Eating Out in Tuscany
Because of my work
I have to eat out often. Here you will find reviews of Tuscan restraurants
(excluding Florence); below you will find links to reviews of Tuscan
restaurants not in Florence.
Trattoria Sciame
(Montalcino)
Locanda Borgo Antico (Chianti)
Ristorante Borgo Antico (Tavarnelle -- between Florence and
Siena)
Ristorante Albergo La Bussola (Outside
Prato)
Antica Trattoria La Torre (Castellina in
Chianti)
La Grotta (Montepulciano)
Osteria La Gramola (Tavernelle Val di Pesa)
Trattoria Papei (Siena)
Enoteca i
Terzi (Siena)
Ristorante da Nisio (San Gimignano)
Ristorante L'Albergaccio (Castellina in Chianti)
Bar Ristorante Pietrafitta (Castellina in Chianti)
Ristorante Poggio Antico (Montalcino)
Ristorante da Ugo (Castagheto Carducci)
A
suggestion for Lornano, a town outside Siena
Suggestions for Montecatini
Suggestions for Lucca
Haven't found anything you can
use? Post your
questions on the BBS -- if I can't answer them
someone else will probably be able to.
Back to the main index
Trattoria Sciame
Via Albergheria, 3
Montalcino Tel.
(0577) 848-017
Sciame means swarm, and thought the bees don't
come, diners certainly do. It being a business lunch, I decided to forego the
appetizers and began with Tagliatelle al Cinghiale, wide strips of pasta in a
wild boar sauce. They were slightly salty but quite tasty, with the gaminess of
the meat nicely balanced by the spicing of the sauce, which also had a peppery
tang to it.
As a second course I decided to stick with wild boar
(they're very common around Montalcino), and ordered Cinghiale in Scottiglia,
wild boar stewed with herbs and spices. Though juniper is quite common in the
marinades used for boar, I didn't detect it here. The meat was quite tasty, and
extremely tender. As I side dish I had boiled beans, though with the benefit of
hindsight I should have asked for a mixed salad -- those the other diners were
eating looked good. I closed with a slice of good, moderately aged pecorino
from Pienza.
The wine list is simple and local -- Rosso di Montalcino,
Brunello, and one local Vino Novello for those
who don't want something stronger. No house wine, which is too bad. In any
case, I had a La Fortuna Rosso di Montalcino 1995, which was quite pleasing:
Ruby red with purple highlights, and an intriguing bouquet with floral notes,
Sangiovese, and lots of berry fruit, including black currents and hints of wild
strawberry. No wood. On the palate the wine has lush fruit, with hints of
stewed cherries. It's moderately tannic, with silky tannins, and has a clean
persistent finish.
The cost? 59,000 lire, which is quite reasonable.
Want to try a recipe? Pollo
al Brunello, stewed chicken with Brunello.
Back to
restaurant list
Locanda Borgo Antico:
Lucolena, Greve in Chianti. Tel:
055/851024 Closed Tuesdays.
If you're driving in the countryside around
Florence, sampling wines and admiring the scenery, the Locanda Borgo Antico is
an excellent bet. It has to be, to survive as far out of the way as it is: Take
the road from Greve towards Figline, follow it up over the divide and down past
Castello di Querceto. Turn right at the intersection, and then follow the signs
for Lucolene. You will wind through the town and up into forested hills; Borgo
Antico is a hamlet off to the left a couple of turns beyond the cemetery.
There's a pretty terrace under an arboretum, which is especially nice on one of
those unsettled summer days when the clouds race across the sky. When it's
colder you can also eat indoors.
I had Pappardelle al Cinghiale, wide
strips of pasta with a wild boar sauce that had just a hint of juniper berries.
Quite nice. The heaping bowl of freshly grated Parmigiano served on the side
was a nice touch. The second course consisted of a pork chop grilled on a
charcoal fire, with freshly boiled beans, served with olive oil, salt, and
pepper. Might not sound like much, but it was very refreshing. Dessert?
