| ------ Anghiari ------------------------- | |
| Cantina del Granduca | |
  Euro 15 - 30 Address: Piazza Mameli 13 Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Tuesday. Specialties: Bruschette, homemade soups, Florentine steaks, Organic cheeses with honey, jams and sweet mustards | Principally an Enoteca for tasting quality local wines along with an extensive range of other labels, but also a restaurant. Cantina del Granduca is located in an historical Cellar in one of the most charming cobbled streets in the heart of Anghiari. The brick arches have been retained and it provides a casual, comfortable and pleasantly rustic setting. The menu is not extensive but all dishes on offer are to a high standard. The wine selection naturally is impressive and Paola is fully qualified to assist in your selection. The bruschette are excellent and they also provide an array of top quality Sienese and also local Salamis and other cold cuts. There are several tasty pasta dishes on offer and very good homemade soups. If you opt for a complete meal their Florentine steaks are memorable as are the Organic cheeses including a variety made exclusively with goats milk. The cheeses are served with an array of delicious jams, sweet mustards and honeys also strictly organic. |
| Da Alighiero | |
  EURO 35 - 60 Address: Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 8, 52031 Anghiari Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Tuesday Visa & MC welcome Specialties: Innovative Antipasti, home made pasta, traditional seconds with an original interpretation, home made desserts beautifully presented, extensive wine selection Wedding Receptions: 10 - 40 guests, from euro 60 | Housed on the ground floor of a beautifully restored arched palazzo just a few minutes from Anghiari's main square, Da Alghiero offers a range of gourmet dishes in a rustic but elegant ambience. Silvia is a top chef and creates memorable dishes with full respect for tradition yet adding her innovative touch. She is also very artistic and this is reflected in the presentation of all dishes. Antipasti are excellent and include a Truffle & Ricotta Terrine and also a warmed chicken liver salad. The pasta is home made and Sivia offers a 'Tris' where you may sample a selection of three which provides a helpful solution as to which to select! Main dishes are to the same elevated standards, my absolute favourite being the stuffed duck breasts rolled in Porchetta. Amongst the homemade desserts, Silvia's Zucchotto takes the cake! For Wedding Receptions she enjoys preparing mini homemade breads in the shape of a hearts and she provides beautifully laid reception tables. All couples to date that have celebrated their special day at Da Alighiero have been most impressed by the menu and also all the extra effort and attention to detail. Gianni is justly proud of his significant selection of fine wines and is well qualified to advise which would be best suited to the dishes you have selected |
| Bar Baldaccio | |
Euro 10 - 20 Address: Piazza Baldaccio 18 Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Monday. No credit cards Specialties: Wood fired oven Pizzas [lunch & dinner], home made pasta, homemade desserts | Bar Baldaccio is a busy Bar/Pizzeria right in Anghiari's main square. In the summer months there are 8 or so tables outside surrounded by pot plants. It is most enjoyable dining outdoors during the long summer evenings with the cooler temperatures, you may have to wait for a table but usually not too long. They have a serious range of pizzas [around 40] plus 4 or 5 specialty pizzas that are also excellent. In addition there is a range of pasta dishes and the fresh pasta ones are home made as are the desserts. Baldaccio is casual, service is generally good and the prices are very affordable. It is one of the few Pizzerias in the area that offers Pizzas also at lunchtime. |
| Vecchia Osteria La Pergola | |
Euro 15 - 30 Address: Tavernelle di Anghiari Open: Lunch & Dinner 7 days in Summer, closed Tuesday in Winter All major credit cards accepted Specialties: Home made Ravioli, Tagliolini & Bringoli with Duck, Beef, Tomato or Porcini sauce, Chicken with black olives, Roasted Pigeon, Rabbit with capers. Wedding Receptions: 10 - 30 guests, from euro 35 | Located in the tiny town of Tavernelle just a few minutes from Anghiari is this classic Osteria that offers simple Tuscan fare at very reasonable prices. In true Osteria style it is family run, Doretta is queen of the kitchen and creates wonderful fresh pasta daily. Her son and daughter manage the dining rooms and also the newly redecorated bar next door. Often Doretta will serve as well as preparing your dishes. The menu changes daily and the limited number of options are communicated verbally opposed to on a written menu. In addition to the genuine and subtle fresh pasta dishes, the seasonal main courses are generally very good, particularly the Lamb stew, Chicken with olives and Rabbit with capers. Desserts are traditional and homemade. In the summer months there are some outdoor tables and for small Wedding Receptions it is possible to reserve the private room downstairs. Doretta can provide a tailor made menu to suit your requirements and budget. Reservations wise at weekends and much appreciated weekdays |
| La Nena | |
Euro 25 - 55 Address: Via Giacomo Matteotti 10/14, 52031 Anghiari Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Monday, Annual holidays first 2 weeks of July All major credit cards accepted Specialties: Home made Ravioli, Pappardelle & Tagliatelle, Risotti, Soups, Sformato of wild game, Florentine steaks, Home made desserts, extensive wine selection | Located almost at the top of the famous steep street that leads from Anghiari to the Upper Tiber Valley itself, La Nena offers quality local specialties in an elegant setting. Classic music plays in both of the dining rooms and the service is excellent. All 3 partners play a hands on role in the restaurant, Palmira oversees everything in the kitchen and Paolo and Sergio supervise the waiters and offer their recommendations to guests both in terms of the meal and the most appropriate wine. 'Professional' is a word that springs to mind when you dine at La Nena. Their menu is extensive and while all dishes worthy a mention, it would take several pages! Amongst the Antipasti,specialties include the Smoked Goose Breast, Porcini salad and the Marinated Beef with Black Truffles. The Pappardelle with duck, hare, goat or wild boar is memorable as are the 2 Risotto dishes, one with porcini and black truffle and the other an original mixed wild berry risotto! Their traditional Tuscan soups are also very good. For a true Florentine steak you may choose between the 3 famous Central Apennine breeds....Chianina, Romagnola & Marchigiana. The Fillet steak with porcini is also excellent but the winner has to be the Wild game Terrine. It includes pheasant & patridge and is cooked in the oven with a creamy besciamella sauce. Porcini are on offer also as a side dish grilled, fried or sautèed. Desserts to a high standard too, the tarts prepared with their homemade jams. Palmira, Sergio & Paolo offer two set menus featuring many of their specialty dishes for euro 30 alternatively 45 p/p |
