The story
In the Valsesia mountains, just outside Varallo, Hostaria di Bricai has settled into a new chapter. After twelve years in the small hamlet of Rassa and a previous location in central Varallo, Giorgio and Chiara now welcome guests inside the stone and timber walls of the former municipal building in Riva Valdobbia. The setting, described on the restaurant’s own site as “tra il legno e i muri in pietra dell’antico municipio,” is intimate and unhurried.
The couple runs the dining room and kitchen together, with Giorgio and Chiara acting as “compagni di viaggio” — travel companions — for each guest. Their cooking is grounded in the seasons and the ingredients of Piedmont. The Michelin guide has taken note, awarding the restaurant a Recommendation for 2026, a mark of the consistency and care found on the plate.
The à la carte menu changes regularly, but recent offerings show the kitchen’s direction. Antipasti include a citrus-marinated trout with crispy potato and horseradish cream, and a Piedmontese Fassone beef cheek braised in Nebbiolo d’Alba, served with polenta from Storo and shiitake mushrooms. Pasta is made in-house — spelt spaghetti with ramsons, hazelnut milk, and local toma cheese, or saffron tortelli stuffed with osso buco, peas, and a Port reduction with bone marrow. A tasting menu is also offered, priced at €60 per person, covering the full arc of the meal from the first bite to the house dessert.
Desserts are made in-house as well: a dark chocolate fondant with raspberry sorbet, hazelnut cream with honey ice cream, and the classic Piedmontese bonèt all appear on the list.
The restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Booking is essential. The atmosphere is small and personal, with a few tables and a terrace that looks out onto chestnut and pine trees.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
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