Cantuccini di Prato and vinsanto. The wine list is extensive, and the people at
the table next to me, where a man was telling his pouty daughter he was sending
her to boarding school "for her own good,"were drinking wine from a wide-bodied
decanter. I had the house wine, a Rosso di Montalcino, which I found a bit
thin, and somewhat overly acidic - especially at 5,000 lire per quarter liter.
In all, the cost was 45,000 Lire, which is a bit on the pricey side.
However, the food is excellent, the service quick and friendly, and the view
spectacular. If only they had a better house wine. Recommended. They also rent
rooms, though I didn't see them.
Back to restaurant
list
Ristorante Borgo Antico:
Tavernelle Val Di Pesa,
Via Roma 55 Tel 055/8076180 Closed Wednesday
Tavernelle is a
nondescript town half-way between Florence and Siena, and the restaurant is in
the middle of town, on a rather awkward corner. It's worth a visit though -
this is one of those traditional places, where there are soccer trophies in a
case by the door, the paneling gives it a cozy feel, the chef comes out to
greet the customers, and the waitresses coo over babies.
Elisabetta and
I began with tagliatelle al sugo, tagliatelle in meat sauce. We got a heaping
platter, and they were quite good, though a touch tomatoey. We followed the
pasta with a bistecca alla fiorentina, a porterhouse steak cooked rare over a
charcoal fire. It was remarkably tender and very tasty. It's hard to beat a
good fiorentina, and this one was. Betty had a tossed salad and I had grilled
baby potatoes, again quite good. For dessert we split a cream cake topped with
berries. Delicate and gone all too soon. The wine list is extensive, but we had
the house wine - a perfectly good Chianti.
In all, we spent 90,000
lire, which is to be expected since we ordered steak. The service was friendly
and quick. Recommended.
Back to restaurant list
Ristorante Albergo La Bussola
Catena Quarrata,
Via Fiorentina 328 Tel: 0573-743128
Heaven in an unlikely place: Catena
Quarrata is a desolate town on the flatlands of the Valdarno, one of those
places where trucks rumble through on the way from here to there. However, it's
just a short drive down the hill from Carmignano, a pretty town with fantastic
wines that's well worth a journey. You turn off Via Fiorentina in the middle of
town, park in a small private lot, and enter an unexpected sea of tranquillity,
with tables under an awning by a vibrantly green lawn, and an inviting dining
hall.
I began with pappardelle all'anatra, wide strips of pasta in duck
sauce. Duck can be rather heavy, especially on a hot day, but this sauce was
delicately seasoned and delightful. The pasta was served with a chunk of
Parmigiano, a pair of tongs, and a small grater - a very nice touch. After the
pasta came roast rabbit and potatoes, with a green salad. Rabbit's one of those
things that's easy to do but difficult to do right; this one was: well cooked
and flavorful without being stringy or tough. But what really amazed me was the
potatoes: peeled and baked in the roasting tray, they were creamy bursts of
flavor that melted on my tongue. Artusi calls the potato plebeian, but these
were fit for a king. Dessert? Crostata coi fichi, shortbread with a topping of
custard and fresh figs. Delicate, and though the figs weren't as voluptuous as
those one finds in Puglia, I'd recommend it.
The wine list is
extensive. However, I tried the house wine - Capezzana's vino da tavola, an
honest red wine that went perfectly with everything else. The only drawback is
that they sell it by the bottle, not by the carafe.
In all I spent
48,000 lire - very reasonable, considering the quality of the food (I've since
discovered that the chef also conducts cooking classes for food professionals).
The service is quick and friendly. You should either get there early or reserve
a table: At 1:00 the restaurant suddenly filled with sales reps and marketing
people from Prato's textile mills. They know a good deal when they see it.
Back to restaurant list
Antica Trattoria La Torre:
In the main square,
Castellina in Chianti. Closed Fridays.
Castellina was one of the
Florentines' main bastions against the Aragonese during the wars of the 1430s,
so important that Brunelleschi and the men working on Florence's Cathedral were
ordered to drop everything and go shore up its walls during a lull in the
fighting. They did a good job; most are still standing. So is the keep perched
on the top of the hill. The trattoria is in the square below it, and the
setting is wonderful on a nice day, especially in the summer, when you can eat
outside.
