When the food is excellent many foodies are willing to travel the extra mile to reach their favourite or any highly recommended restaurant. Dal Pescatore is one such restaurant which demands this as it is situated in the heart of the countryside in Runate, bordering the Parco dell’ Oglio Sud Nature Reserve in Mantova. Located between Mantova and Cremona, it allows many Italians drive up to the restaurant to have an unforgettable meal at the restaurant. There is also a mini pad for helicopters to land. Mantova has been featured in two Shakespearean Plays – The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. Cremona is the place made famous by its Stradivarius violins.

Dal Pescatore has always been a family run restaurant. In 1925 Grandfather Santini bought a fisherman’s hut on the shore of a lake in Parco dell’ Oglio Sud. The next year with the help of his wife Theresa he converted it to a tavern called “Vino e Pesce”. They provided wines and fresh “pesce” or fish dishes cooked by his wife. He was also helped by his son Giovanni. In 1952 the restaurant expanded further and in the following years it became a proper restaurant with white linen on the tables. Elegant crockery cutlery and napkins became part of the ambience. In 1962 the restaurant was called Dal Pescatore which means “from the fisherman.” In 1974 Antonio and his wife Nadia Santini began looking after Dal Pescatore. Under their able management the restaurant reached lofty heights. For a long time it was the only Italian restaurant with three Michelin stars. Today it is highly rated by many and is also ranked as restaurant number 23 for the year 2008 in S. Pellegrino’s World’s Fifty Best Restaurants.

Dal Pescatore is situated in an elegant country house surrounded by verdant greenery and the lushness of nature. Although it is away from the city roads it is the only two storied building in the small and rustic village called Runate. Otherwise you may follow the trail of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos and other high end cars heading towards the restaurant and easily locate it. It is indeed common to see a few luxury cars parked near the restaurant as the rich and famous from the neighbouring cities drop in here for a meal.

Dal Pescatore has three restaurant rooms. There are also two lounges with glowing fireplaces to sip liquors. The lighting in the rooms is subtle yet sufficient. The tables are placed with enough space around to maintain a certain amount of privacy. The staff is very friendly and helpful. There is an accurate touch of harmony between discretion and impeccable service. This always helps in making the restaurant an ideal place to visit.

The garden seems to enter the dining area since there are large picture windows overlooking them. The dining area also has a profusion of pots and plants adding to the verdant effect especially during the day. It offers an authentic experience of countryside dining with refinement and elegance.

Being close to the heartland of Italy’s gastronomic tradition it is easy for the kitchen to outsource Parmesan cheese, hams from the Po Valley. Cremona and Feline are the providers of great Italian salamis. Modena is where they outsource the prized aged Balsamic vinegar. Fresh fish and sea food comes from the nearby Adriatic and Mediterranean Sea. The garden supplies fresh herbs. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Pasta is fresh and home made so are the breads. No wonder the restaurant is able to maintain the traditions of Italian gastronomy using the freshest of ingredients as well keeping the need for innovations alive.

Nadia and Giovanni are the talents behind the food. They have adopted an independent yet traditional style of cooking and presenting food. They beautifully balance innovation with tradition. They are looking into the dietetic and nutritional value of foods and have maintained the traditional way of preparing food yet have decreased the consumption of butter and cheese in certain traditional dishes. They put in a great effort to maintain a balance between light foods without foregoing the traditional flavours and tastes of dishes and are constantly innovating and practicing to achieve a perfect harmony in the food. Trying to keep innovation as well as tradition married together in perfect harmony, they have currently introduced a new dish called Risotto of Catfish Fillet and River Eel. They aim to bring equilibrium between modernity and tradition in Italian food. This is especially obvious in dishes like Pumpkin Tortelli, Roast Pigeon with Port, pan fried Foie Gras with Pears and Raisin Wine from Verona. They serve the best of Italian cheeses in their cheese platters. Desserts include traditional and local sweets and cakes. Fresh seasonal fruit is always available.

Although it is difficult to highly recommend individual dishes as the menu is seasonal there is the option of the tasting menu which offers a wide variety of dishes. Generally certain traditional dishes including pumpkin tortelli which are pumpkin parcels and agnolini in broth –which consists of tiny meat ravioli in a traditional broth are always available. Herb omelets, pista gras, char grilled eels are almost always part of the menu.

It is generally an easy way to try out a wide variety of dishes as most of the signature dishes of a restaurant find their place in a tasting menu. Alternately the connoisseur can order their favourite dishes from an a la carte menu. They also bring out special menus for occasions and events including Easter and New Year’s Eve.

The wine list is extensive and features the best wines and liqueurs from Italy and other parts of the world. There are Italian sparkling, red and white wines. International wines from California, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Australia, Hungary and Lebanon are also part of the extensive cellar. The wine cellar has evolved through the decades and is now one of the impressive wine cellars in Italy. It is absolutely essential to reserve a table at Dal Pescatore well in advance. Almost all credit cards are accepted. There is free and ample parking space at the restaurant. The restaurant is generally open from Wednesday evening to Sunday evening. It closes for about two weeks in mid August and early January.