Restaurant in Rivodutri, Italy
Drive out for this. Freshwater fish, done seriously.
La Trota is one of Italy's most serious freshwater fish restaurants, ranked #335 on OAD's Classical Europe list and scoring 88 points on La Liste (2026). The Serva family has been cooking canal-sourced trout, pike, and crayfish in Rivodutri for over 60 years. Easy to book, hard to reach — plan the journey, then commit to the full meal.
Getting a table at La Trota is easier than you might expect for a restaurant of this standing — it ranks #335 on Opinionated About Dining's Classical Europe list (2025) and scores 88 points on La Liste (2026), yet booking is classified as direct. The harder part is getting to Rivodutri, a small village in the Rieti province of Lazio that most international travellers have never heard of. If you are willing to make the journey, La Trota delivers something that very few restaurants in Italy can offer: a serious, technically rigorous treatment of freshwater fish in a setting where the ingredients are sourced from the canal directly outside the door. This is not a destination you stumble upon. You plan for it.
The restaurant marked its 60th anniversary in 2023, which makes it one of the longer-running family-led fine dining projects in central Italy. The Serva brothers — Sandro and Maurizio , now cook alongside their children, meaning the kitchen has evolved into a multigenerational operation. That shift matters for the explorer diner: this is no longer just a legacy restaurant coasting on its reputation. The next generation is actively in the kitchen, and the cooking has maintained its La Liste scores across consecutive years (89 points in 2025, 88 in 2026), suggesting the transition has not cost the kitchen its precision.
The menu is built around trout, tench, freshwater crayfish, pike, and catfish , ingredients drawn from the Santa Susanna canal that runs in front of the building. A small number of meat dishes sit alongside the fish, but freshwater cooking is the reason to come. La Trota is credited, in La Liste's own notes, with having revolutionised the standard of freshwater fish cookery in Italy, bringing it to the level of produce traditionally considered more refined. For the food-focused traveller, that claim is worth testing in person.
Restaurant also uses wild herbs extensively , guests leave with an extract of these herbs to make tea or a cold drink at home. It is a small gesture, but it signals the kitchen's relationship with its immediate environment rather than the broader trends of contemporary Italian fine dining. The wine list is described as excellent, with a selection of cognacs and liqueurs that La Liste singles out as a genuine surprise for a restaurant in this category and location.
Setting is quiet in a way that most city restaurants cannot manufacture. Rivodutri is a village; the canal is clean and audible; the surrounding landscape is rural Lazio. The energy inside is calm and focused rather than buzzy or performative. In good weather, the restaurant opens a small wooden bridge over the canal for outdoor dining , which changes the atmosphere significantly and is worth requesting when booking if the forecast allows. This is a room where conversation is possible at any hour, and where the pace of service is unhurried in a way that suits a long meal rather than a quick occasion. It reads as the right environment for two people who want to eat carefully and talk between courses, less so for large groups seeking energy and spectacle.
La Trota's food does not travel well and is not designed to. The cooking here depends on the precision of freshwater fish preparation , timing, texture, temperature. These are qualities that degrade quickly outside the kitchen's control. There is no booking method listed that suggests off-premise service is available, and the nature of the menu makes it an implausible fit. If you are considering La Trota, plan to eat there, at the table, during service. The point of coming to Rivodutri is the full experience: the canal, the setting, the pacing. Replicating any part of that outside the restaurant is not a realistic option.
La Trota operates Thursday through Monday for both lunch and Saturday evening, with lunch running 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM and dinner from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM. The restaurant is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunday service is lunch only. At the €€€€ price point, this sits at the leading of what you will pay for a meal in the region , comparable to Italy's broader fine dining tier rather than its local country cooking category. Budget accordingly and treat this as the anchor meal of a Rivodutri or Rieti province trip. The address is Via S. Susanna, 33, 02010 Rivodutri RI. For planning the broader visit, see our full Rivodutri restaurants guide, our Rivodutri hotels guide, and our Rivodutri experiences guide.
| Venue | Location | Price | Booking Difficulty | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Trota | Rivodutri | €€€€ | Easy | Freshwater fish, rural setting |
| Dal Pescatore | Runate | €€€€ | Moderate | Classic Italian fine dining |
| Antica Corte Pallavicina | Polesine Parmense | €€€€ | Easy | Country cooking, rural destination |
| Osteria di Passignano | Passignano | €€€€ | Easy | Tuscan countryside, wine estate |
| Reale | Castel di Sangro | €€€€ | Moderate | Creative Italian, remote destination |
If you are building a broader Italy itinerary around serious restaurants, the following are worth including alongside La Trota: Osteria Francescana in Modena, Piazza Duomo in Alba, Uliassi in Senigallia, Quattro Passi in Marina del Cantone, and Casa Perbellini 12 Apostoli in Verona. For bars and wineries in the area, see our Rivodutri bars guide and our Rivodutri wineries guide.
Rivodutri has no direct fine dining alternative at La Trota's level , it is the destination in the area. If you want comparable Italian country cooking at a similar price point, Antica Corte Pallavicina in Polesine Parmense and Osteria di Passignano in Passignano are both worth the detour , though neither focuses on freshwater fish. For the full range of local options, see our Rivodutri restaurants guide.
No dress code is published, but at the €€€€ price tier with consistent La Liste recognition, smart casual is the safe call , think pressed trousers or a dress rather than jeans and trainers. This is a rural restaurant rather than a formal city dining room, so you are unlikely to be turned away for anything presentable, but the setting and calibre of the meal warrants dressing up slightly. Check with the restaurant directly when booking if you need certainty.