I started out with Pappardelle al Cinghiale, strips of pasta
in a sauce made with wild boar. Good, and the juniper traditionally used to
season boar added a pleasing touch of authenticity. Most of the menu is
traditional, but there are some more refined Sunday-type dishes; I had roast
stuffed rabbit for secons. The stuffing consisted of pancetta, ground meat, and
hard-boiled eggs; the combination worked remarkably well, with the pancetta
basting the rabbit from within. A green salad went wonderfully with it.
Dessert? Pavarotti, a layer cake made with shortbread, and sponge cake,
interlayered with crema chantillí. The drops of Alkermes on the
sponge cake counterbalanced the sweetness of the cream quite well.
The
wine was a mini-bottle of Castello di Ama 1994, and very good it was. On the
other hand, it cost 12,000 lire. My one complaint about La Torre is that they
don't have an inexpensive house wine by the carafe. Seems a funny lack for a
restaurant in the middle of the greatest wine region of the world. The price?
53,000 lire, which is a bit steep, but then again settings like this don't
happen everywhere. Recommended.
Back to restaurant
list
Ristorante La Grotta:
Loc. San Biagio,
Montepulciano. Tel: 0578 758354 Closed Wednesdays, and Jan-Feb.
Montepulciano is one of Tuscany's undiscovered gems, and San Biagio is
without question the jewel of her crown, a spectacular High Renaissance chapel.
The Ristorante la Grotta, which is next to it, is a gem of a very different
kind. The restaurant is built in the ground floor of a 14th century
building, and the brick vaulting gives the rooms a cozy feeling that is
heightened in the winter by fireplaces (in the summer there is also a patio
outside). Of course décor isn't everything.
I began with Bisi
all'Anatra, bisi (hand-rolled strands of pasta about the thickness of a bass
string, a local specialty) in a duck sauce. It was extremely delicate and very
good, though I found it just a touch tomatoey. As a second course I had half a
pigeon, stuffed with minced duck breast laced with truffles and foie-gras. The
presentation was very pretty, the bird on its side, with reduced juices spooned
over it, and a flower whose petals were leaves of Belgian Endive and whose
heart was stewed zucchini. I'm normally not a big pigeon fan, but this was
superb: Roasted, and the pigeon meat had been delicately basted from within by
the foie-gras. Very moist, and extremely tender. Flavorful too, the spicing was
just right.
Since I had a business meeting after lunch, I decided to
forego dessert in favor of a slice of pecorino (another specialty of the
Montepulciano region). I was brought two, one young, served with a few drops of
olive oil, and the other aged, served with a dab of crystallized honey, which
reminded me of the grape-must jam that's served with cheeses in Piemonte. A
nice touch.
Wines? La Grotta is one of the few Italian restaurants I've
found that serves wine by the glass. I had two, both Nobile di Montepulciano
1993: Dei, an astonishingly lush wine with powerful fruit flavors and satiny
tannins (imagine Marylin Monroe in a glass), and Polizzano, which was also very
fruity, but had a hint of alcohol in the bouquet, and slightly more pronounced
tannins. Both were quite good.
The price: 70,000 Lire. Not cheap, but
considering the food, the wines, the service, and the setting, well worth it.
Recommended. Want to try a recipe?
Tortino di Ricotta con
Verdure.
Back to restaurant list
Osteria La Gramola :
Tavernelle Val di Pesa, Via
delle Fonti 1. Closed Tuesdays.
The Osteria is set back from the main
road, and the entrance is a tunnel that leads to the dining room, which is a
large square room with farm implements and photos of farmers on the walls.
Quite fitting, considering that the region is thoroughly agricultural.
The food is not, on the other hand. We were a rather large group, and
thus were able to sample a number of things. Most people began with crostini,
which are about as classic as one can get in Tuscany. Good too, as were the
(non-Tuscan) puff pastries stuffed with porcini that one of us had. As a first
course some opted for ravioli di melanzane (eggplant ravioli) that looked quite
good. I instead had a minestra di verdura (vegetable soup) that was a little
too refined for me: the cook went easy on the cabbage, and the beans weren't
quite done yet. A question of taste, because everyone else who had it liked it.
