Restaurant in Ravalle, Italy
Michelin-recognised value in Emilia-Romagna.
A Michelin Plate restaurant in a village outside Ferrara, L'Antico Giardino delivers serious Emilian cooking — handmade pasta, seasonal truffles, quality meat — at €€ prices. With two value-driven tasting menus, owner-led wine pairings, and easy booking, it is the right choice for a special occasion dinner in the Ferrara province without the cost or wait of a starred alternative.
If you are comparing L'Antico Giardino against the €€€€ Italian fine dining circuit — venues like Osteria Francescana in Modena or Dal Pescatore in Runate — the calculus here is direct: this is a Michelin Plate restaurant priced at €€, which means you get serious cooking at a fraction of the cost. For a special occasion dinner in the Ferrara province that does not require months of advance planning or a significant budget outlay, L'Antico Giardino is the right call. Book it.
L'Antico Giardino sits in Ravalle, a small settlement just outside Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna. The region is one of Italy's most serious food territories , the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, and fresh egg pasta traditions that predate most European restaurant cultures. L'Antico Giardino operates within that tradition while keeping its menu grounded in the seasons and in the local larder.
The Michelin recognition here is not a star, but a Plate , awarded in both 2024 and 2025 , which the Guide uses to flag cooking it considers technically sound and worth seeking out. At the €€ price point, a Michelin Plate is a meaningful signal: the kitchen is producing food that meets a recognised standard without charging for the theatre of a full fine dining production. That positioning is the core of L'Antico Giardino's appeal for a date, a small celebration, or a business meal where you want the table to feel considered without the formality of a three-hour tasting menu ritual.
The menu structure offers both an à la carte and two tasting menus , one built around autumn produce, the other rooted in traditional Emilian cooking. Both are described in Michelin's own documentation as excellent value. The kitchen works with meat tartares and flans, handmade agnolotti and ravioli, and high-quality meat cuts cooked with care. Truffles appear when in season, which in this part of northern Italy means autumn and, to a lesser degree, late winter. The pumpkin cappellaccio with butter, sage and almonds is specifically noted in Michelin's entry as a dish of real quality , creamy, precisely seasoned, and characteristic of the autumn menu.
Front-of-house experience is anchored by the owner's presence on the floor. Wine pairing recommendations come directly from them, which matters if you are unfamiliar with the regional wine list. Emilia-Romagna is Lambrusco country, but the region also produces serious Sangiovese-based reds and Pignoletto whites that pair well with the pasta-heavy menu. Having an informed recommendation from someone who knows the cellar is a practical advantage, particularly for a special occasion where you want the wine to work with the food.
For a celebration dinner or a considered date night, the format here rewards guests who engage with the tasting menu rather than ordering à la carte. The autumn menu in particular gives the kitchen room to show what it can do with seasonal ingredients, and at the €€ price tier, it represents better value than almost anything comparable in the region. If you are planning a visit during truffle season , broadly October through December for white truffle , book the autumn menu and expect it to reflect what is in the market that week.
L'Antico Giardino is not a late-night destination in the conventional sense. Ravalle is a quiet village, and the restaurant operates within the rhythms of northern Italian dining culture, where dinner service typically runs from early evening into the late hours at a relaxed pace. If your evening runs long over the tasting menu and wine pairings, that is by design rather than accident , the format is built for a table that wants to take its time. Compared to a city restaurant where turning tables is a commercial pressure, here a long dinner is the normal expectation. That makes it a better choice for a special occasion than a quick à la carte stop.
The Google rating of 4.7 across 351 reviews is a further signal of consistent delivery. At this price point, 351 data points with a 4.7 average is harder to sustain than at a higher-priced venue where guests arrive with refined expectations already calibrated. It suggests the kitchen performs reliably across different types of diner.
For more options in the area, see our full Ravalle restaurants guide, and if you are planning a longer stay, our Ravalle hotels guide and bars guide cover the rest of the trip. The Ravalle wineries guide is worth checking if the regional wine list sparks interest, and experiences in Ravalle can fill the day around the meal.
