This simple, antique-decorated bed and breakfast in the town’s centro storico has a pretty courtyard and a pleasantly imposing fig tree. The building dates back to the 19th century.

A splendid little castle in the neighboring village of Verduno with rooms somewhat charmingly frozen in time, this hotel and restaurant sits in a spectacular location overviewing the whole region.

Built on the ruins of Pollenzia, once an ancient Roman city between Bra and Alba, this elegant hotel in Pollenzo is located just outside of town and housed in the neo-Gothic complex of the Slow Food University.

A few minutes walk from the town center, atop a hill with panoramic views of Bra, this bed and breakfast was the former summer home of a Turinese family. Its fixtures are homey and comfortable, a place beloved by young visitors to the university.

Many guests travel from afar to eat in this more than one hundred year old stronghold of Piedmontese cuisine. Refined versions of classics like bollito and homemade pasta are cooked to the highest quality and by the book. In summer, outdoor seating is available in a charming courtyard under a magnificent wisteria.

This charming 1917 restaurant appears from a bygone era with its classic cuisine, trolley of antipasti, and dessert cart. During the warm seasons, diners sit in the shade of canopies on Bra’s most beautiful piazza.

As a restaurant that adheres to the Slow Food Chefs’ Alliance to defend biodiversity, tradition, and small local producers consequently this one first-class ingredients, carefully reworked classic dishes, and for many the best panna cotta in Piedmont. At the end of their menu, the restaurant lists the Slow Food approved ingredients it features, such as the Villalba Lentil and cheeses like Robiola di Roccaverano DOP.

Young owners run this less traditional place, which specializes in high quality grilled meats. For secondi, patrons choose their breed, cut, and age of Piemontese beef from a refrigerated showcase.

One of the few—and best—wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas in town, served in a more contemporary and casual setting.

What it lacks in ambiance, this locals favorite makes up for in warmth of the staff and with what many consider the best pizza in town.

The most beautiful café in town, this one has excellent and traditional pastries both sweet and savory, gelato, and drinks in a magnificent Art Nouveau interior.

An attractive café and bar in the center of town, Boglione is where the hip Slow Food community often gathers for aperitivi.

A small market and delicatessen conceived and run by the students of the Slow Food University, it has (accordingly) outstanding produce quality and thoughtful ingredient sourcing. It’s also open for meals, snacks, and aperitivi.

Among the numerous butcher shops in meat-loving Bra it's nearly impossible to find a bad one. Scaglia is one of the best, carrying pasture-raised Piemontese cattle (Fassone) and of course the famous salsiccia di Bra.

Glass butcher cases are packed wall to wall at this shop, which is located in the busiest part of the city.

Known without contest as the best cheese shop in town, Giolito carries a highly comprehensive selection of local and international options. The current owners attribute the start of their business to their nonna Mariet, who in the early 1900s “collected products of the valleys and distributed them in the local and Ligurian markets”. Everyone who comes to the Cheese festival at some point inevitably stops through.

Carrying rare coffee for coffee snobs and many other select premium products, from chocolate to beer, this bottega touts new products on their website every Friday.

A shop and bar carrying a wide and colorful range of trendy, naturally produced wines, it’s especially packed during the time of the Cheese festival, and of course, equipped to advise on pairings.

This local craft-brewery serving birra artigianale was founded by three young and passionate friends. Their brews can also be found at many of the osterias and pizzerias in town.