As a second, I had a stracotto di vitella (veal stew) that was quite good, with
a green salad. The rabbit stuffed with ham that the person next to me had also
looked good. Dessert? We were running out of steam, and closed with coffee.
The wine? We began with a Chianti Classico that proved surprisingly
thin and acidic. Enough of a disappointment that we ordered a bottle of Isole e
Olena, which proved much better.
Cost? To be frank, I don't know. I was
a guest. However, I would recommend this restaurant, especially to people who
are entertaining guests and decide to take them out into the country. Its one
drawback, which would become important on Saturday night, is that the room
echoes somewhat.
Back to restaurant list
Trattoria Papei
Siena, behind the Palazzo
Comunale. Closed Mondays.
You probably wouldn't think to even enter the
Trattoria Papei unless someone told you to go: it's tucked back in the corner
of the square that hosts the fish market, and the doorway looks old and worn.
However, you're in for a treat.
I began with Pappardelle sulla lepre,
inch-wide ribbony strips of pasta with a hare sauce. It was slightly gamy, the
way hare normally is, and quite good. For second I had roast veal, again a
simple classic Tuscan dish, and again perfectly prepared. For a vegetable I
opted for baked artichoke hearts, which were also quite good. And something of
a mistake -- artichokes tend to clash with wines, and this one fought bitterly
with the very good Chianti Classico Castello di Volpaia we were drinking.
For dessert, we had ricciarelli, the traditional Sienese marzipan
pastries. They were light, soft, had just the right amount of orange, and
melted in our mouths. Superb.
The Cost? About 40,000 lire per person,
which is quite reasonable all considered. Recommended.
Back to restaurant list
Enoteca i Terzi
Via Dei Termini 7, Siena, Tel 0577
44329
Siena is divided into three districts; this wine bar is located
on the junction between them, in the ground floor of a medieval tower. Very
pretty, and quite worth a visit for the food too: A wide selection of cold cut
platters, as well as pastas and other first courses. The highpoint however is
the selection of wines, which is extremely extensive, with all sorts of
Chiantis and wines form other parts of Italy by the glass, and a considerably
broader selection by the bottle, likely the best in Siena. It will make an
excellent spot for a quick lunch or dinner.
The cost? Depending upon
what you order, 15-30,000 lire per person, or more if you order an expensive
bottle.
Back to restaurant list
Ristorante L'Albergaccio di Castellina
Via
Fiorentina 63, Castellina in Chianti Tel. 0577 741 042; Closed Sundays.
L'Albergaccio in Castellina in Chianti is one of the worst-kept secrets
in the world -- ask anyone in the area for a restaurant suggestion and that's
where you'll be directed. If you're in Castellina take the road for San Donato
and Tavarnelle; it's on the left after about a half mile. You can order
á la carte, but the Chef's suggestions are also nice and well worth it.
One day this April they began with mixed antipasti, which included
crostini, slices of toasted bread spread with
pate, and a variety of home-cured cold cuts. The salami, which was fresher than
one often encounters, was especially good, as was the sbriciolona, a type of
salami cured with fennel. The antipasti were followed by a Zuppa di Cipolla
alla Fiorentina, a Florentine-style onion soup with cheese, toast and beans
that had pleasing lemony overtones, and pigi, thick home-made pasta in a clear
sauce reminiscent of the drippings from a roast, which coarsely chopped
tomatoes, rosemary, and crumbled pecorino. Quite pleasant.
The
entrée was scottiglia, a meat stew made
by the charcoal burners of the Maremma; popular wisdom holds that it should
have as many varieties of meat as possible and this certainly did, including
something nutty that may have been a heart. Quite nice, and deftly seasoned,
not too much but not too little either. The accompaniment? Greens.
