On Sunday morning, before I was to depart for Rome, my friend Sabino asked what I wanted for lunch…read more Having had a spectacular pizza for dinner the evening before, I was keen to try something I'd not yet sampled. I suggested we go for bistecca alla fiorentina, or Florentine style steak. This typical Tuscan offering is the region's signature dish and for good reason! We hopped on Sabino's scooter and took a gorgeous ride through Chianti to get to Da Padellina. When we pulled up, a Porsche 356 1600 Super was parked in front. Porsches are really not my thing but this vintage beauty captured my attention. Not fancy, the restaurant's history is long and shows on all the walls. Sabino and I dined upstairs overlooking rolling hills. We split a huge slab of meat (you get to choose it before they cook it) and it was carefully explained to me that the cooking method for bistecca alla fiorentina is very simple: fire, salt, pepper, olive oil. Basically it's all about the meat, which is served very rare. We also got sides of beans and potatoes and plenty of red wine. Those in search of a proper Florentine steak will surely find it here. Two words to sum up my meal at Da Padellina: Buonissimo Bistecca! Definitely one of the more memorable meals I've had in Italy.

From the outside looking in I was confused about this place. It sells items like candle holders,…read moredecor, etc as well as wine and fresh food options. They even have a small window where people on the street can order as well. Wasn't expecting much but everything was delicious. We got the warm pate which was basically a bowl of pate and unlimited bread. Delicious. My kids enjoyed their pasta and looking around the shop while we ate. Great low key place for a family.

Lunch with Andrea and Gregorio at their quaint Dispensary is pretty much everything you picture…read morewhen you imagine Tuscany. Nestled into charming, little Strada in Chianti, among the rolling hills of vineyards and olive groves, the restaurant/deli has a beautiful, cozy indoor space that you'll want to linger at for hours. They also have a gorgeous outdoor garden area, but it was a little too chilly to sit outside during our visit the first weekend in March. Upon arrival, Andrea and his warmly wife greeted us and our dog. (Have I mentioned lately that I love how dog friendly Italy is?!?) Once seated, we were told the offerings for the day -- there are no menus here -- and settled on a tagliere and pappardelle with wild boar ragu. Plus a local wine, because... duh... we're in Chianti, people! The tagliere that Gregorio presented us was the best selection of meat and cheeses that we've had during our time in Italy. (And, we've had A LOT of meat and cheese in our first 8-months here.) We ordered the board for 2 people but it could have easily served 5. The warm foccacia it came with was like little, salty pillows from heaven. Not to be over shadowed, the cinghiale pasta was also to die for! The ragu was so rich and savory, with hints of cinnamon and cloves. Mmmmmm! We wrapped up our meal with a couple desserts -- a cheesecake with chocolate and a mascarpone and pear dish. Both were light and airy, the perfect compliment to a heavy antipasti and primi. The complementary vin santo washed it all down and helped us start to digest. Perfect in every single way! We'll remember this meal for a long time to come. If in the Chianti area, don't miss a visit with Andrea and Gregorio!

I believe this business is closed? Went on Fri, June 17th and appeared shut down permanently…read more Bummer.

My wife and I visited this restaurant on the suggestion of the inn keepers at the villa where we…read morewere staying in nearby Lucolena. Hands down one of the best meals of my life. Simple, fresh and homemade ingredients. The house wine (red) was cheap and delicious. I had the Risotto with Gorgonzola and Pear which was OFF THE HOOK!! My wife had the Spinach Ravioli with spicy Aribiatta sauce. I tasted the stuff and it blew my mind. We also had an appetizer of assorted meats, cheeses and the most mouth watering Italian Olives you can imagine. For desert we had cappuccino and a slice of chocolate cake that was extra tasty. Total bill for everything was €43. Not bad considering we had just travelled from Rome and far inferior meals for similar prices (or more). Our server was very sweet and patient with our limited Italian skills. The ambience and setting was second to none. A must visit for any pilgrim in the Tuscan wine country.

This place is...chef's kiss...molto bene...it slaps; however you communicate that the food is Just…read more That. GOOD! We stumbled upon this while driving from Florence city center to the Tuscan countryside (USA tourists;) and yelp led us right. A limited menu with a few different tasting menus, we went à la carte and had the exploding raviolis and boar tagliatelle and they were both SO SO SO DELICIOUS! Small-er, but well appointed art deco-type decor...with one waitress and one sommelier...the wine recommendations were perfect! Things that sounded 'different' than what we are used to, just worked...and worked perfectly. Don't negate this place for its limited menu or combinations that you might not be used to, give it a try bc EveryThing we put in our mouths was top notch. Truly deserving of its Michelin Star rating. It's really that good. A closed-minded me from my youth would have written it off based on its pretentious-sounding dishes, but older, open-minded me did me a favor. Yummy in my tummy. Satisfying. Delicious. Don't miss out!

Amaaaaaazing food here! House wine was wonderful. Cheese appetizer was perfect, and the gnocchi…read morespecial was beyond words it was so good. Very welcoming staff who stayed open late for us.

