Hidden on the edge of a ridge, the Osteria senza l'Oste welcomes all visitors and offers a mix of refreshments for weary travelers at every hour.
No one is inside ready to serve; instead, a rusty little fridge stocked with a collection of bottles of Prosecco, along with a basket of salami and cheese is tucked in the corner.
A list of suggested prices for items is nearby and so is a locked box where visitors can leave the Euro for items consumed -- entirely on an honor system. Entirely.
Of course, the novelty of a place like this is the draw, but so is the atmosphere and sweeping vistas.
A place for men folk to ponder life ...
...and a place for kid friends to share secrets
... a place to sit for a while and have a glass of Prosecco and a bit of a snack
... a place to climb and play under vines with the season's newest leaves
... a place to enjoy views of terraced Prosecco vines as far as the eye can see
... and a place for children to breathe fresh air and play under ancient trees.
I haven't found a wealth of information about this site in English, but here and here are a couple of articles in Italian. Without posted signs, it can be a bit tricky to find in the hills of the Santo Stefano area, even with 2 GPS units!
What fantastic scenery and an intriguing way to obtain ones refreshments!
ReplyDeleteoh, wow! what an amazing find!!! will definitely keep this in mind for our next trip out there (power of positive thinking).
ReplyDeleteFantastic view!
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing! The pictures say it all!
ReplyDeletewow - beautiful, every drop of it!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, people tend to be very secretive about this place. Go online, and some are even very open about not revealing any addresses for the sake of not "ruining" the place. Kind of the opposite of the "trust" the owner has of his customers, no?
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a lovely place. The only drawback was that on this beautiful spring day it was crowded with like-minded people, which distracted from the quaint atmosphere quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
I can only think that if I know about it, then the secret is certainly out :) even without info available online. There is no website, but there is a Facebook page . . . hmmmm. Have you been yet?
D
There have been a number of people who have mentioned the place to me, which actually tells me it may be one of the worst kept secret in existence :) I still have never been, but would love to swing by once to experience it myself.
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos! And the views- breathtaking!
ReplyDelete