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Alle Logge di Piazza
This popular trattoria, in Montalcino, serves delicious lunches, apertifs or wines by the glass either inside or out on the cobblestoned patio. The traditional Tuscan dishes are prepared with fresh, local ingredients and the convivial atmosphere draws a loyal following.
Arnolfo
For an epic, blow-out, once-in-a-lifetime gourmet feast, look no further than this two-Michelin-starred destination restaurant close to Siena. Chef Gaetano Trovato is an understated genius and his creativity comes out in his inventive touches—foie gras arrive with stewed seasonal cherries; tortelli with succulent strips of rabbit, herbs, and licorice; Chianina (the Tuscan breed of long-legged white cows) veal tartar with chanterelle mushrooms; and a delicious suckling pig with tangy green apples. The plates look straight out of a gourmet magazine photo shoot, the wine list forms an education in Italian vintages, and everything tastes exquisitely delicious. All of which is to say that a meal here is worth the high price tag.
Badia a Coltibuono
While visiting the Chianti region, stop for lunch and wine tasting at the elegantly preserved Badia a Coltibuono. Housed in an 11th-century monastery, this organic agrotourism destination is rumored to be the birthplace of high Chianti. Reserve ahead for a table outside on the vine-wreathed terrace, and order the tasting menu, which offers handmade pasta with four pairings. Ask for a glass of the award-winning Vin Santo and take it with you as you stroll through the impressive gardens.
Bar Il Palio
Located in the center of Siena, Bar Il Palio is a great stop for a cocktail or caffè latte. Relax and enjoy the beauty of the history-rich surroundings while enjoying a snack and a sip.
Drogheria Franci
Relaxed, but refined restaurant in Tuscany in the hamlet of Montalcino.
I Tre Cristi
Most people who come to Southern Tuscany expect to eat plates of steak and pasta so this high-end, fish-centric spot provides a welcome surprise. Started by three foodie friends on a quiet street away from Siena’s tourist fray, the inventive and romantic spot has a wonderful tasting menu, as well as dishes like calamari eggplant parmesan, with crispy strips of delicate squid battered with cheese on juicy pieces of eggplant. Sommelier Alessandro Baccheschi is a gem: let him take care of the pairings, and don’t miss a tour of the original cellar housed in the vaulted basement. Closed Sundays.
Il Casale
An organic farm outside of Pienza, Il Casale sells local produce and prepares regional Tuscan cuisine. Adults will enjoy the stunning views of the lush countryside while children are entertained by the farm animals.
Il Falconiere Restaurant
The Michelin-starred restaurant of Relais & Chateaux Il Falconiere is located a 15-minute drive outside the town of Cortona. The kitchen offers painstakingly prepared dishes, including magnificent bread. Seated either in the limonaia or on the terrace, you can complement your meal with wines from the owner's own vineyard, which lies right below the restaurant. Try the Ardito, a nice blend of Syrah and Cabernet. Il Falconiere also hosts an excellent cooking school, with courses lasting from an afternoon to a week.
Il Goccino
Halfway between Cortona and Siena, in the center of quaint Lucignano, Il Goccino creates sophisticated takes on classic Tuscan dishes. Sit outside on the terrace and enjoy beautifully prepared pasta and meat dishes and regional wine while admiring the views of Val di Chiano.
Il Leccio
Nestled amid some of southern Tuscany’s most valuable Brunello-making vineyards, this small trattoria lays claim to a most impressive wine list, one that features both heavyweight vintages you'll see exported around the world and small secret labels you're unlikely to have seen elsewhere. Local wine producers flock here for that very reason. But the wine is only half the story; they also come for a menu that features such classic Tuscan fare as pappa al pomodoro (a thick bread-and-tomato soup), and bistecca alla fiorentina (the region’s famous t-bone), as well as more unexpected choices, including a perfectly crisp fried chicken that's worth the trip alone. The restaurant owns a small wine shop next door so you can take a bottle of your favorite new discovery to go. Closed Wednesdays.
Il Ristoro at Castello di Ama
This small restaurant in one of the grand villas at Castello di Ama is an excellent place to sample the estate’s wines paired with classic Tuscan entrées. The tasteful interiors evoke an elegant country home and there is alfresco seating on a terrace, overlooking the quaint courtyard.
Il Rossellino
We know people who have flown all the way from Brazil just to eat at this tiny restaurant in Pienza—it has a core of devoted gourmet followers—for one of the best culinary experiences in Tuscany. Among the standouts are the melanzane alla mozzarella, pici (the area’s thick hand-rolled version of spaghetti) with duck ragu, and a succulent cinta senese (the region’s special pork) crusted with almonds. The owners are straight out of central casting: the husband a jovial and opinionated former banker, and his somewhat temperamental wife who cooks with the attention of a surgeon, albeit one with a glass of wine in hand. Their regional wine list has the mark of being created by someone who appreciates a good vintage themselves. Closed Thursdays.
La Compagnia dei Vinattieri
If you decide to spend a day in Siena, this wine bar and restaurant is a perfect place to stop. It boasts a wine list of more than 800 labels and serves homemade breads and pastries and the freshest local ingredients. It is suited for a light lunch or even dinner, depending on your schedule.
La Grotta
Considered one of the town’s—and region’s—best dining experiences, La Grotta is housed in a 16th-century building with an elegant garden. The restaurant offers an exciting gourmet menu that blends traditional Tuscan flavors with a contemporary flair.
