The Place
A twisting road leads from the Alpago valley to Pieve, and then corkscrews on up to the little hamlet of Plois. Albergo Dolada turns out to be a handsome building with faded apricot walls and green-shuttered windows with a little garden which looks out over snow-capped mountaqins and the Santa Croce lake and valley far below (there are wonderful walks straight from the door).
Built in 1923, Dolada has been owned and run as an inn by four generations of the De Pra family. The much vaunted kitchen (one Michelin star, with another in the offing) is overseen by Enzo De Pra, aided by his son Riccardo, while his wife Rossana, a professional sommelier, and daughter Benedetta are a cheerful and friendly presence front of house. ‘The food’ our reporter comments, ‘was divine, and the welcome could not have been more friendly. I would recommend the white bedroom, for its spaciousness, if you can get it, but don’t worry if not.’ The modern bedrooms are named for their colour schemes; the pink one can come as a bit of a shock the morning after an evening of serious over-indulgence in the elegant restaurant, but a long walk in the hills, with wonderful views all around, should sort things out.