Dessert was preceded by a selection of cheeses, all local. Though one
frequently reads ecstatic discussions of Pecorino di fossa, the pecorino that's
put in a sack and aged in the ground for several months, it's difficult to find
examples that are worth the excitement. This was. The cheeses were followed by
a selection of tasty desserts, served with a dram of Antinori's Aleatico. The
wine with the meal? San Giusto a Rentennano's Chianti Classico, which worked
just fine. The service was impeccable, the settings elegant, and the view from
the window pretty. Cost? 92,000 Lire, which isn't cheap, but you won't eat like
this often. Highly recommended.
Back to restaurant
list
Ristorante da Nisio
Località Sovestro 32,
San Gimignano (SI) Tel: (0577) 941 029; Closed
Tuesdays.
If you're driving up to San Gimignano from Colle or
Poggibonsi, as you come around a bend you'll see a sign for Da Nisio on your
right. File it away in memory!
The restaurant is modern, with a nice
picture window looking across the valley that sets the mood. The menu features
traditional dishes cooked with distinction; I began with a Zuppa di Farro that
was rich, thick, and creamy, with the grains of farro (it's akin to spelt
according to some food writers) pleasingly chewy. The zuppa was followed by
Coniglio alla Vernaccia, rabbit cooked in Vernaccia, which is one of the
highpoints of San Gimignano's cuisine. It was extremely delicate, cooked to
perfection, with just a hint of sweetness from the Vernaccia balanced by the
acidity of the onions. Extremely refined. Dessert? We passed, because we were
taking advantage of the restaurant's superb wine list to sample several whites
(I was eating with an importer). The best? A Schiopeto Collio Sauvignon, and
Montepeloso Bianco Val di Cornia. The former had nice fruit delicately balanced
by oak, while the latter was slightly less refined, but had an enticing
bouquet. The cost? About 40,000 lire per person.
Back
to restaurant list
Bar Ristorante Pietrafitta
Loc. Pietrafitta 41,
Castellina in Chianti (Siena); Tel 0577 741 123; email
agiordi@tin.it; Closed Wednesdays.
I'd been meaning to visit this restaurant for quite some time, because
Gambero Rosso said the menu was eclectic -- everything from gazpacho to chili
with beans. That's not what I found: The management has changed, and now it's
being run by the owner, whose tastes are much more local. This is not a bad
thing, however.
The menu now has a mixture of Tuscan and other Italian
dishes, so I asked for chitarrini con porri e pecorino, pasta with a leek and
pecorino sauce. The strands of the pasta were quite thick and were slightly
chewy, but the overall effect was nice; the leeks did a good job of balancing
the cream base of the sauce while the cheese complemented rather than
overpower.
As a second course I opted for grilled sausages, a local
specialty, with grilled radicchio, which is more common further north. Neither
is at all complicated but both were good. The radicchio was properly bitter
without being harsh, while the sausages were peppery, and the two complemented
each other well.
For dessert? I really didn't need it, but I ordered a
chocolate almond cake that was not too rich, but crumbly in a creamy sort of
way. Good, the sort of dessert that doesn't weigh you down. In terms of a wine,
the selection is primarily local. I opted for Castello di San Polo in Rosso
Chianti Classico 1995, which was pleasing though somewhat closed, and still a
bit angular -- this is a traditional Chianti Classico and requires more bottle
age than some. Since I didn't finish the bottle, I was charged for two glasses
and thus discovered they serve wines by the glass as well.
The price?
55,000 lire, which is reasonable, and will be even more when it is warm enough
to eat out on the terrace.
Back to restaurant list
Ristorante Poggio Antico
Località Poggi, 53024 Montalcino (SI); Tel: (0577) 849 200, closed
Mondays except in summer, when it's always open. You'll want to make
reservations.
It's a pretty drive from the main road joining Montalcino
and Grosseto, along a cypress-lined dirt road to a bluff overlooking the
valley. Elegant décor, beautiful view, and quite pleasant. The menu is
interesting, with lots of dishes that draw innovatively from local tradition,
but you may want to opt for the one of the two meals Roberto Minnetti has
assembled, one meat and the other fish-based. The meat-based meal began with a
quiche al radicchio served with a Taleggio cheese sauce; the slightly salty
sweetness of the cheese nicely balances the bitterness of the radicchio, and
the lightness of the pastry is delightful. Nice presentation too, with chopped
tomatoes and herbs arranged into a rose. The quiche was followed by a liver
patè served with a riduzione di Moscadello, a Moscadello gelatin that
includes strawberries. Quite interesting; the rich pleasingly livery flavors of
the patè are balanced very well by the sweetness of the sauce, which
also contributes nicely to the color and texture of the whole. Extremly
harmonious.
