This is one of the authentic restaurants that serves good and delicious Italian food. We came in a big group and everyone enjoyed themselves. We started with a bottle of wine supper soft and delicious. Then my mom wanted to try a Zuppa and she got the Porcini one. She ate it all. I ordered a Marguerite pizza. I loved it. The crust was so soft and crunchy at the same time. It really tasted the best pizza for me. My friend ordered but I can't remember the name of their dishes. But they love the food as well. The service was great. They were very attentive and helpful. I really enjoyed everything. If I was to go back I would go back there. read more

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Must try! This is Tuscan food! Very careful service and great beverage choices. We were the first for lunch. We were in San G for the day and went by all the cafe joints etc and saw this down a small street from the busy square. It wasn't open till noon but I asked my wife to wait 15 minutes. Well I created a buzz of some older tourist couples and they couldn't wait to try to by the time it opened. We went to the loft dining above and one server for his best to get lunch service underway. It wasn't quick but oh well. We all waited and savored and in the end it was Tuscan porcini soup from heaven, a roasted beef entree that was great! My porchetta dish was good but overheated and dried out. I saw how they did it when we left and if I knew better I would ask for a slice not cooked again. So much rosemary flavor! The most impressive part was our Tuscan tureen sampler with sauces and really good breads. The bomb. This was a splurge lunch but so worth it! They also had the care to bring my bottle of beer(wife drink wine I don't) with a frozen plastic cell bag to keep the bottle cold while I drink from the glass. Very impressive but simple service. Salads and desserts from other tables looked awesome and some older fellow next to us must be on Lipitor given the huge meat and cheese plate he ate as his meal! Kind of jealous but that was a better share dish for the table compared to the well crafted dishes we chose. But please folks don't dry out a wonderful porchetta slice!!! read more

Service: rude, offensive, I had to walk out of the restaurant. Food: not seasonal and average Ambiance: if you enjoy being yelled at by the waiter you'll love it. read more

A nice little restaurant tucked away in San Gimi. Don't expect pastas or anything. They specialize in Tuscan soup. Hearty, earthy, and recipes kept traditional. Incredibly good and filling. The bruschetta was probably one of the best I've ever had. Great olive oil, toasted bread, rich flavorful tomatoes with fresh pepper and oregano. The mushroom soup was packed full of.. well... mushrooms. Only Tuscan soup I've ever had was the Campbells kind. This was a great warm stomach filling meal. read more

Osteria del Carcere - Italian Near Me - San Gimignano, SI

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San Gimingano gets flooded with tourists during the day, so it can be challenging to find a decent spot to eat that offers more than a tourist menu. Osteria Carcere has what you need. Off the beaten path, and very little English spoken. Just what I was looking for. I came here for the slow food experience in the form of arista di maiale all' Aretina. Most commonly referred to as "porchetta " this slow roasted pork is a treasure in Tuscany and this place does it right. Tender thin slices of pork loin served with tuscan white beans, subtly flavored with herbs, garlic, and spices. It'll make your belly pur. They also offer amazing wine by the glass. Peruse the wine list beyond "house vin" and trade up to some powerful beauties. I recommend the 2010 Campora. Be sure to partake in the array of crostini's as an appetizer. I recommend crostini al lardo made with mild local sausage. The zuppa (soups) are among the best I've had. Zuppa di porcini E fagiole was one of the most flavorful soups I can recall. This place fills up quickly for lunch, so go ahead and put your name on the list, go do some shopping, and come back with an appetite. I waited 20 minutes for a table and don't regret it. Yelp has the map location wrong again. Go about 25 yards further down Via Costello and you'll find it on the opposite side of the street than indicated on the map. Buon appetito! read more

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This place is very small but they do have cold Prosecco and wines and cheeses which will make it quick little glass of wine and some cheese easy as pie this is just of the piazza Cisterna hello they do need to make sure of his actual chairs they have you sit on wine boxes for a quick visit no big deal but if you want to hang out for a little bit not all that comfortable but everybody that works there is amazingly warm and kind and helpful and they do sell a little bit of gourmet things here and there I did walk off of the few things so check it out it's a great little spot in San Gimignano read more

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It was pouring rain with thunder and lightening outside. This was the closest restaurant from where we were staying so we ducked right in, instead of getting soaked. This is a quaint small restaurant with many locals coming in for a light meal of soup. We had probably the best salad so far on our visit to Italy. It had apples, raisins and sheep's milk cheese. So simple and tasty. We will definitely try this at home. I had the pork loin with Tuscany Beans. I really was interested in knowing what the beans were about but both were delicious. My wife had the beef in marrow both and that was spectacular. Very rich but huge favour. The staff took a while to open up but were very accommodating and friendly by the end of the evening. We had a great time during the rain storm. read more

