La Locanda

La Locanda in Gisburn just outside Clitheroe is a fantastic restaurant that transports you to Italy. The award-winning spot is a proponent of the slow food movement and dishes are rooted in traditional values. Expect exemplary seasonal cooking using a mix of local produce and Italian ingredients from dedicated small-scale producers.

The husband and wife team behind this place are Italian and dishes are typical of those you might discover in a well-regarded local restaurant driving through the Italian countryside. It definitely does not have the feel of a resort restaurant or a swish metropolitan operation and it’s all the better for it.

Typical dishes are bright with seasonal colour. Everything is cooked to order and, refreshingly, there is no children’s menu, just a willingness to make smaller portions for smaller people.

On any visit you might enjoy starters such as king scallops with crispy pancetta, pistachio and Bowland Forest wild garlic pesto, or Puglian burrata with basil and tomato gazpacho. Mains could include delights like chicken and pork ravioli with pecorino fondue or herb crust Pendleton rack of lamb with caponata and a red wine reduction.