With its authentic Italian food and charm, La Locanda continues to thrive in Aalborg’s increasingly competitive fine-dining market.
Restaurant of the Month, Denmark
An Italian in Aalborg With an authentic Italian kitchen and atmosphere, Aalborg’s La Locanda is continuing to thrive in the city’s increasingly competitive fine-dining market. The popular restaurant is owned and run by the Italian chef Carlo Liberati, who is also behind the adjoining sister establishment, the popular La Bottega deli.
tables, seem much appreciated by guests, who continue to list the restaurant among the top-ten restaurants in Aalborg on TripAdvisor.
By Signe Hansen | Photos: mediebroen.dk
Italian charm and expertise
28 years ago, Italian Carlo Liberati left his home south of Rome to move to Denmark, where he eventually settled in Aalborg. Having run several successful restaurants, the 52-year-old four years ago opened La Locanda, an eatery that was, when opening, elected as Denmark’s most authentic Italian restaurant. Four years later, the restaurant is continuing to thrive despite the city’s increasingly competitive fine-dining market. “I think there were about four or five high-quality restaurants in the city when we started out; now it’s more 100 | Issue 132 | January 2020
than ten, and the number of people going out is more or less the same, so it means that we have to work a little harder to keep people’s attention, give them that little extra,” says Liberati. “The way we have done that is not by trying to compete on price, but by retaining the high quality of the kitchen and then giving our guests a little extra for their money when it comes to the service and overall experience.” The little extras, such as white tablecloths and extra space between the
Located in the cobblestoned courtyard of one the oldest houses in central Aalborg, La Locanda allow guests to enjoy their dinner in charming settings inside as well as outside. On the menu, they will find a selection of tempting à la carte dishes, as well as a number of smaller dishes put together in set threeto-nine-course menus. “I think the best way to describe our kitchen is that it is as close to original Italian cuisine as possible – of course updated a bit to suit our time. The restaurant too – we built it from nothing in an old warehouse, but we’ve managed to create a place that