This place was amazing! It's such a cute hole in the wall spot with a really homey feel. As a…read moretourist, it felt like a really authentic Italian experience with true tuscan cuisine (as seen as we were surrounded by locals). First, the staff was so incredibly helpful, kind and attentive which is always great to find!! The burrata and pepper starter was absolutely delicious and packed full of tomato flavor. Free bruschetta was also provided during the meal and it was one of the best i've had, more finely chopped than most bruschettas! The gnocchi was cooked perfectly and the lasagna was pretty solid as well. I also highly recommend the pistachio dessert! It's not just gelato as it has a gooey warm center and a cookie base but it was even better than expected. I love this place and would go back in a heart beat!

Wine tasting while the kids make fresh pasta? In Tuscany?!! Ummmm, yes please!! This place was a…read moredream! An absolute dream! I didn't book a cooking class in advance because I had no idea on our last trip just when we would be in Tuscany, but I knew I HAD to get my kids one! Wasn't leaving without one. Luckily, I came across this place who snuck me in a private class for the same day, at the time of MY choosing! Amazing! (Especially in prime time tourist season!) Communication was a tad iffy at first, but the owner himself called me and spoke English well enough to explain everything to me....the €50 per person price and they even send me the coordinates to this, one of a few locations of Torciano on Whats App. We were greeted so warmly by all upon arrival. The kids were told to wash up and then they were suiting in aprons. They were regular sized but the staff folded them just so to fit. I was immediately handed a glass of rose' and thought to myself "yaaaaaaassss". The kiddos were brought back to a professional kitchen with a chef who spoke pretty fair English. She had the kiddos mixing the flour for their own dough for pasta, chopping herbs and peppers with huge knife that honestly had me a tad nervous, but I trusted her. They boiled and peeled tomatoes for their sauce and rolled out their dough. They cut it by hand and not in a pasta making machine, which I personally loved! I actually loved the in consist shape and size of their noodles! It gave the dish such a rustic organic feel. I was such a proud mama!!! They mixed cheeses and plated their tri pepper crostini and their bruschetta. Not without a taste first. They also mixed sugar with marscapone for their tiramisu! It was a different type of tiramisu than I've seen. It was simply placed in a bowl. No fancy layers, just uber thick, creamy cheese with a powdered cocoa top. Since the kids are vegetarians they nixed making the white wine pork chop dish, which is usually included in this class. The chef did however still show us how to make it from afar and replaced that entree with a hearty omelette instead when it can time to chow down. All the while I was given a sample of the most incredible balsamic I have EVER tasted as well as many different wines. This was even before my proper tasting! They made me feel like royalty! We were soon seated at a lovely table where my tasting official began with a super informative, friendly sommelier!! I didn't try a wine I didn't like! I wound up purchasing the rose' and the prosecco, which is usually too sweet for me. This was actually on the drier more subdue (in a good way) side! I also bought an incredible cab sauv/Merlot Tuscan blend and their Vernaccia, a delicious crisp white. I was actually gifted a bottle of their All You Need Is Love, which retails at €120! It was fascinating to not only learn the process for making each specific variety, but also to hear which regions in Italy each grape grows and the reasons for the locations such a temperature etc. They also served us the 4 course meal the kiddos made! Everything was outstanding and that pasta I'm still dreaming about. Thick tagliatelle cooked perfectly al dente. It was UNREAL!! Our super kind waiter suggested I tried some pepporcini oil to drizzle atop the simple pomodoro covered pasta. It made the dish even more delicious, if you can imagine! It was the perfect amount of heat and flare. I bought a bottle of this to take home also. He said it was fantastic just drizzled over grilled veggies. It is!! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone!! I appreciated them treated my nature 7 &9 year olds like adults in the kitchen. The class wasn't "dulled" down for them and they learned a ton. Since we've been home they've had a desire to help in the kitchen even that much more than they did before. They know how to properly chop veggies and use real knives. We plan on hosting a big family dinner making exactly this menu and popping open a bottle or two of their incredible wine. Overall such a wonderful experience for both my children and myself! Come VERY hungry and make sure to leave some room in your luggage for all the wine and oils you'll want to purchase. (I actually ditched most of my large toiletries and my hair dryer in exchange for these wines ((covers eyes)).) They do ship charging only a flat rate but you must buy a case of each type of wine, at a 30% discount though! Once I enjoy MOST of these bottles, I'm certainly placing a international order! It all just fantastic!

