Looking for a restaurant in Alpe D’Huez this week, I had a picture in my mind of a cosy, traditional place with a friendly atmosphere where I could relax and enjoy some good food. I wondered up the Avenue des Jeux in search of this Alpine haven and was lucky enough to stumble across the Pizzeria Pinocchio, which fit the bill perfectly!
On entering this lovely restaurant, you are straight into the small downstairs dining area which has a great view of the pizza oven and also enjoys the great smells that come from it! There are then also table’s upstairs, meaning that this small place can actually seat a fair few people. The owner was very welcoming and invited me to choose from any of the available tables. She seemed to have a great rapport with all of the diners who entered after me – this is clearly a popular spot with locals as a dinner spot as well as for takeaway pizzas.
The menu was fairly typical of an Italian, with a range of salads, pizzas and pasta dishes. I opted for the gnocchi napolitaine which was served with a green salad. As the aromas of the rich tomato sauce started to drift towards my table, I hoped that I was soon to be tasting what I was smelling and indeed I was! The service was quick but the food was clearly freshly prepared and was very tasty. The salads being served at nearby tables looked to be very generous portions too and the pizzas were clearly of a high standard.
I followed this with the caramel panna cotta – this traditional Italian dessert was not only topped with a delicious caramel sauce, but also a crisp mini meringue and a ‘langue de chat’ biscuit.
All this, accompanied by a glass of wine, came in at less than 25€ making the Pizzeria Pinocchio a very reasonably option for a cosy meal in a traditional alpine setting without being committed to a menu dominated by Savoyard cuisine.