Outstanding authentic Tuscan cuisine. This is the real deal not a tourist trap. The food was amazing with friendly service. We had a platter of meats and cheeses with fresh cantaloupe that was outstanding. I had a bowl of soup (beans and barley) that was aa food as soup gets. Nice glass of reasonably priced Chianti Classico to round things off. They even made my wife an iced coffee shaken with cream that I must say beats any cafe that we have been to recently. The owner also gave me advice on local vineyards to visit. I think we spent like 50 euros and was worth every penny! read more

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WOW. Soup and salad here are both amazing, staff is great, and the price is right. These are the places I'm always looking for when I travel Europe! P.S. don't day trip to San Gimignano... when the busses leave, the town has a totally different feel. You and the locals! read more

First: What we liked - the good was really good! I had the roasted pork, my husband had the roast turkey, two of the kids had the Ribollita & one had the Minestrone. We also had a bottle of the Cellori wine, bruschetta & all were excellent! Prices were €9 each for the soups, €16 euro each for the meats and €25 euro for the wine. These prices were a little pricey but you really cannot expect anything less in a touristy city such as San Gimingano. What could be improved - the service. While friendly, we waited a long time for service & even longer for our food. Three of us were served in a reasonable amount of time (about 15 mins after ordering) but the other two probably waited a good 30-45 mins for their food (which was minestrone soup & roasted turkey). We live in Italy so we are very accustomed to waiting a bit. TIP: If you drink red wine and they are selling the Centellino, buy one!! They were €30 when we were there & I kicked myself in the rear for a year for not buying one! I ended up ordering one off Amazon but it was more expensive than if I had just bought it at the Osteria. read more

Un diamanté tra gli impostori. In a tourist town like San Gimignano, if you want proper Italian food, get off the main piazza where they cater to tourists and triple the prices. This is the real deal - a proper osteria with absolutely delicious food and wine. Period. No pizzas, no pastas, just simple locally sourced meats and cheeses, homemade soups, fresh salads and sweets. This is true farm-to-table at its best. I knew it was a find when I saw the gastronomic awards around the entry and the menu posted only in Italian. Thankfully, most of the tourists were put off by this, so we dined among Italians, the way Italians dine. This is not a place to bring young children. It isn't a hurried atmosphere, but instead a lingering experience to be appreciated over a period of time. When in Italy, one must convert to Italian time, especially at meals when it is customary to sit for 2 hours to eat, drink and enjoy the company of others. If you're in a hurry, then grab a porchetta sandwich from the guy in the piazza and sit on the steps of the church. This restaurant deserves to appreciated for what it is -- and what it is is a charming Tuscan osteria. Their meats and cheeses were the best we have had yet. The ash-rubbed goat cheese was sublime. My husband savored the hearty zuppa di funghi which was not your typical American cream of mushroom but instead a deep, rich homemade broth with more complexity than I can explain. I enjoyed a perfectly balanced mache salad with pears, hazelnuts and pecorino with a simple olive oil and balsamic dressing. Italian perfection. All of that in a simply charming setting. Btw, carcere means prison, hence the quirky handcuffs and such strewn about - likely a play on the fact that the torture museum is next door or possibly the location was once a prison itself. I kick myself for not asking. To the reviewers who complained about the "slow" service and the lack of pizza/pasta, go back to your tourist restaurants in the main piazza and learn the difference between a ristorante, an osteria and an enoteca. read more

A slow and delicious lunch. We had the pate, meat and cheese assortments with a salad at the end. My husband loved the pate, the rest of us were so-so on it, all the other dishes were great. The light and dark brown breads were yummy as was the wine. The owners were kind and the service gentle, I can't imagine hurrying anything here, I came to Italy to slow down, this was a great find. read more

Fabulous place in San G! Many places to choose from this one is intimate but not tiny, well priced and the food is so good. I had the two half portions of soups thick onion and beans and barley. So fabulous! Also the crostini with whipped Lardo crema holy cow people you have to eat here if your a foodie! read more

Loved this place right inside San Gimignano. Ordered some lovely wine and some yummy cheese. It was nice and cozy with great service. Perfect for a quick lunch and some Tuscan exploring. read more

By far the best food we have had in Italy so far! If you do not get the cheese plate, you are missing out. The Tuscan soup was absolutely delicious and the salad was so crisp and fresh! The dessert was so good I had a hard time putting my fork down...this place deserves recognition, what a treat it was to eat here! read more

We were recommended by a local to drop by this place. It is a bit upgraded in style and elaboration whilst still serving traditional dishes. I especially enjoyed the "rebollita". It is a small place and you will want to make a reservation a few days in advance. It is a bit more expensive that the usual pizza drill but it is worth it. read more