Reservations: Easy , booking difficulty is low, which is one of the clearest advantages over comparable Michelin-recognised restaurants in the region. Budget: €€ per head, covering both à la carte and tasting menus described as excellent value. Dress: No dress code is specified; at the €€ price point in a village setting, smart casual is a safe read. Address: Via Carlo Martelli 28, 44123 Ravalle FE, Italy. Tasting menus: Two available , autumn-seasonal and traditional Emilian; both suitable for a special occasion format. Truffle timing: If truffle dishes are a priority, plan for October through December.
If you are travelling through northern Italy and want to benchmark L'Antico Giardino against other modern Italian cooking at different price points, Le Calandre in Rubano, Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona, and Enrico Bartolini in Milan cover the starred end of the spectrum. For regional Italian cooking with a different geographic perspective, Uliassi in Senigallia and Piazza Duomo in Alba are both worth the detour. Outside Italy, Frantzén in Stockholm and Maison Lameloise in Chagny represent modern cuisine at the highest tier for comparison. Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence remains the benchmark for Italian wine-led fine dining if that is your frame of reference.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Antico Giardino | Modern Cuisine | Choose from an interesting, traditional à la carte and two tasting menus (one autumn-based, the other traditional, both excellent value for money) at this comfortable restaurant, where guests are welcomed by the friendly owner who is on hand to offer wine pairing recommendations. The menu features meat tartares and flans, agnolotti and ravioli pasta, and superbly cooked, top-quality cuts of meat, with truffles often making an appearance in season. We visited in autumn and particularly enjoyed the pumpkin cappellaccio with butter, sage and almonds – a dish that stood out for its delicious, creamy flavours.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Progressive Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quattro Passi | Italian, Mediterranean Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Reale | Progressive Italian, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
How L'Antico Giardino stacks up against the competition.
The venue has a comfortable, welcoming format with an owner actively present in the room, which suggests an intimate rather than large-format dining room. Groups of four to six are likely manageable, but larger parties should check the venue's official channels before assuming availability. For a Michelin Plate restaurant at €€ pricing in a small settlement outside Ferrara, capacity is almost certainly limited.
Yes, particularly if you want a considered meal without the €€€€ outlay of Osteria Francescana or Dal Pescatore. Two tasting menus, seasonal ingredients including truffle, and a hands-on owner who offers wine pairing guidance give the evening enough structure to mark an occasion. The €€ price point means you get Michelin Plate recognition without the formal pressure of a starred room.
Ravalle itself is a small settlement, so the realistic alternatives are in Ferrara proper or wider Emilia-Romagna. For more formal modern Italian cooking in the region, Quattro Passi (Nerano) and Reale (Castel di Sangro) operate at higher price points with starred recognition. If you are staying in Ferrara and want a comparable casual-but-serious dinner, ask locally — L'Antico Giardino is one of the clearer Michelin-recognised options in its immediate area.
The tasting menus are described as excellent value, and the pasta courses — agnolotti and ravioli — are a particular strength. In autumn, pumpkin cappellaccio with butter, sage and almonds has been singled out for its flavour. Meat tartares, flans, and top-quality meat cuts are also core to the menu, with truffle appearances when in season. If you are visiting in autumn, the autumn-based tasting menu is the obvious route in.
At €€, it is difficult to argue against it for the quality on offer. Two Michelin Plate awards (2024 and 2025) confirm independent recognition, and the tasting menus are explicitly described as excellent value. Compared to Michelin-starred restaurants in Emilia-Romagna charging €€€ or more, L'Antico Giardino gives you serious regional cooking at a fraction of the cost.
The venue is described as a comfortable restaurant with a welcoming, owner-led atmosphere — not a white-tablecloth formal room. Neat casual is a sensible default: no need for a jacket, but the setting and price point suggest you would be out of place in beachwear or gym kit. Think the kind of clothes you would wear to a good neighbourhood dinner rather than a starred tasting experience.
Based on the available record, yes. Both the autumn-based and traditional tasting menus are described as excellent value, and the à la carte is also an option if you prefer to pick. At €€ pricing, the tasting menu format here is a lower-commitment entry point than at comparable Michelin-recognised venues in the region. If you are visiting in truffle season or autumn, the seasonal menu is the stronger choice.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
