Italian cuisine is so satisfying that one doesn’t expect to crave other culinary styles, or even appreciate them in the land of scrumptious bread, wine, olives, cheese etc. bounty. That could be why dining at Porta Senese is such serendipity.
You find it just inside one of Castiglione del Lago castle town’s ancient gate entrances. Peeking through the window it looks like a comforting wine bar—which is what it can be if you have little appetite and a especially a taste for sampling some of the local wines priced very affordably. It’s sign famously touts- “No WIFI, Only Wine”.
But it’s the other sign—the cow cut into a jigsaw puzzle—that gives you a clue as to what Porta Senese’s true calling card is, and why the upscale from Perugia, Umbria’s capital about forty minutes away, are the bigger part of the crowd. It’s all about the meat.
Porta Senese is About Tartare With a Twist
This is tartare with a twist—a sushi twist actually—replete with a teriyaki/soy dipping sauce, in addition to hot and sweet ones. Or you can go sashimi carnivore style, or get a full-blown filet without much fuss added to it. The daily specials are on the board.
How nice that when we lost our way late at night in this small town, the manager/waiter, who spoke little English but nonetheless quickly grasped our situation, looked over his customers’ tables, took off his apron and walked us up the castle town road to our Bed & Breakfast.
Summary: 5-star food but 5 million star courtesy and service!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
For more information visit the Porta Senese website.