The antipasti were followed by ravioli filled with ricotta
and greens. Lots of greens, and they're seasoned with a simple tomato sauce and
crumbled Parmigiano. Ravioli are all too often humdrum in restaurants, so it's
nice to be served some that remind one of why we get excited over them. They
were followed by peposo, a peppery beef stew that's generally associated with
the town of Impruneta, not far from Florence. The meat was extremely tender,
and tasty, though I'd have preferred a little more pepper. It was served with
mashed potatoes, which were perfect for combining with the sauce, garnished
with huge parsley leaves.
Dessert? The tray looked scrumptious, but I
opted for a plate of mixed cheeses, which seemed more suited to my wine, a very
nice Poggio Antico Rosso di Montalcino 1998. Coffee and Col D'Orcia's Grappa di
Moscadello wrapped things up beautifully.
The price? 120,000 lire,
which is reasonable for a meal of this kind.
Back to
restaurant list
Ristorante Da Ugo
Via Pari 4, 57022
Castagneto Carducci (LI) Tel: 0565763746, closed Mondays.
It might
strike some people as odd that a restaurant with a commanding view of the sea
should have no fish on the menu, but the reasons are simple: Though the Maremma
is a coastal section of Tuscany, until the great tourist boom transformed the
beaches into resort areas the economy was primarily agricultural and the
farmers had nothing to do with the sea. Didn't even go, to the point that it
was possible, in the 70s, to meet elderly farmers who had never gotten their
feet wet. Given this historic context, the absence of fish in the Ristorante da
Ugo's menu makes a little more sense.
So what will you find? Game, and lots
of it. My dinner began with a platter of mixed cold cuts, which included salami
and prosciutto from both pork and wild boar, a couple of crostini, one liver
paté on bread and the other fried polenta with meat sauce, together with
grilled eggplant and olives. These were followed by a bowl of vegetable soup
that wasn't quite minestra di pane -- there was bread in it, and cabbage as
well, but there weren't any beans, nor was there kale. It was good, however,
and set the stage for tagliatelle with a colombaccio (wild pigeon) sauce that
was quite nice, and flavorful though not gamy; It begged a wine with lively
acidity to balance its richness, and the combination was pleasant indeed.
Colombacci of course come whole to the kitchen, and what came next was half a
colombaccio, stewed in red wine, together with button onions that were stewed
with them, and a warning that the birds might still have some buckshot in them.
Mine didn't, and it was quite tasty, as were the onions, which provided a
pleasant counterpoint to the richness of the dove. Since this was an important
dinner it closed with an important dish: Testina di Cinghiale, which is boar's
head that has been boned and stuffed with pork cuttings, and is then marinated
in spices and wine and simmered for hours in a red wine sauce. It's rich and
exotic, and though it is fatty enough that some would object, if you like this
sort of dish you will like it very much.
The dessert was elegant, and in a
way more refined than the traditional specialties, but tasty too. The wine list
covers the Bolgheri/Val di Cornia area well. Bottom line: If you want to
experience Tuscan traditions and are in the area you should definitely go.
Back to restaurant list
A Restaurant in Lornano, outside Siena:
From Cosa
Bolle in Pentola, the Newsletter:
Moving
more towards food, I recently met Paul Brodie, who kindly shared instructions
for purchasing A Hundred Tuscan Tables (a fun guide to fine eating in Tuscany)
on the Net. He writes"Well, I have one more restaurant to recommend to you.
It's in the little village of Lornano, which is reached by exiting the SI-FI
highway at 'Badesse', then following the signs to Lornano - about 2 km. There's
a very nice restaurant in the village (only one), which is full every night
with the local folks. The food was well prepared and reasonably priced, and the
house wine (from the local Chianti Classico grapes) is quite good!"