Stopped for lunch. Stumbled onto the place because the winery we went to was closed. Fantastic. Had…read morethe Nonna fried platter. I don't usually order fried chicken in Tuscany, but this platter was fantastic. Fried onions, carrots ect. Really great. My wife had the whole cooked fish. Great!!! View from outdoor seating was beautiful. Stop in if you are near here.

Found this place through Yelp and it did not disappoint…read more During our recent 5 day trip to the region we Visited Botteghina di Dudda four times - twice for dinner and twice for after dinner dessert. If I had to sum it up into 3 things they would Be: 1. Nonna's meatballs - you knew these were going to be good for the get-go but even our expectations were surpassed 2. Grilled beef filet - cooked to absolute perfection. Rare and flavorful - I would be hard pressed to think of when I had a better steak 3. Chocolate creamed covered profiteroles. Not exactly a traditional Italian dessert but one that blew our minds. Like I said, we went back 4 times looking for these. The family which runs the restaurant are amazingly friendly and modest people. They made our entire family feel welcomed and despite our limited knowledge of Italian made us feel at home right away. A must if you are visiting the Greve in Chianti region. With so many tourist traps in the area, this place beats them all, HANDS DOWN!

Food was amazing - we didn't have a reservation but they fit us in - service was wonderful and I…read morewould highly recommend

We were so eager to try Osteria di Casa Chianti that we kept making reservations "Too early" (3xs…read moreto be exact). Nonetheless, getting a reservation within their allotted window was actually quite easy. As soon as we arrived, we KNEW the sunset would be unrivaled. It was the perfect Tuscan sunset. I'll start with the food: fantastic. We had the ragu, a beef filet, steak carpaccio, and marinated tomatoes. zero complaints - everything was perfectly simple and truly delicious. The service was next level: from the giant glass of digestif presented to my father-in-law for his birthday to the round of complimentary desserts and limoncello, the service was full of joy! As we left, our server was sharing some personal tales with us. He really bonded with my father-in-law and ended up gifting him a bottle of wine that had familial significance/connection between us! We were so grateful for this special experience and have the signed bottle sitting out still today. If you want a great meal, with an incredible view, and even better service, hurry over to Osteria di Casa Chianti!

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.

friendlist service we have had in italy so far. both pastas…read morehad great noodle texture papperdelle with duck ragu was good, usually dont love duck but this sauce was nice pacherri with zucchini flowers and saffron was unique. light flavor.

Hole in the wall place with a ton of charm! You 100% need a res to be seated, they had to turn down…read morewalk-ins. The zucchini salad was underwhelming but my pasta with saffron and zucchini flowers was actually to die for. I kept saying "wow". Lamb chops were pretty good, a bit too fatty for my liking but the few and far between non-fatty parts were fantastic.

Ristorante La Bottega (Volpaia / Radda in Chianti)…read more Volpaia is a wonderful small hamlet that should be on everyone's must see village list when visiting Tuscany. Although the town has less than 30 permeant residents, it has one of the more interesting wineries in the area, Castello di Volpaia. Following a very worthwhile wine tour, we had lunch at La Bottega. The restaurant has a great outdoor seating area which overlooks the valley next to Volpaia. The view was wonderful and relaxing. The service was very prompt. The meal was solid. Overall, a good choice when visiting Volpaia.

Definitely YES, great food, service and unforgettable Tuscany views. We ordered raviolis,…read moreflorentina steak paired with Chanti wine. A place to visit more than one time!!!

made a reservation through ig dm haha. no tables without reservations…read more the florentine steak is massive. 1 kg nice crust. cooked nicely rare. some really good bites, some okay bites florentine steak is not world class for me. BUT at the price of 45 for this is amazing value.

I've been to Florence before but didn't get a chance to try a Florentine steak. My husband and I…read moremade it a point to definitely get one for dinner on our first night in the city. I went to the internet for the best Florentine steak and Trattoria Mario consistently popped up as highly rated. I reached out to the restaurant via email to make a reservation for a Friday. I wanted to get the earliest reservation possible, so the restaurant reserved me for 7:30pm, which was when they open. I was advised to show up on time - even a 2 minute delay would make me miss my reservation. I can see why Trattoria Mario was strict on reservations. They open on the dot, and then a staff member calls out each reservation at 7:30pm like a roll call. Seemed to me that if you don't have a reservation then you're out of luck, because there was no waitlist and the restaurant small and space was limited. Service was great. Our waitress was highly attentive and got us in/out of the restaurant quickly, which was what we were going for. Food came out in a timely manner. We ordered the penne al ragu, salad misto, and a Florentine steak to share. The penne was perfectly al dente, and I liked the meat sauce. I did find the pasta sauce salty, but it could've came from the grated parmesan. The saltiness was not a fluke. The Florentine steak was just pure beef and a ton of salt... too much salt for my liking. I also decided that I'm not a fan of Florentine steak in general.