When the Olympics arrive in northern Italy this February, they won’t, like most years, be confined to a single city or venue cluster. Rather, the games will be scattered throughout a constellation of different towns and mountain valleys between Milan and Cortina, the two main hubs. The latter is situated in the heart of the Dolomites, a roughly 15,000-square-kilometre UNESCO-listed range of jagged peaks that run across northeastern Italy, renowned for their dramatic limestone formations and alpenglow sunsets. It’s a distinctive landscape with a unique cultural mix removed from Italy at large (for instance, German and the local Ladin language are widely spoken in parts of the area).
Few outsiders know this territory better than the cookbook author Meredith Erickson, whose 2019 book Alpine Cooking, about the traditions and recipes of the mountainous regions of Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and France, was named one of the best cookbooks of that year by The New York Times. Her deep research into the gastronomic heritage of the area even led her to co-found an aperitivo based on a recipe she discovered while researching the book: Doladira, an organic, low-sugar rhubarb-based aperitivo with notes of plum, gentian, elderflower, and rosemary, all botanicals common to the region.
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With the Olympics underway in the coming weeks, Erickson shares her tips on where to eat and drink in this northern Italian region with the authority of someone who has dedicated years to uncovering its secrets. “I always tell people that the best way to experience Alta Badia [the ski resort that encompasses villages like Corvara, Colfosco, San Cassiano, and La Villa in the heart of the Dolomites] is to base everything around the Sellaronda [the ski circuit that connects four different mountain passes and valleys],” explains Erickson. “You can ski it clockwise or counterclockwise, and if you don’t stop, it takes about four and a half hours—but of course, you stop. I choose my route entirely based on where I want to eat, and I suggest doing exactly the same.”
Rifugio Ütia Bioch
“One of my favourite places to begin is Rifugio Bioch, right above San Cassiano. It’s owned by the Valentini family and is well known because it’s so easy to reach—even for children—which makes it a natural meeting point. Marcus Valentini has taken over from his parents, and that generational shift really shows. He’s deeply invested in alpine cooking, but he’s also serious about wine. You can drink beautifully made Alto Adige Pinot Bianco for under thirty euros, or open a 2010 Dom Pérignon. The champagne list is excellent, and there’s a strong emphasis on local producers.”
Rifugio Sponata
“Another name that’s impossible to ignore in Alta Badia is Hugo Pizzinini of Rosa Alpina. While the hotel has now become Aman Rosa Alpina, Hugo remains very much at the center of it—and few people know that he also owns a rifugio. Rifugio Sponata is one of my favourite places on the mountain. I’m very wine-driven, and I choose restaurants based on the list; Hugo has gone deep into the Rosa Alpina cellar, and many of the bottles served at Sponata come directly from there. The last time I was there, I drank Miani—an incredibly rare producer from Friuli—alongside special vintages from California that you seldom see in Italy. Food-wise, I think of it almost like a mountain steakhouse. There’s a tremendous grill, and it’s a fantastic place to go in the afternoon because it’s consistently less busy than other rifugi on the circuit.”
La Perla and Berghaus Ladinia
“Corvara is home to La Perla, one of the most famous five-star hotels in the Dolomites—and while it’s wonderful, I actually think the real discovery is just next door. Ladinia is La Perla’s tiny guesthouse, only a few steps away, with perhaps a dozen rooms. They’re small, but the atmosphere and the food more than make up for it. Alta Badia is Ladin country, and that cultural identity is very present here. Most locals speak Ladin first, German second, and Italian third, and the traditions are distinct. Someone born and raised in Alta Badia has far more in common with Vienna than with Naples. Berghaus Ladinia is charming in the best way—traditional dress, a cozy stube, and classic Ladin dishes: dumplings, speck, simple food that’s deeply comforting and beautifully done.
Even if you’re not staying at La Perla, it’s absolutely worth going for dinner. The wine list is, in my opinion, the best in the Dolomites—especially when it comes to champagne. But what I love is that it never feels intimidating. You can open something extraordinary, or you can sit at the bar and drink a perfect Dolodira Negroni. That balance is rare.”
Da Aurelio
πOne of the most evocative drives in the region is the Passo Giau, which feels a little more remote in both summer and winter. Along the road is Da Aurelio, run by Luigi—but everyone calls him Gigi. If you’re skiing, he’ll pick you up in his small truck and take you straight to the restaurant. Gigi is a forager, deeply knowledgeable about alpine botanicals, and endlessly curious. In summer, he also runs a small seasonal hut where he hosts private cooking experiences.”
Baita Fraina and Enoteca Fraina
“Just outside Cortina is a tiny area called Fraina—essentially a small hill—and that’s where Baita Fraina is located. It’s one of my favourite places in the region, especially for a long Sunday lunch. Their homemade deer prosciutto is exceptional, and charcuterie is a real strength here. Casunziei—beetroot-filled ravioli with poppy seeds—is Cortina’s most iconic dish, and this is one of the best places to try it. The same family also runs Enoteca Fraina, right beside Hotel Ancora in the centre of Cortina. It’s run by genuine wine obsessives, which is refreshing in a town where most visitors default to cheap prosecco.”
1224
“Federico Rovacchi, one of the most interesting chefs working in Cortina today, trained under the Michelin-starred chef Norbert Niederkofler, who defined modern alpine cooking during his years at Rosa Alpina. Rovacchi now cooks at Baita Piè Tofana, located on the Tofana mountain. Because the mountain will be closed during the Olympics, the restaurant has temporarily moved into Hotel Savoy in the heart of Cortina [and been renamed 1224]. I actually think this is a gift—it brings that level of cooking into the village, making it far more accessible without losing its identity.”
Rifugio Scotoni
“You can’t talk about skiing in this part of the Dolomites without mentioning Scotoni. It’s legendary. To get there, you take a shuttle up and then ski down a long descent where you feel completely removed from everything—and then, suddenly, you see smoke rising from the hut. Christian is on the grill, and his wife, Manuela, runs the place. To know Manuela is to love her. Scotoni has a famously convivial, almost wild atmosphere. People linger for hours over lunch, and skiing down afterwards can feel a little adventurous. But that’s part of the magic.”