Back to restaurant list
Suggestions for Montecatini
From Cosa Bolle in
Pentola, the Newsletter:
Frank recently
wrote asking about restaurants in Montecatini, a town with beautiful
turn-of-the-century Liberty Style spas (the Italian equivalent of Art Deco) and
a vibrant night life with clubs and ponies. Though I've driven by any number of
times (it's on the way to the beach from Florence) I've never eaten there, in
part because it's not the sort of place suited for a 5 year old son.
Gambero Rosso's restaurant guide mentions a couple
places:
Cucina da Giovanni & Enoteca Giovanni, Via Garibaldi 25,
Tel. 0572 71695
Gourmet, Via Amendola 6, Tel. 0572 771 012
Cost in
the 65-85,000 range, plus wines.
Espresso's restaurant guide also
mentions Gourmet, as well as
Grand Hotel & Palace Via della
Torretta 1, Tel. 0572 75801
Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe Via 4
Novembre 2, Tel. 0572 71041
La Torre, in Montecatini Alto, Piazza San Giusti
8, Tel. 0572 70650.
The last one is a family-run trattoria, and they
say it's inexpensive.
Back to restaurant list
Philip's Suggestions for Lucca and
Pisa
From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, the Newsletter:
Moving on to other things, the
Christian Jubilee has already begun, and if you're planning to visit Italy this
year you'll be best off making reservations as soon as possible. It's going to
be packed this summer. With all the crowds you may decide to see the lesser
known areas; in this regard I recently got a note from Philip, who was
surprised at the dearth of Luccan restaurants on my restaurant review page.
Turns out he lives just outside Lucca, in a
beautiful
house he shares with guests, and when I asked for some suggestions he
kindly sent the below:
La buca di San Antonio
In
the centre of Lucca, a stone's throw from the San Michele (one of the World's
most lovely churches), is a restaurant not to be missed. La Buca has been
renowned amongst the Lucchesi since - who knows when? Renowned not just for its
unsurpassable cooking, but also for the ambience, which starts with the
trumpets on the ceiling and perhaps ends with the Vin Santo they leave on your
table because you would like to stay longer than they would (Do lock up when
you go!).
La Mora
Just north of Lucca (7 km), on
the road to Abetone, is the little village of Ponte a Moriano; cross the bridge
and go up a bit and you'll see a sign to the right for La Mora. DO NOT pass it
by! Sauro keeps a good table, so good that "La Guida Italia"rated him as one of
the "Top 50"in Italy! And it really is a good place to eat - Sauro is friendly
and views his eminence as a bit of a laugh... but if you want to taste Tuscan
as it should be.... then his table d'haute Menu Toscana, which stretches over
15 different offerings, is for you. If you ask nicely, he'll also give you a
plate as a souvenir of your visit!
La Nina
Up
above Lucca are the hills of Montecarlo (to the East), where some of the very
best Tuscan White Wines are produced, and "where you drink well, ergo you eat
well"(QED!). Few restaurants any where, on a Summer's day, or any other day,
can rival La Nina. Imagine... sitting out, in the hills of Tuscany, being
served, under a superb arbour, with the most excellent food and wine.........
Could heaven be better? "La Nina"is lovely ............Try it!
Trattoria da Olivo - Lucca
On the 3rd Sunday of every
month, Lucca holds its "Flea/Antique"Market. It ranges through all the streets
near the Duomo di San Martino - it's huge - whether that makes it 'good' is
something else! But it covers the gamut of Junk! Great Fun! Sometimes you can
even take home a puppy.
