We had the best time here. Beautiful countryside and wonderful service. The Saraceni wine was…read moreamazing! Good was exceptional! I would love to come back.

This villa is where Machiavelli was exiled for his political views in the 16th century. We came…read morehere as part of our tour with Trafalgar. The grounds are beautiful and we got a short tour of the villa with a little history. After the tour we had dinner with some of the wines they make at the Saraceni winery. We ended up buying 2 bottles of Chianti and 2 of their sparkling wines. During dinner they had a woman singing opera with a guitar player for accompaniment. An overall great experience.

This was, without question, one of the best meals of our entire life--possibly the best of the…read moretrip! We ate here on our first night in Florence and spent the rest of our trip talking about it. In fact, we came back to Florence a night early from Cortona and tried our luck at getting another table. They were completely packed and couldn't fit us in, which honestly tells you everything you need to know. If you want to eat here, make a reservation. You might get lucky if you show up right when they open, but Florence seems to get busier every year and I wouldn't count on it. The atmosphere is exactly what you hope for when you picture a fun night in Florence--great music, laughter, conversation, shared tables, excellent wine, and people genuinely enjoying themselves. It's lively without feeling touristy and somehow manages to feel both energetic and intimate at the same time. Our server, Lorenzo, was phenomenal. He helped us select a bottle of 2021 Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico, which ended up being my favorite wine of the entire trip. We started with buttered toast and anchovies. It sounds incredibly simple, but it was one of the most memorable bites we had in Italy. We shared the duck ragù pasta, lasagna, osso buco, and lamb chop. Every dish was excellent, but the duck ragù and lamb were standouts. We finished with a raspberry tiramisu that was the perfect ending to the meal. The food was fantastic, the wine was fantastic, the service was fantastic, and the ambiance was everything you could want. P.S. If you can't get in, don't panic--the restaurant across the street is also very good. But if you can get a table here, do it.

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. No wonder it's always fully booked here!!The…read moreowner is so welcoming and kind, taking the time to introduce himself, the menu, and provide personal recommendations. The servers check in frequently and are quick to help with anything you need. The ambiance is lively with popular music, laughter, and conversation. We chatted with the table next to us on the way out and met some fellow Texans! On our way out, the owner also remembered my name and started introducing me to other tables to make friends. What a fun place to be! The food was absolutely amazing. When we saw them slicing the salami right in front of us, we decided to order the salami plate and we were so glad we did! The zucchini flower and saffron pasta was bursting with flavor and the pasta was so perfectly cooked. I couldn't get enough! The duck ragu pasta was also hearty, rich, and delicious. The sauce was so good, my family soaked up every last bit with our bread. The ricotta spinach ravioli was also amazing!! Again the sauce was such a standout. The ravioli was so fresh with the perfect amount of bite. The green pepper sauce steak was soooo good. Cooked perfectly, with such a unique sauce that the whole peppercorns added perfectly to in texture and spice. Finally, the raspberry tiramisu. We were so full, but when they set these down our dessert stomachs were ready. They were amazing! Not the strongest raspberry flavor, but still such a delicious end to the meal. Side note, you MUST have a reservation to eat here, and they only take reservations by call. Because I didn't have a way to call them, I asked my Airbnb hosts who did it for me (also amazing people). While we were eating, there was a crowd forming outside of people waiting to get in but unable to. It's so worth it to visit Vini e Vecchi Sappori! I'll definitely have to come back next time I'm in Florence.

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.

Excellent service + wines & Olio are all amazing! Highly recommend! Don't miss this stop on the way…read moreto San Gimignano

This place is amazing! Amazing food, great service, great price and beautiful views! I absolutely…read morerecommend it to anyone traveling looking for a place with excellent wine and food in Toscana! Will definitely come back when I'm back in Italy. Thank you Paolo for the best service!

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!

Second time in two years and yet again a wonderful experience. This time we took our daughter who…read morewas studying abroad in Florence and her friends out for dinner. House wine, starting with a few pastas to share and then a nice thick Bistecca Florentino cooked perfectly. This is the place to go for an authentic, unrushed, Tuscan night out.