There is no confirmed bar seating at La Trota in the available data. The restaurant is a destination dining room, not a bar-and-restaurant hybrid. If you want a shorter or more casual experience, it is worth asking when you book whether counter or informal seating exists , but plan for a full table reservation as the default. For bars in the wider area, see our Rivodutri bars guide.
Three things: the drive to Rivodutri takes planning , this is not near a major city or transport hub, so build travel time into your day. The menu is almost entirely freshwater fish; if that is not your focus, the meal will feel one-note regardless of the execution. And book lunch if you can , Sunday lunch in particular tends to allow a more leisurely pace, and the canal setting in daylight is a different experience to the evening service. At €€€€, this is a commitment, but the OAD ranking (#335 in Classical Europe, 2025) and La Liste score (88 points, 2026) confirm the kitchen delivers at its price point.
Yes, with conditions. The setting , canal-side, quiet, family-run , suits intimate occasions: anniversaries, milestone dinners for two, or a meaningful meal with a parent or close friend. It is less suited to larger groups or occasions that need energy and spectacle. The wooden bridge over the canal in fine weather is a genuinely distinctive setting for a celebratory meal. At €€€€ with La Liste and OAD recognition, the credentials back the occasion. Book early for a bridge table in summer.
No specific tasting menu details are confirmed in the available data, but at the €€€€ tier with the Serva brothers' track record , six decades of operation, consecutive La Liste scores of 88-89 points, OAD Classical Europe recognition , the full kitchen commitment is almost certainly the right way to eat here. If a tasting menu exists, take it: the freshwater fish focus means the kitchen builds coherent progressions across courses in a way that benefits from a structured format. A la carte at this price point risks missing the kitchen's full range. Confirm the menu format when booking.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Trota | Italian, Country cooking | La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 88pts; Before entering this restaurant, stop for a moment to admire the crystal-clear waters of the Santa Susanna canal which runs opposite the building. La Trota has revolutionised and raised the standard of cooking freshwater fish, elevating it to the level of other produce traditionally considered to be more refined. At this restaurant, the Serva brothers, ably assisted by their respective children, showcase ingredients such as trout, tench, freshwater crayfish, pike and catfish, which are sourced from the clean waters nearby and which feature on the menu alongside a few meat dishes. They also make good use of wild herbs – guests are given an extract of these to take home, which they can use to make a warm herbal tea or a cool drink. There’s also an excellent choice of wine to accompany your meal, plus a surprising selection of cognacs and liqueurs. In fine weather, guests have the option of dining on the small wooden bridge spanning the canal. The restaurant celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023.; Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #335 (2025); La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 89pts; Before entering this restaurant, stop for a moment to admire the crystal-clear waters of the Santa Susanna canal which runs opposite the building. La Trota has revolutionised and raised the standard of cooking freshwater fish, elevating it to the level of other produce traditionally considered to be more refined. At this restaurant, the Serva brothers, ably assisted by their respective children, showcase ingredients such as trout, tench, freshwater crayfish, pike and catfish, which are sourced from the clean waters nearby and which feature on the menu alongside a few meat dishes. They also make good use of wild herbs – guests are given an extract of these to take home, which they can use to make a warm herbal tea or a cool drink. There’s also an excellent choice of wine to accompany your meal, plus a surprising selection of cognacs and liqueurs. In fine weather, guests have the option of dining on the small wooden bridge spanning the canal. The restaurant celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023.; Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #340 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Recommended (2023) | 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 | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | Italian - French, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Calandre | Progressive Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between La Trota and alternatives.
There are no direct competitors in Rivodutri itself — the village is small and La Trota is its only serious restaurant. If you want comparable Italian fine dining in the broader region without the freshwater fish focus, Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull'Oglio (also a multi-decade family operation) is the closest equivalent in terms of tradition and pedigree. For something in central Italy with more urban access, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence is an option, though the format and cuisine are entirely different.
La Trota is a serious restaurant — La Liste ranked it 88 points in 2026 and it sits at #335 on OAD Classical Europe — but it is also a family-run country restaurant in a small village, not a formal urban dining room. Neat, presentable clothing is appropriate; a jacket is a reasonable choice for dinner without being strictly necessary. Avoid overly casual attire.
The venue database does not document a bar or counter seating at La Trota. In fine weather, there is the option to dine on the small wooden bridge spanning the Santa Susanna canal, which is the closest equivalent to an informal seating alternative. Book a table in the conventional way and request the canal bridge position when reserving if outdoor dining appeals.
The entire kitchen identity is built around freshwater fish — trout, tench, pike, crayfish, catfish — sourced from the clean local waters. If that format does not appeal, this is not the right booking. The restaurant is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, open Thursday through Sunday for both lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch only; plan your visit accordingly. Guests leave with a take-home extract of wild herbs used in the kitchen, which is a practical signal of the restaurant's philosophy rather than a novelty gesture.
Yes, with the right group. La Trota at €€€€ pricing, with 60-plus years of operation and consistent placement on La Liste and OAD, delivers the kind of occasion that has a clear story behind it. The canal setting in fine weather adds to the atmosphere without requiring the restaurant to manufacture it. It suits couples or small groups who want a destination meal; it is less suited to large parties or anyone who needs the energy of a city dining room.
If freshwater fish cookery is what you are coming for, the tasting menu format is the right way to experience the Serva brothers' range across trout, pike, crayfish and the wild herbs central to their cooking. At €€€€ pricing, this is a full commitment meal, not a casual lunch stop. La Liste's 88-point score for 2026 and the OAD #335 Classical ranking provide external validation that the kitchen is performing at a level that justifies the spend — but only if the freshwater fish focus matches your appetite.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