La Lodola
La Lodola is an example of the type of well-priced inn, with a wonderful restaurant attached, that one wishes one saw more of in Italy. It’s located close to Cortona, made famous as the setting for Under the Tuscan Sun. This tucked-away gem has a great outside terrace in the summer months and an interior that gives off an almost French bistro feeling. Chef Carlo Porcu is also the owner’s son, and the familial love he puts into his Tuscan comfort food has garnered both locals and visitors as fans. Porcu focuses on fresh pasta and regional meat dishes, and his menu changes daily based on seasonal produce and his latest inspiration.
La Pineta
Housed in a sweet clapboard structure right on the beach, this restaurant features a perfect mix of low-key charm, impeccable service and incredible fresh seafood—not to mention an encyclopedic wine list. The crudo, Italy’s answer to sushi, melts in your mouth, while seafood straight from the owner’s two fishing boats comes stewed in a perfect blend of olives, capers, and sun-ripened tomatoes. Wine from the region, including an excellent and well-priced bottle of vermentino from Grattamacco, nods to the fact that you are only 15 minutes from Bolgheri, the home of superstar vintages like Ornellaia and Sassacaia. Closed Mondays and Tuesday for lunch.
La Porta
Inside a ridiculously picturesque walled village close to the Renaissance town of Pienza, La Porta has become a must-stop for both visiting foodies and well-heeled locals. They come for one of the region’s best tagliolini al tartufo (a perfectly creamy truffle pasta) and for the multilingual owner Daria, whose selection of local Brunello, from Montalcino, and Vino Nobile from Montepulciano, is priced at a fraction of what you would pay back home. Book ahead to snag a table on the terrace overlooking the UNESCO-protected Val d’Orcia.
La Taverna
La Taverna, housed inside the fairytale Castello di Banfi, serves imaginative yet authentic Tuscan cuisine. Multiple-course tasting menus, which may feature specialties such as beef carpaccio and pinci pasta with chanterelles, are complemented by the estate’s fine wines and served in the cozy restaurant under brick-arched ceilings.
Menchetti
A deli counter inside the gourmet food market Consorzio Agrario di Siena, Manchetti offers delicious, to-go thin crust pizzas, which have a devoted local following.
Meo Modo
Oreade
This restaurant is part of Monteverdi—a small resort that’s home to a stylish boutique hotel, a bar with epic views over the Val d’Orcia, and several gorgeous rental villas. It’s the latest piece of a project that takes up most of the tiny cliff-top village of Castiglioncello di Trinoro. Designed by famed Italian interiors maven Ilaria Miani, who created the look of the whole project, the atmospherically cave like (cream-and-white, stone-and-wood) dining room seems almost Greek or Puglian. But the menu is unmistakably Tuscan, with thick cuts of steak, pappardelle with wild boar sauce, and lavender risotto (made using flowers from the bushes on the property) among the top choices. In the warmer months, be sure to reserve a table on the terrace, especially during July's Incontri in Terra di Siena, a mostly classical music festival that mounts concerts in some of the valley's most breathtaking venues, not least of all Castiglioncello’s tiny medieval church.
Osteria del Borro
In the historic town of San Giustino Valdarno, located on the luxurious Il Borro estate, Osteria del Borro is a delightful restaurant that serves modern interpretations of Tuscan classics. With warm lighting, natural wood furnishings and a splendid view of the medieval estate (which has been wonderfully restored by the Ferragamo family), the osteria is a cozy spot.
Osteria del Teatro
Osteria del Teatro lives up to its theatrical name both for its beautifully crafted meals and its dining rooms filled with whimsical collectibles. Tucked in a quiet alley off the main square, the restaurant serves inventive, regional cuisine that focuses on fresh ingredients and changes seasonally.
Osteria di Passignano
This traditional osteria is located on the Antinori wine estate, about a 15-minute drive from Castello del Nero. It is located in Badia di Passignano, a gorgeous ancient monastery. Recommends an Indagare member: “Although it definitely seemed to be filled with tourists, it is a refined but not overly formal setting. The food was excellent and the bistecca fiorentina was one of the best I have ever had. I would definitely recommend it to others staying at Castello del Nero.”
Osteria Le Logge
Le Logge may not be a secret anymore, but there are few nicer places to eat in Siena, especially within a stone's throw of the unmissable 13th-century Campo. Housed in a former pharmacy near that masterpiece of a piazza, the restaurant has two levels of seating: the best tables are in the ground-floor dining room, with its old cabinets lined with wine bottles. (Don’t let them seat you on the less atmospheric second floor). The big open kitchen turns out largely traditional Tuscan dishes that put an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, many of them so local they come from right outside the city's medieval walls. Among the highlights: autumn's pumpkin-filled ravioli and the malfatti all’ Osteria, yummy ricotta-and-spinach balls that are a year-round signature. Closed Sundays.
Osteria Osticcio
This charming restaurant with exposed wooden beams and simple table settings serves classic Tuscan cuisine with sweeping views of the countryside. The downstairs enoteca stores the region’s signature Brunello wines, which can be ordered in the restaurant by the glass, bottle or flight.
Rinuccio 1180
The New York Times gave a rave architectural review to this cantina from the heavyweight Italian wine producer, Antinori, and the hyperbole is quite deserved. Few building designs in Italy are more spectacular and sensitive to their surroundings: the red-toned structure sweeps along the ridge of the valley, surrounded by vines, while delicate steel spiral staircases and peek-a-boo holes (letting in the golden Tuscan light) give the whole place an ethereal feel, like a modern temple to the worship of wine. Sitting atop the cantina, the vineyard’s restaurant with a simple but good restaurant, including a “Chianti” burger topped with pecorino and onions, a plate of aged Pecorino cheeses, and sliced steak with white beans and spinach. Naturally, these have been designed to highlight the producer’s vintages, not least of all the delicious Tignanello, an elegant red wine that comes right from the estate's grapes.