Alla Luna is a unique place, a “museum” that recounts the past, present, and future of gastronomy and the art of hospitality in Gorizia, a border city with a great Central European culinary tradition.

A dialogue between ancient and contemporary made possible by three generations who have come together to pass on the history of a unique region.

Because our future lies within history.

The epic story of Alla Luna began in 1876 when it opened as an inn and quickly became one of the most renowned eateries in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

In 1956, Milan Pilar decided to reopen it, transforming it into the current Trattoria Alla Luna. When he fell in love with Celestina Goljevscek and they married, together they transformed it into what it is today: a perfect union between the past and the future, a warm home of Gorizia culture.

Their cuisine is typically local, featuring all the great dishes of Austrian, Friulian, and Slovenian tradition, and the decor is typical of an osteria, with wooden furniture, a large serving counter at the entrance, and walls that gradually fill with happy and playful memories: advertisements for local wineries and events, artworks by local artists, vintage photographs of happy times spent together.

Today, the restaurant is still exactly that, run by Celestina and her beautiful daughters Elena and Roberta, always ready to pamper each customer and continue to decorate the rooms of the trattoria with new memories and special objects.

It’s the third generation that’s breaking the mold: Felix Jermann, Roberta’s son and the fifth generation of the Jermann Winery, one of Friuli’s finest wine producers.

Combining tradition and vision, he and Elena have ensured that Alla Luna’s wine list (and digestif list) truly includes all the finest wineries in Friuli Venezia Giulia, including those that aren’t yet known to be so. Furthermore, thanks to his passion, iconic producers from all over Italy—from Antinori to Allegrini—organize tastings at the Trattoria, thus offering an experiential hub for the entire region (just follow the restaurant’s social media to stay updated on upcoming events).

The menu is sure to captivate those who love tradition and dishes made just as they once were (where everything is handmade and homemade): from the hand-sliced ​​local raw ham, served with a basket of crispy frico cheese and black olives, to the palačinke mezzelune pasta, stuffed with seasonal vegetables and served with skimmed butter, breadcrumbs, and powdered Montasio cheese, to the famous sweet gnocchi, typical of Central Europe, filled with local fruit and topped with skimmed butter, breadcrumbs, sugar, and cinnamon.

Excellent second courses include the grilled čevapčiči with polenta and soft ajvar, and the sardines marinated in homemade vinegar for two hours, battered and then fried, and served with polenta. To finish on a sweet note with the gubana cake washed down with slivovitz, or some shots of local grappas.

At La Luna, everything is designed to make every guest feel at home; “as if it were always Christmas” is the metaphor that best describes the atmosphere and explains why this place is so beloved and popular.

The Secret

Gorizia has a very particular history: in 1947, the Allies drew a border line, the “ethnic line,” which divided the city into two halves, one Italian and one Slovenian, a sort of Berlin Wall. The wall was torn down on May 1, 2004, when Slovenia joined the European Union, and today that square, with the plaque commemorating the location of the wall, has become a symbol of peace and unity.

Useful Info

Trattoria Alla Luna
Via Oberdan 13
34170 Gorizia
Tel. +39 0481 530374

Appetizers: from €13
First courses: from €12
Second courses: from €10 to €28
Tasting menus: from €45, drinks not included