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.

My husband has read the prince from Machiavelli and so he really wanted to come out here to see his…read morehouse. We booked the house tour and dinner. The bus to get out there took 2 hours and 2 buses....then the restaurant/bar staff wouldn't let us sit at the tables to wait for the host. The tour probably took 10 mins max. There's nothing special about his house here. The host told us that this was the house Machiavelli was exiled in and the only original furnitures are his desk and chair. The wine tasting is probably the best part of the tour but I don't drink so didn't really get to experience that part. The fixed menu for dinner was good. It's the oldest restaurant in Florence dating back 500 years. Had a good variety of Florentine food but I just don't think it's worth the trip to come out here just for the food.

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.

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!