Agli Amici Restaurant
Agli Amici is a family-run restaurant in Godia, a small village just north of Udine in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northeastern Italy. Founded in 1887 and now in its fifth generation of the Scarello family, it holds two Michelin stars and is one of the oldest continuously operating fine-dining establishments in Italy. Chef Emanuele Scarello has developed a menu that distils the agricultural and culinary traditions of Friuli — its cured meats, mountain herbs, polenta, and local wines — into modern, precisely executed dishes.
At a glance
- Type
- Fine dining restaurant, two Michelin stars
- Cuisine
- Contemporary Friulian; seasonal tasting menus
- Founded
- 1887; five generations of the Scarello family
- Location
- Godia (Udine), Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Coordinates
- 46.1022° N, 13.2661° E
- Chef
- Emanuele Scarello
Overview
Agli Amici began as a simple country inn serving the rural community around Godia and grew over generations into one of Italy’s most celebrated destination restaurants. Its longevity — over 135 years under one family — is unusual in European fine dining, and reflects a deep rootedness in Friulian culture and landscape. The restaurant has held two Michelin stars, testament to a kitchen that balances technical ambition with an honest regional identity.
History
The Scarello family opened the original osteria in 1887 to serve farm workers and travellers passing through the Udine plain. Each generation refined the offer, and by the late 20th century the restaurant had evolved into a serious culinary project without abandoning its farmhouse soul. Emanuele Scarello, who trained in several important European kitchens, returned home and led the kitchen to its Michelin recognition. The surrounding garden and a vegetable plot remain central to supply, preserving a farm-to-table ethic that predates the trend by several decades.
What you see
The building is an old Friulian farmhouse whose interior has been carefully modernised: exposed stone walls, wooden beams, and a calm, understated palette. The dining room is small and quiet, with tables spaced generously. A private cellar stores an extensive collection of Friulian, Italian, and international wines. Dishes are designed around local ingredients — San Daniele prosciutto, Montasio cheese, frico, mountain trout, and seasonal vegetables from the kitchen garden — transformed into refined compositions with contemporary plating.
Cultural significance
Agli Amici is a rare example of a restaurant that functions as a living record of regional food culture across multiple generations. Its continued success demonstrates that Italian fine dining can remain anchored to a specific territory rather than converging toward a generic international idiom. The Scarello family’s model has influenced a generation of chefs in Friuli and beyond who see tradition not as a constraint but as a creative source.
Practical information
- Address
- Via Liguria 252, 33100 Godia (Udine), Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Reservations
- Essential; contact via official website
- Hours
- Check official website for current service days and times; closed certain days
- Price range
- Tasting menus; high-end pricing — consult current menu online
Getting there
Godia is approximately 5 kilometres north of Udine city centre. The most practical approach is by car via the SS13 road or by taxi from Udine. Udine is served by rail from Venice (approx. 1 hour 40 minutes) and Trieste (approx. 1 hour); the nearest airport is Trieste-Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG), about 50 kilometres away. There is no direct public bus connection to Godia; a taxi from Udine station takes approximately 15 minutes.