What is
a trattoria?

A trattoria is a friendly, unpretentious Italian restaurant, designed to welcome regulars the way you would welcome guests at home. Historically, the trattoria stands out for its simple, generous cooking, a tight menu and a family atmosphere, far from the formality of fine-dining venues. People come to eat well, in a warm setting, around dishes prepared with fresh produce. This is precisely the spirit we nurture at Di Micheli, on Place des Cardeurs, in the heart of Aix-en-Provence.

In practice, a trattoria favours the quality of the produce and homemade cooking over the length of the menu. Fewer dishes, but dishes prepared to order: that is the promise of a true Italian table. For us, this means a deliberately short menu, fresh produce and no frozen pasta. This standard guides every plate, from the antipasto to the dessert.

In Italy, three words come up often and easily get confused. The ristorante refers to the most structured restaurant, with an extensive menu and more formal service. The osteria, originally, was mainly a place where you drank wine with a few simple dishes. The trattoria sits between the two: warmer and more family-oriented than a ristorante, yet with real plated cooking served at lunch and dinner. It is in this tradition of the neighbourhood table that our place belongs, a stone's throw from the historic centre of Aix-en-Provence.

Our trattoria puts contemporary Neapolitan pizza at the centre of the menu. The dough ferments for 48 hours at 70% hydration before spending a few seconds in the wood-fired oven heated to 450°: this is what makes our pizza lighter and easier to digest. Alongside the pizzas, we offer homemade 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.

Di Micheli is a family trattoria open since September 2021, run by a team of five people. You'll find us at 13 Place des Cardeurs, in the pedestrian heart of Aix-en-Provence, for a lunch, a dinner or a moment to share. Our private room seats up to 24 guests and the terrace 20 more, with tailor-made menus for family meals, birthdays and corporate dinners.

The trattoria is a living part of Italian culture, and ours draws inspiration from it every day. To explore its history and customs, you can read about the trattoria on Wikipedia, then come and experience it at our table.

Now that you know what a trattoria is, the best way to understand ours is still to walk through the door. Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta and a family welcome await you on Place des Cardeurs: book your table whenever you like.