La Locanda

One could easily drive straight past without registering La Locanda's special presence on the main road through Gisburn village. The solid stone building has no super-flashy signage, and there's no indication that this is anything other than a conventional 'pizza and pasta' pit stop. Yet, for over 20 years, Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi have been raising the ‘tricolore’ in defiance of the 'fast-food, frozen lasagne and garlic bread' norm still typical of many Anglo-Italian restaurants.

The trattoria setting is homely and modest, with an intimate and unhurried atmosphere and a welcome in inverse proportion to the size of the cramped ground-floor bar. The seasonal menu requires some study, but there’s no rush and Cinzia is on hand to answer all questions. The focus is on a Slow Food-style carte that marries Italian regional dishes (including Maurizio's trademark pasta) and rigorously curated imported ingredients with local produce such as Goosnargh chicken, Gisburn Forest roe deer and Bowland wild garlic. A key part of the ethos is sustainability and authenticity, so the owners only work with like-minded suppliers. 

In summer, you might find specialities ranging from sardine fillets with red peppers, spaghetti alla Trapanese or outstanding pork-stuffed spinach tortellini to wild sea bass partnered with punchy emerald salsa verde or an unusual dish of marinated whitebait typical of the version made with the little freshwater fish of the Italian Lakes. For dessert, there are ice-cream sundaes and the best cannoli we have ever tasted – the secret is fresh ricotta sourced directly from Sicily. The all-Italian wine list is arranged by region, and there's also an extensive range of Italian beers, aperitifs, soft drinks and cocktails – not forgetting a 20-strong 'coffee menu'.