Al Monastero - Menu

"This exquisite establishment was visited by us four friends, who have been exploring unique culinary establishments in Slovenia and the surrounding area every 2 3 months since 2012. Just a few meters from the city center, this restaurant is hidden in an ancient, historically protected house with charmingly arranged spaces and a magical inner courtyard, where they serve guests during the warm seasons. At this restaurant Cristina tells stories of Cividale and the Friuli Venetia Giuglia region through her gastronomic creations and wine. With her emotional intelligence and exceptional cuisine, she captivates guests. She has also managed to create a team equally dedicated to satisfying even the most demanding guests, much like herself. We chose one of the two recommended 4 course menus with wine pairings. During the welcome and introductory explanations, she even handed us a specially printed menu for the evening. The kitchen 's welcome consisted of excellent, delicately fried local vegetables served in elegant baskets. They paired it with a yet to be tasted glass of sparkling yellow Rebula wine, which welcomed us upon arrival. For the appetizer, they presented us with a special selection of San Daniele ham – Crudo di Bagatto, accompanied by corn flour grissini. It was exactly as advertised – exquisitely aromatic, tender, and almost sweet. We continued with excellent maltagliati – pasta for the poor, which had been enriched in the kitchen with truffle infused duck ragu. If it weren 't for the truffles, one could argue that a Friulian grandmother from 80 years ago had prepared them. Brilliant! For the main course, they served us their signature turnedo steaks with a sauce made from their house Refosco p.r. wine. They were exceptional, prepared flawlessly with a consistent texture across the entire cut, reminiscent of sous vide cooking at first glance, although, of course, they were prepared using traditional methods. The result was superb, with the sauce elegantly complementing this culinary masterpiece. The experienced hostess discreetly prepared us for the end with an excellent classic sorbet, which eased our decision between three of their desserts. We tried all of them and couldn 't decide on a winner. Competing for recognition were a cheesecake with forest berries, a charmingly presented meringue with a delightful pastry cream vanilla cream and fresh fruit, and a renowned local specialty – gubana and strucchi served with a mandatory glass of plum brandy. All three were excellent, and credit goes to their creators. The wine pairing was impeccable. There were no mistakes, as the family also owns the La buse dal lof – Wolf 's Den estate in not very distant Prepotto, producing excellent and somewhat unique wines. For the appetizer, they served their dry, fresh, straw yellow Friulano, continued with the indigenous, almost forgotten Schioppettino di Prepotto, and accompanied the main course with their excellent Refosco p.r. The service was excellent, led by a young lady who, in addition to her primary profession, mastered sommelier skills remarkably. The wine presentation was on a level rarely experienced by ordinary mortals. At the end, Cristina wrote a dedication and a thank you for the visit in one of our menus. The whole team signed it. We didn 't leave them indebted. This wasn 't just a dinner; it was an emotional theatre performance. And in terms of price: much more value than what they charged on our credit card. Visit them with all your senses and respect."