It's great for what it is. This is not the romantic, high end, swanky place with the happening…read morecrowd. This is like sitting at your mom's table. Gnocchi and wild boar ragu (think pot roast sort of taste) were both great. Salad ok. Reasonable prices. Not the best dinner I had but 30-50% less than our other meals. About $65 for two of us with a bottle of Chianti. So 5 stars--not because I'm going to dream about it--but because it was a solid mid-range meal in downtown Florence.

Dinner in Florence. Recommended by our hotel's front desk…read moreShort walk from hotel. Small varied menu. My BH and I split a cod platter and desert. Only seats about 20 people. Brick arches and plaster walls evoke a wine cellar. Lots of different wine bottles on display. While nodding to the tourist audience, seemed filled with locals. Food was delicious.

We made reservations for a Friday evening at seven. This trattoria is simply wonderful. Service…read morewas attentive not rushed and the meals wonderful. Try the vegetable soup it is delicious. One of our favorite stops in Florence.

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.

The food was subpar and the service was horrible. This place is not for tourists. It's a nice place…read morein a great location, but they don't appreciate tourists. There was an obvious favoritism shown to the locals as there was only one couple in the restaurant when we came in and every other table that came in after us was served, ate, drank espressos, and left BEFORE we ever had our food.

We didn't really think we were gonna have such a wonderful meal at this modest, homey, family run…read morerestaurant. What started out as a late lunch while discovering the hillside town of Peccioli. We had ducked in to pick a few pastries from the shining cold-case, and saw that there we tables open, so we said..."Wanna...?" We were so impressed with the food, the savory waffle, the steak tartar, the cheesecake and pastries. The atmosphere and loving family service made us feel like we were locals who had stopped into our regular place. We finished with a rich cup of coffee and Ferretti's famous Biscotti. Those biscotti are sooooo delicious that we had to buy a couple of containers of them for the road.... they traveled with us throughout Italy and we hoarded them for morning coffee each day. Our waiters were the sons of the owners, and they were so charming. They shared with us some of their own travels, especially in the U.S. (our home). Our advice; roam the farmers' market in the town square and, right there, stop into Pasticceria Ferretti. They even have a nice sidewalk seating area in that pedestrian only area. P.S. The town has a great parking garage with a famous modern-art foot bridge.... memorable, photogenic!

One of my favorite meals during my recent visit to Florence was at Trattoria di Sor Paolo. Our tour…read moreguide, Vittorio, from Italy and Wine brought us here for lunch. Trattoria di Sor Paolo is located in San Casciano in Val di Pesa, a small province in the Chianti region, outside of Florence. The restaurant is located away from the touristy sights of Florence so the majority of diners are locals instead of tourists. Our tour guide ordered for our table and we were treated to a delicious spread of Tuscan treats. Our lunch included the local chianti wine, crostini with chicken liver pate, white Tuscan beans, and tomatoes, Pappa al Pomodoro (Tuscan tomato and bread soup), and Pappardelle al Ragu Di Cinghiale (fettuccine with wild boar ragu). The dishes were so simple, yet so delicious! The high quality, fresh ingredients stood out on their own in Sor Paolo's traditional Tuscan dishes. If you are in the San Casciano in Val di Pesa area I highly recommend dining at this wonderful restaurant!

We had one of the best meals of our lives today at Sor Paolo! We stopped by the historical and…read moregorgeous hotel and restaurant on our way to Siena. My boyfriend and I shared a true Tuscan meal with delicious wine, plethora flavors of crostinis, pastas, and grilled pollo! We ordered so much food, and we managed to completely cleared all the plates! If you are in the area of Florence / Siena, this is a MUST! The owners are so sweet and friendly! We feel so fortunate to be able to share this foodie experience. Now I will be day dreaming about the creamy fresh pastas, savory chicken liver crostini, moist crispy skinned chicken, and the sweetest wines! Thank you Mario and his wife for giving us a beautiful and delicious start to our Tuscan vacation!! We will be back soon!