Vecchia Lama

The story

Vecchia Lama: Bib Gourmand Emilian Cuisine with Panoramic Views in Lama Mocogno

A Family Affair

Vecchia Lama opened in October 1990, the dream of chef Fabrizio, who grew up watching his parents run a small inn in the mountain hamlet of La Santona. His mother made fresh pasta by hand; his father tended the wood-fired oven, roasting porchetta through the night. That love for simple, generous cooking became Fabrizio’s own passion, and with his wife Loredana he created a restaurant that feels both personal and precise.

The dining room is elegant yet sober, and the real star is the view. Perched at 842 metres in Lama Mocogno, Vecchia Lama looks out over the Monte Cimone valley. In summer, guests can eat on the panoramic dehors (terrace) where the mountain air and wide sky add to the experience. The restaurant also hosts private events and themed dinners, always with the same warmth that marks the welcome from Fabrizio and Loredana.

On the Menu

Local produce drives the kitchen. The cuisine is Emilian at heart, but the menu reaches across the Apennine ridge into Tuscany. Two degustation menus give a sense of the style. The “Funghi & Tartufo” (€45) leads with crostini ai funghi porcini, then pici al bianco di faraona with mountain caciotta and black truffle, golden cigars stuffed with smoked heart and porcini, and a final pluma of suckling pig with black truffle and roasted potatoes. The “In viaggio tra l’Emilia & la Toscana” (€40) starts with a scottona tartare with blueberry, moves to maccheroncini al torchio with five-pepper ragù of Mora Romagnola pork, and finishes with orange-scented pork rib. A deep wine list—heavy on Lambrusco, Franciacorta, Champagne, and great Italian reds—and a dedicated gin-tonic menu round out the offer.

Meat is central: Florentine steak, grilled cuts of scottona served on hot stone, venison with blueberry, and the “Segreto di Ercole” (suckling pig with carrot cream and cardamom). Homemade pastas like the signature “Tesoro dell’Emilia” raviolo and tortelloni with chives, asparagus, walnuts and balsamic pearls show a kitchen that respects tradition while adding its own touches.

Bib Gourmand Recognition

Vecchia Lama has been reconfirmed with a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Italy—awarded for good quality, good value cooking. The award reflects what the restaurant does best: honest, skilful Emilian cooking that lets the mountain ingredients speak. Fabrizio and Loredana have also recently invested in digital and eco-sustainable kitchen innovations, supported by the Emilia-Romagna region.

For those who want to taste the Apennines without formality, Vecchia Lama delivers substance, hospitality, and a view that lingers.