From the owner: Vieni a gustare la cucina toscana a Bottega Torciano! Bottega Torciano si trova a Poggibonsi, a…read morepochi minuti da San Gimignano dove gustare ottima carne alla griglia, pasta fresca fatta da noi e i vini della nostra azienda. Fatevi coccolare dai nostri antipasti, con i migliori salumi e formaggi toscani. I primi piatti comprendono pasta al ragù tradizionale o di cinghiale, la classica ribollita e la pappa al pomodoro. Oltre al menù stagionale, fatevi consigliare i piatti del giorno dal personale di sala! Durante le stagioni del tartufo, potrete gustare ad esempio piatti a base del tartufo che raccogliamo nella nostra Tenuta. Potete scegliere se accompagnare il vostro pranzo o la vostra cena con un bicchiere di vino o con una bottiglia ad esempio di Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico o Vernaccia di San Gimignano, tutti di nostra produzione, che potrete anche acquistare al ristorante. Infine potrete deliziarvi con uno dei nostri dolci, sempre fatti da noi. Vi aspettiamo a Bottega Torciano!

I'm not even sure where to begin, so I'm going to start with gratitude. I'm grateful that I live a…read morelife where I was able to take a tour of this picturesque winery tucked into a Tuscan hillside, followed by an absurdly delicious four hour lunch complete with ALL THE WINE. Look, I've been wine tasting before. I'm cultured. I usually go to the bathroom in the bathroom. But I was completely unprepared for this lunch. Partially because my friends who booked it didn't tell us we were tasting wine at a Michelin starred restaurant (and partially because I was deeply hungover from all the wine I "tasted" the night before). In any case, I was not at my best when I arrived. But the hospitality here is unmatched. They welcomed us in like we were guests in their home, offering espresso and anything else we needed before the informative and interesting tour of the monastery where they make and store the wine, including the 1000 year old rooms where they used to smoke meat, and store food. The entire estate is absolutely gorgeous. We were here in May, and everything was blooming. They have an incredible garden in the back which I assume provides much of the produce for our meals, and you can taste the quality and the freshness in their "garden's fresh salad" which was one of the five courses on our menu (that in reality looked and tasted like no salad I've ever seen). This menu underpromised, and the staff overdelivered. While there were five courses, there were also several bites, and tastes, and dips, and even mini-sandwiches of anchovy and butter and dehydrated chicken essence that blew my mind. By the time we finished the incredible cannelloni with roasted beef sauce, and started on the duck l'orange, we were bursting at the seams. I cursed my mother for instilling in me a need to finish everything that was put in front of me, but I was never not going to eat that airy focaccia paired with the silkiest olive dip you've ever seen. One of my friends joked (I think), "If they bring us any more food I'm burning this place to the ground." And of course, every bit of this food was paired with a fabulous wine from their estate. That monastery is filled with bottles of delicious chianti classico, tignanello, barolo, and more. It was amazing. It was excessive. I loved it all. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth it.

Enjoyed lunch in early October 2023, the multi course meal was exceptional, the wines served with…read moreeach course were outstanding and, the service was impeccable.

We found this little gem in a neighborhood in Poggibonsi, Italy. The food was amazing as was the…read morewine. Best of all was the staff, Gennaro, and owner, Melissa and I think Giovani, they were so friendly and welcoming. I had the ravioli and my husband had the grilled pork chop, it was so lip smacking good he is still talking about it. We went back a second night for the huge steak we were told they'd be serving. After being in Italy for nearly a week my husband was missing his meat. They did not disappoint. The steak was ginormous and grilled to perfection. We loved this Osteria and can highly recommend it to others.

Simply amazing. So far we have been to Milano, Firenze, San Gimignano, Pisa... this restaurant is…read moreour favorite so far. We were served by the owner - an old mustachey Italian man. He and his staff speak very little English but this did not restrict our experience at all. We sorted out a reservation online which you can do with their website. Very simple. The menus are in Italian with English translations underneath. We had the mixed fish starter, which was cooked calamari, crab, mussels, shrimp, etc in an unbelievable sauce. Then I had the linguine with clams.. simply amazing. I also tried my 2 friends' dishes which were also great. The best thing here are the prices! So low. We got a bottle of house red wine for like 10 euro. All cocktails were 3.50 euro: vodka martini, negroni, etc. We also ended with the sponge cake, the tiramisu, and the fruit with cream (this one not in the dessert section of the menu but another section). The sponge cake was the best, but just barely in my opinion. With a few espresso's the whole bill was under 70 euro for an ABSOLUTE FEAST for 3! We will definitely be back. This place is a TRUE HIDDEN GEM of Tuscany.

