La Grotta, Cortona, Tuscany
La Grotta is one of my favourite restaurants in Cortona, I last went there for after going on my Monte Ginezzo Walk in the hills behind the town.
La Grotta Location
La Grotta is located just off the Piazza della Repubblica, right in the centre of Cortona. Despite its central location the prices have always remained reasonable and the food extremely good. It was a hot day and we secured a table in the courtyard outside the restaurant.
La Grotta, The Antipasto
We started with a couple of items on the antipasto menu, a plate of mixed appertisers and pecorino della fossa served with honey. This is a sheep’s cheese that has been buried in an underground chamber so that it uses up all the available oxygen as it matures and becomes incredibly strong tasting and smelling – delicious!
La Grotta: Primi
We shared some primi between us: potato gnocchi served with rocket, tomatoes and cheese; gnocchi made with ricotta and spinach (given top marks by everyone) and pici (thick spaghetti), with a spicy sauce of tomato, chilli and garlic.
La Grotta: Secondi
For secondi we shared a plate of sausages and some grilled lamb. We drank a bottle of delicious rosato (rosé) Castello di Amo Rosato with the meal. Feeling extremely satisfied after such a great meal and, suitably fortified with shots of espresso coffee, we set off on my Cortona City Walk, a hike in and around the town that I have already blogged about in an earlier post.