RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND BARS - Florence and Tuscany - page 270

GREVE La Cantinetta di Rignana

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Loc. Rignana, Greve in Chianti, 50022 Tel [phone] Road map D3
With incredible views from its large terrace, this country restaurant serves breathtaking yet simple Tuscan food. The
pasta with chestnuts is rich and creamy - and you won't taste a fresher salad. Roast pigeon is tender, and the rabbit
delectable. Upstairs is rowdier than the cosier room downstairs, but the large terrace is best of all.
MONTALCINO Il Boccon Divino

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Località Colombaio, 53024 Tel [phone] Road map D4
Perfect for summer dining alfresco, this restaurant offers some interesting dishes and a magnificent view. The
carabaccia (onion soup) is a must, and the scottiglia di cinghiale (wild boar stew) is excellent. Not exclusively local,
the cheese board is also interesting. Excellent wine list, as befits the town.
MONTEFOLLONICO La Chiusa

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Via della Madonnina, 88, Montefollonico, 53040 Tel [phone] Road map E4
Brick arches, antiques and wild flowers furnish what is reputedly the best restaurant in southern Tuscany. Staying
true to its farming roots, the restaurant's cuisine is in the peasant tradition, and includes bread soup and pulse soup,
as well as excellent courgette flowers and vegetable flans. Local truffles and porcini mushrooms are used in season.
MONTEPULCIANO La Grotta

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Località San Biagio, 53045 Tel [phone] Road map E4
A restaurant for discerning diners, La Grotta is located right opposite one of the foremost expressions of Renaissance
architecture in Tuscany: Sangallo the Elder's Church of San Biagio. Specialities include the excellent pici (local pasta
strips) with duck and saffron sauce. Also good is the fillet of Chianina beef with asparagus and truffles.
MONTERIGGIONI Il Pozzo

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Piazza Roma 20, 53035 Tel [phone] Road map D3
Occupying 13th-century stables, Il Pozzo is an ideal place for lunch. The food is rigorously Tuscan, essentially simple,
but never banal. Try the truffle-fragrant tortelli al cartoccio (tortelli cooked in tinfoil), which comes wrapped up like a
packet to conserve the aromas. Equally delicious is the stuffed pigeon.
PANZANO IN CHIANTI Solociccia

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5 Via Chiantigiana, Panzano in Chianti, 50022 Tel [phone] Road map D3
Butcher Dario Cecchini's quest to promote all cuts of meat is the impetus behind this innovative restaurant serving a
set six-course meal. Modern design and communal tables provide the backdrop for the dishes, which include every
cut but the bistecca . Cecchini also has another restaurant nearby. Book ahead. Open Thu-Sat pm and Sun lunch only.
PIENZA La Pergola

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Via dell'Acero 2, 53026 Tel [phone] Road map E4
Unpretentious but inventive, La Pergola is the best restaurant in the area. Chef Emanuele injects a little of his
Abruzzo origins into Tuscan fare, conjuring up dishes that have real flair. Try the sformato di verdura con crema
di porri e patata , a vegetable flan with a leek and potato sauce. Excellent wine list.
POGGIBONSI La Galleria

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Galleria Cavalieri V. Veneto 20, Poggibonsi, 53036 Tel [phone] Road map D3
The setting - in a shopping arcade in industrial Poggibonsi - is unpromising but loyal locals swear the chef here is
one of the best in Tuscany. You'll get traditional Tuscan food with more than a dash of flair, including good fish and
seafood. Probably the best reason to stop in Poggibonsi.
SAN CASCIANO Nello

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Via 4 Novembre 66, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, 50026 Tel [phone] Road map D2
Nello's serves simple but excellent food and is just a short drive from Florence. The restaurant is large and the decor
unfussy, while the food includes tasty bean dishes as well as pappardelle with wild boar, and ravioli in the house
sauce. On Fridays fish appears on the menu, including excellent spaghetti al vongole .
SAN GIMIGNANO Osteria delle Catene

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Via Mainardi 18, 53037 Tel [phone] Road map C3
This small restaurant specializes in regional cooking enhanced with its own special touch. You could start off with
cold cuts made from wild boar, then continue with a saffron soup made according to a medieval recipe. The hare
cooked in local wine is also good, and the home-made desserts are worth leaving room for.
SAN GIMIGNANO Dorandò

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Vicolo dell'Oro 2, 53037 Tel [phone] Road map C3
This restaurant is small and very select, so booking is advised. Impressive wine list, and dishes to go with it. The
pasta with pigeon sauce on a bed of creamed mushrooms is delicious. There are various fish specialities, including
angler fish in a nutty crust served with leeks. Take your time to enjoy it all.
SANT'ANGELO IN COLLE SCALO Il Marrucheto

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Località Sant'Angelo in Colle Scalo, 53020 Tel [phone] Road map D4
Il Marrucheto is known for its simplicity, warmth and good value: a combination that's becoming increasingly rare
in Tuscany. The focus is fish, or pizza, though there are meat dishes too. Try the seafood spaghetti, which is very
filling. The zuppa di cozze , or clam soup, is also good. Finish up with a simple salad.