A truly lovely first night in Tuscany and particularly since we were admitted (a table of 4) on a…read moreSaturday night without reservation. Creative yet rustic dishes of a tremendous variety, mainly offering wonderful bites. Our 14 year old is quite picky and yet adored the Ravioloni tradizionali al pomodo fresco con gelato al basilico so much we ordered her a second portion. Other highlights: Cubetti di maiale caramellati al forno con gelato alle senapi di Digione - unctuous and surprisingly Asian in flavor Tartara di Chianina con gelato alle senapi di Dijone- the horseradish gelato was a wonderful surprise Homemade pici with ancient grain flour with Val di Chiana garlic Rabbit in florentine way with spinach Ricotta cheesecake- wow, cheesecake has never been this good! Typical Siena cake with almonds honey candieds and spices The service went from a bit unhappy with us at the start (perhaps they underestimated our appetites as we were without a booking) but became quite friendly by the end. The interior art is lovely if you can't sit in the garden, so don't worry, and I loved the platters and linens.

Worth the drive!! Food is fantastic…read moreService top notch. Ambiance is incredible. . Next time we are back in italy we will be coming here for sure.

Best pasta we have had in over a week in Italy. Delicious. Service was ok, not excellent, but…read morebetter than many other places. They were short staffed and I felt they did a great job given the circumstances and how busy they were. My husband and I are vegan and they gave us spaghetti al pomodoro. It was truly outstanding. They also have great wines and I felt the price was great. Highly recommend.

I wanted to have a bite here because I liked the name of the restaurant. Good excuse as any. I…read moreusually opt for outdoor seating in Italy and this was no excuse. The restaurant is along one of the many narrow brick roads of the hill town and it's on an incline so the outdoor seating is a little tilty but adds to the ambiance. A bit of a splurge, this restaurant had prices on the high side of what we usually pay. Everything was nice, the food, the service, the wine. San Gimignano is so charming.

The chef at San Martino 26 could be cooking anywhere. I did not expect to find an elegant…read morerestaurant with such fine preparations on a side street in a hill town in Italy. What a happy surprise! The rustic dining room is overlaid with elegance as there are fine little touches in every detail. The food was superb, from the bread through dessert. Traditional foods are given a modern finesse. For example, the risotto was served with shrimp and lard. Lard? Really? I was told this is traditional. I couldn't imagine ordering something with lard, let alone eating it, so I ordered the risotto thinking I would pick out the lard. Silly me! There were a small number of small cubes on the risotto that were crisped and tasted like pork belly. So this is lard! Sometimes you just have to try something out of your comfort zone when you are in the right setting. I am glad I did! If you are traveling in Tuscany and visit San Gimignano, I highly recommend San Martino 26 for dinner--it is an elegant and delicious end to the day.

My husband, children and I enjoyed every bite of every siah we were presented! The service, the…read moreambiance amd the food were incredible! No wonder thisnplace was given a Michelin in 2020!! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who doesnt mind spening their time and enjoying exquisite food!

What an INCREDIBLE experience. Not only was the food top-tier, but the atmosphere was stunning and…read morethe service was out of this world. Our servers Carolina, Andrea, Francesca, and Selvaggia were friendly, warm, and attentive and made sure that we were well taken care of our entire visit, offering suggestions on wine and checking in between courses to make sure we were happy. The chef even made accommodations for the pescatarian in our group, making sure her meal was every bit as well thought out and delicious as ours. 10/10 would recommend -- if we're ever in the Castellina In Chianti area again, we will definitely be back!

Tavola Di Guido is located within the Locanda Le Piazze hotel. The roads in the area can be a…read morelittle dark and scary at night (especially after a glass of super tuscan), so if staying at the hotel this is a wonderful and convenient option. Everything was so delicious that we ate here twice in a row. In fact, my husband also had the lamb shank twice in a row because of how amazing it was. Each meal starts off with a complimentary basket of bread and butter and some crackers and dip. The meal also ends with a complimentary platter of mini desserts. I tried the pappardelle with wild boar ragu and seared steak with arugula, parmesan and potatoes. Both of these dishes were absolutely standout -- especially the steak which was perfectly rare and juicy. The menu doesn't have too much pasta and mainly features various selections of meat and seafood. Despite this being a gourmet, michelin star (all the things) the portions are quite large. The prices are definitely a little bit high, but the quality of food and convenience really can't be beat. If you are staying at the hotel I strongly suggest making a reservation.

This is the type of hidden gem place we were looking for. Pictures say a thousand words, look at my…read moreimages to see our food and the views we had while eating it. The service was also Five stars for sure.

One of our favorite and most special nights in Tuscany. The food was spectacular from appetizers to…read moredesserts and Julio and Eduardo were amazing hosts. The atmosphere was warm and we had just a wonderful evening. Do not miss stopping at this restaurant if you are in the area!