Freina Restaurant Ortisei Review 2026: Dolomites Dining Gem

A Culinary Gem in the Northern Italian Dolomites: FREINA Restaurant

Hello fellow explorers!

Today, I'm thrilled to share my review of FREINA Restaurant, a fantastic dining spot I discovered in Ortisei.

If your accommodations are in or around Ortisei, this place is an absolute must-try. It exceeded all my expectations!

I'd always thought Northern Italian cuisine might be similar to Swiss fare, so I didn't have super high hopes for finding incredible food. But boy, was I wrong! The food here was surprisingly delicious.

Many establishments in this area combine hotels and restaurants, and while prices can be a bit higher, the dedication to culinary excellence is evident. There are even Michelin-starred restaurants nearby, showing just how serious they are about their food.

While there are many high-end restaurants, I sought out a place with reasonable prices that still offered a fantastic experience – and FREINA did not disappoint. Italy truly knows how to deliver on flavor!

It was incredibly tasty! 🤭

Let's dive into the review.

Location

📍Freina Mountain Lifestyle Hotel

Str. Freina, 23, 39048 Selva di Val Gardena BZ, Italy

Exterior

The restaurant is located on the first floor of the hotel. Interestingly, guests on a half-board plan have a separate dining area, while external guests dine in another section.

Interior

I visited around 8 PM and the restaurant was quite busy. Even though it was a bit chilly outside, the interior was wonderfully warm and inviting, creating a cozy atmosphere.

I hadn't made a reservation, so I was a little worried, but they were able to seat me. The lobby staff kindly guided me to my table.

I also enjoyed a lovely view of the lush green landscape outside the window.

Menu

The menu was incredibly user-friendly, featuring pictures and English descriptions, which was a huge help!

Craving some meat, I ordered a steak dish.

And of course, I couldn't resist trying the ravioli – it's always interesting to see how different restaurants prepare this classic!

I was so curious to taste the Northern Italian version of ravioli!

Our Order

Water ~$5

Aperitivo Aperol Spritz ~$7

White Wine ~$6

Bottoncini Ravioli ~$22

Manzo Filetto ~$28

Total ~$73

We were served grissini (breadsticks) as a complimentary starter, and we each ordered an aperitif.

*Aperitif

An aperitif is meant to stimulate the appetite before a meal. In Italy, where dinner is often enjoyed later in the evening, around 8 PM, it's common to socialize over finger foods and an aperitif to ward off hunger and enjoy conversation.

The Aperol Spritz is incredibly popular, with 450 million glasses sold annually worldwide – that's 14 glasses every second!

When you're traveling through Europe in the warm summer months, you'll quickly understand its appeal. I found myself enjoying it frequently on this trip.

Next up, the Ravioli!

This ravioli was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat.

It was filled with cacio e pepe, and the basil sauce combined with the rich pecorino cheese sauce was absolutely divine.

With delightful little tomato accents, each bite was a revelation. Seriously, if you visit, I highly recommend this dish!

And here's the Manzo Filetto.

Despite being a thick cut, the steak was cooked to absolute perfection, incredibly juicy and tender. It was quite unique that it came served with rice, almost like a Korean traditional meal, haha. Though, I must say, Korean rice still holds the top spot for me!

The sauce wasn't overly rich, which I really appreciated, making this a wonderfully balanced dish.

The meat was incredibly tender.

This was truly a satisfying and delicious meal during my Dolomites adventure. I was beyond pleased!

Website

📌Check out their Menu

You can view the full menu directly on their website below.

Just click the yellow circle on the bottom right to navigate to the menu.

À la carte Restaurant Freina in Selva di Val Gardenawww.restaurantfreina.com

📌Overall Verdict

If you're staying in Ortisei and looking for a truly excellent meal, I wholeheartedly recommend Freina! It's absolutely delicious.

Offering reasonable prices and boasting the highest Google rating in the vicinity, it's a clear winner.

That concludes my review for today!

Here's a link to the budget-friendly accommodation I stayed at in Ortisei 👇👇