Just up the Via Fillungo - Lucca's "Oxford St/
Fifth Ave", on the same day, on the right in the little Piazza dell'Arancio,
the Lucchesi artists display their work - including Giampa(u)olo Bianci (who
has an International reputation) - some of which is very worthwhile. If that
morning, having viewed and wanting time to think about whether 'you'd really
like that one when you got it home' and whether 'you really feel like spending
that amount', you were to walk on through the Piazza, on your left you'll see
the Trattoria da Olivo - a loggia surrounded by tall box hedge. This is where
Antonella will serve you with an excellent Zuppa di Pesce or Insalata Mare
Caldo, followed perhaps by Spaghettini al(lo) Scoglio and then, how about a
superb Branzino? She doesn't only do fish - but she does fish so well, I've
never considered going for the meat side of the menu. A good coffee, some of
Antonella's almond cracknell.... Wash it all down with a good dry Buonamici
White....with to end, maybe a Vin Santo... and the picture you chose
.............well, you'll be ready to take a decision on that - and bargain
with the stall-holders all afternoon! Of course, you don't have to go to the
Trattoria only on Market day.......
Antico Teatro - Pisa
One of the great sights in Tuscany (amongst
the 10,000 others) is Pisa's Luminara - June16 (? could be 15), when the whole
of the City, especially the buildings along the Arno, are lit by candles - 12
million of them (? who's arguing, I'm not going to count!) - this is 'followed'
by an enormous firework display at about 10.30pm - which is best viewed from
one of the bridges. You have to get to Pisa by around 6.30/7 if you want a fair
place to park and it's a good idea to have booked somewhere to eat - the
restaurants do get full that night. One place which you're bound to enjoy is
Giovanni's "Antico Teatro"restaurant in Piazza Dante, just on the north bank of
the Arno - not least because Giovanni is such a nice man and get him onto his
olive oil and he'll not stop! For the night of the Luminara, Giovanni does - as
I believe his Father and Grandfather did before (it's been that long in the
family) - a special dinner, when most particularly amongst the 20 other dishes
you're served, is his "Champagne"and Orange Risotto, which must take its place
somewhere up among the best '500' flavours ever tasted. After a leisurely two
hours delighting in Giovanni's fare, it'll be time to stand with the 100,000
others and go "Oooh - Aa -aaH!" at the rockets........then a stroll through the
town, up to sit at a bar in the Piazza dei Miracoli and gaze at a candle-lit
Torre Pendente. Giovanni's is good on other days too - he also does that
Anglo-Italian dish "Stuccofisso". (The photo is Philip's)
Antica
Locanda di Sesto
Ponte a Moriano, and Sesto a Moriano, its "suburb"(!),
must be almost unique. Not only is Ponte the home of La Mora (one of Lucca
Province's best restaurants), and Erasmo's (perhaps the oldest restaurant in
the world - allegedly in business in 1650) but also, almost next door to La
Mora, is the more traditional - and cheaper - "Antica Locanda", which is well
worth a visit - you needn't be too distraught if, arriving at La Mora on spec,
and finding it full, you can get in here. "Sesto's,"as we call it - they don't
- is much more the traditional Trattoria style restaurant that many visitors
expect in Italy - even the house wine (Very Potable!) is truly house wine,
produced at the family's vineyard. Hung about with the 'normal' copper pots and
old bottles and plates ,the restaurant serves fairly standard though good
quality fare without seeking to be over ambitious. Most of the usual Tuscan
dishes one expects - not too much fish - are on the menu and the wine list is
'better than adequate'. The ambience is pleasant, friendly and relaxed, which
is really what dining in Italy is all about!
Massa Pisana - Cecco's
and La Principessa
On the old road from Lucca to Pisa - the Strada
Vecchia Lucchesia - there are a number of "places to eat", two are of especial
note. At Massa Pisana, about 8kms south of Lucca, is La Principessa, a Relais
Chateaux Hotel and the old home of the Duca di Lucca! Super old Villa, with a
restaurant to match! The whole place has that air of old elegance, one thought
had gone long ago..........And you pay for it! - expect to pay 120.000 to
140,000 Lit per head for a 'proper' dinner. But, for all that, it's nice and
has style about it - the food's well up to the best standards.
Further
on towards Pisa turn to the left and follow the signs to Cecco's. Out in the
country, this garden style restaurant has a lot going for it. Not least the
cooking.
Back to restaurant list
Restaurants in & around Florence
Restaurants elsewhere in Italy
Back to the main index
