Ristorante Al Castello

At the castle gate

Al Castello is at Via della Fortezza, 7, high up in the old town of Sermoneta, directly opposite the entrance to the Caetani castle. It has four dining rooms, one with a large fireplace, and views over the Pontine plain; in summer you eat outside, beneath the castle walls. It is a place to eat before or after the guided visit without moving the car.

What you eat

Local cooking with centuries of tradition, using local ingredients and flavours and extra virgin olive oil from Sermoneta. Its speciality is fresh truffle, which they have all year because the owners are tartufai, truffle hunters. Depending on the season, mushrooms and game. From the plain below they bring Agro Pontino buffalo, from cheeses to meat; from the mountains, Bassiano ham, from the neighbouring village, cut by knife. In autumn and winter they make polenta in several ways, and there are always soups and stews from the local tradition. The list of wines, grappas and liqueurs comes from cellars in the Agro Pontino and the Lepini mountains.

When it opens

The restaurant opens Saturdays and Sundays, at lunchtime only; on weekdays it serves groups only, up to 120 people, with tailor-made menus. They appreciate a reservation: call 0773 30404 or 333 432 6848, or write to [email protected]. The website does not publish exact times or prices.

How to fit it in

On a day when Ninfa is open, the garden is visited in the morning and the castle in the afternoon: Al Castello suits you if you change the order, or for a late lunch after the garden if it is a weekend. In winter, with Ninfa closed, the castle opens at weekends: guided visit in the morning, lunch here and a stroll round the village. On the third Sunday of January, Sermoneta holds its Sagra della Polenta.