Maybe you are better off with a simple dishe in the other places of the small Colonnata village where workers of the marble caves still today use to eat the famous lardo simoly with bread and red wine. Anyway the lardo was very good.

We stumbled up to Colonata while looking for the Marble Quarry visitors location. We asked a local at the 'Larderia ' and she pointed us up to Osteria Nella Pia. This is a simple Osteria but served excellent food. Unknown ot us, Lardo is a local speciality which is sort of pork fat cured into a delicate solid white as Carrera Marble. It is served thinly sliced or mixed with Pasta or other dishes. Definietly worth a try if you 're in the area. We are mostly vegetarian and were a little perplexed when we looked at the menu but ordered the Tagliatelli with Lardo and Olives Superb. the Duck (Anatra) with Lardo was one of the best Duck dishes we have tasted anywhere and rivals the best ever Duck in China or Paris. We did send the last few slices of duck back for an extra minute cooking as it was serve quite rare but superb. The kids had a pasta dish and I asked for a plate of fresh sliced tomato and with some ground salt and lashing of Olive oil the meal was one of the best in 6 weeks of travelling in Italy finished with delkicious Pear and chocolate Tort and the Almond biscotti which you dip into a saterne. All freshly cooked and made ingredients.Tthe village is also tiny and unusual perched on a ridge overlooking the Marble quarries. When you arrive in Colonnata, as you ascend into the village, follow the 'P ' for parking on the left, park and walk less than a minute to the restaurant and village. you can;t get lost !

L'osteria nel pi (la piazza dialetto abbreviazione locale si trova infatti in una delle tre piazze di colonnato e una caratteristica trattoria a conduzione familiare dal 2002. luogo suggestivo, con esterno in pietra, arredato in stile rustico, ambiente pulito e pulito (soprattutto bella la camera al piano superiore (dove i servizi sono anche molto puliti. ) ottima qualità, assolutamente da gustare i piatti a base del famoso lardo colonnato. servizio con piatti espressi e portabagagli. ci uniamo ai molti giudizi positivi anche il nostro eccellente. Torneremo sicuramente. per raccomandare. interessante passeggiata nelle strette vie del paese e il panorama delle grotte apuane.