What is
a trattoria?
The word appears on countless Italian storefronts, but what does it really mean? Here is what a trattoria is, what sets it apart from a ristorante or an osteria, and how Di Micheli keeps that spirit alive on Place des Cardeurs, in the heart of Aix-en-Provence.
An Italian table with no fuss
A trattoria is a warm, unfussy Italian restaurant, built to welcome regulars the way you would welcome them at home. Simple, generous cooking, a short menu, a family mood: you come to eat well, far from the pomp of grand dining rooms, around dishes made with fresh produce.
In practice, a trattoria favours the quality of the produce and home cooking over the length of the menu. Fewer dishes, but dishes cooked to order. At Di Micheli that means a deliberately short menu, fresh produce and no frozen dough, from the antipasto to the dessert.
Trattoria, ristorante and osteria
In Italy, three words come up often and are easily confused. The ristorante is the most structured of the three, with a fuller menu and a more formal service. The osteria was originally a place where people drank wine alongside a few simple dishes.
The trattoria sits between the two: warmer and more family-minded than a ristorante, yet with real plated cooking served at lunch and dinner. That neighbourhood-table tradition is exactly where our place belongs, a few steps from the historic centre of Aix-en-Provence.
- 2021Our trattoria opened in September
- 5People on the team, front of house and kitchen
- 24hFermentation of the pizza dough
No pomp, no fuss
A trattoria shows itself at the table
Place des Cardeurs, inside or on the terrace: it is at the table, and only there, that you feel the spirit of a trattoria — the welcome, the generosity, the home cooking.
The Neapolitan trattoria according to Di Micheli
Our trattoria puts contemporary Neapolitan pizza at the centre of the menu. The dough ferments for 24 hours at 70% hydration before spending a few seconds in a wood-fired oven heated to 480°: that is what makes it lighter and easier to digest.
Alongside the pizzas we serve home-made fresh pasta, antipasti and desserts such as tiramisu, all prepared on site. This way of working, with no shortcuts, sums up what a trattoria true to its roots should be.
A family trattoria in Aix-en-Provence
Di Micheli is a family trattoria open since September 2021, run by a team of five. You will find us at 13 Place des Cardeurs, right in the pedestrian centre of Aix-en-Provence, for lunch, dinner or a moment to share.
Our private room seats up to 28 and the terrace 90, with tailor-made menus for family meals, birthdays and company dinners.
The trattoria is a living part of Italian culture, and ours draws on it every day. To explore its history and customs, you can read the trattoria page on Wikipedia, then come and live the experience at our table.
It all starts with our Italian cooking, the home-made fresh pasta and our address on Place des Cardeurs. If the nuance still intrigues you, compare trattoria and ristorante. Now that you know what a trattoria is, the best way to understand ours is still to push the door open. See you very soon on Place des Cardeurs.
Keep exploring
A few pages to go further after your read, from the menu to booking your table.
What is a trattoria: your questions
What exactly is a trattoria?
A trattoria is a warm, family-run Italian restaurant with simple, generous cooking. It is defined by a short menu, fresh produce and a friendly mood, as at Di Micheli on Place des Cardeurs in Aix-en-Provence.
What is the difference between a trattoria and a ristorante?
The ristorante offers a fuller menu and a more formal service. The trattoria bets on good company and home cooking, with a shorter menu. Our place belongs to that Italian neighbourhood-table tradition.
Is Di Micheli a trattoria?
Yes. Di Micheli is a family trattoria open since September 2021, run by a team of five, at 13 Place des Cardeurs, 13100 Aix-en-Provence. We serve home-made Italian cooking at lunch and dinner.
What is served in a trattoria like yours?
Our menu highlights wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, home-made fresh pasta, antipasti and desserts such as tiramisu. Everything is prepared on site, with fresh produce and no frozen dough.
Can you host a group meal in your trattoria?
Yes. Our private room seats up to 28 and the terrace 90, with tailor-made menus for family meals, birthdays and company dinners in Aix-en-Provence.
Come and live the trattoria spirit
After the read, on to the table: book at Di Micheli, our family trattoria on Place des Cardeurs.