| Locanda al Castello di Sorci | |
Euro 19 - 35 Address: Locanda al Castello di Sorci, 52031 Anghiari Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Monday. Specialties: Home made pasta, traditional Tuscan main dishes Wedding Receptions: 20 - 180 guests, from euro 40 | The locanda which is located within the estate of a local castle is rather an institution. Italians from all over the country rarely pass up on a meal at Sorci when in the area. The food is not super gourmet but genuine traditional Tuscan fare presented with the minimum of fuss and in abundance. They are perhaps most famous for their fresh ravioli and tagliatelle that are prepared daily and served with classic sauces including porcini, hare and wild boar. The range of second dishes changes regularly and includes grilled and roasted meats along with rabbit dishes, pork and beef. The lunch and dinner are set menus that commence with an extensive variety of antipasti followed by several first and second plates and offer excellent value at euro 19 inclusive of mineral water and house wine. Desserts are not their fortè but for Wedding Receptions, caterers can provide a delicious selection of homemade dolci. Wedding receptions are usually celebrated in the Castle itself or in the Castle grounds. |
| ------ Caprese Michelangelo ------------------------- | |
| Il Rifugio | |
 € 25 – 45 per person Address: Località Lama di Caprese Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Wednesday. Credit cards accepted. Specialties: Homemade pasta, truffle dishes, wild game, eye fillet steak with porcini mushrooms, Florentine steaks, extensive wine selection Wedding Receptions for 20 – 150 guests, from € 35 per person | Il Rifugio is in the tiny town of Lama just below Caprese and offers excellent Tuscan fare in an elegant ambience. The range of homemade pasta dishes are fantastic but Il Rifugio is perhaps even more famous for their main dishes that also feature local truffles in many instances. Their eye fillet steak with porcini mushrooms is the very best I have ever tasted as are the deep fried porcini. The restaurant is elegant with an extensive range of wines and they offer a special menu [euro 25/pp excluding wine] that includes tastes of almost all of their special truffle and porcini dishes. A menu featuring fresh fish dishes is available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It is almost essential to reserve a table as Il Rifugio is patronized by many locals in addition to foreign guests staying in the area that invariably return more than once! |
| Mariuccia | |
€ 20 – 40 per person Address: Località Fragaiolo 203 Open: June – Oct 7 days, lunch and dinner, Nov – May, weekends only No credit cards Specialties: Homemade fresh pasta, truffle and mushroom dishes, grilled and other second plates, homemade desserts | Mariuccia is nestled amongst the Chestnut woods approx 5 km from Caprese. At a higher altitude lunch outside is pleasant even in the hottest summer months. Dishes are traditional with a number of specialties that change daily. The homemade gnocchi with a delicate truffle sauce are just divine and Mariuccia is a good all rounder. It is certainly off the beaten track and thus ideal for kids with lots of safe space to run outside around plus slides, swings and seesaw. Sunday lunches are a grand affair with endless platters of Antipasti followed by several pasta dishes and then mixed grilled meats and other seconds with side dishes. Desserts are homemade and delicious. It is impossible not to sample everything and thus a siesta is usually essential! House wine, mineral water, coffee and liqueurs are also included so at euro 24 p/p it provides excellent value. They also offer a discounted price for kids. Reservations are not essential but appreciated weekdays and it is wise to book on weekends as many locals also dine there. Credit cards not accepted so make sure you have cash as 4 km to the nearest money machine! |
| Osteria da Ginetto | |
€ 15 – 30 per person Address: Localita Fosso da Bagno, 39 Open: Lunch and Dinner Wednesday – Sunday, lunch only Monday, closed Tuesdays No credit cards. Specialties: Home made fresh pasta with wild boar, hare, porcini or duck sauce, Wood fired oven pizzas in the evenings, home made desserts | This little restaurant is ideal for a quick, honest & affordable meal. All dishes are authentic and it is low key with efficient service. The town of Caroni di San Cristofero is rather a non event, in fact if you blink you could drive right through it. Aside from the 2 restaurant/bars, small grocery store and the petrol station there is little else however being on the way to the famous Caprese Michelangelo sort of puts it on the map! Indeed many stop off here for a quick meal and the restaurant is also regularly patronised by a number of locals who enjoy a simple and hearty meal during their 2 hour lunch break. I often lunch there myself after teaching at the Catering School and a little antipasto, a generous plate of home made pasta, salad, glass of wine and mineral water followed by a caffè macchiato never comes to more than 15 euro p/p. The Antipasto of the house platter includes assorted fried vegetables which are very appetizing. Amongst the first dishes, the home made ravioli and gnocchi are particularly good and the Wild Boar or Lamb stews make great choices for the second course. Also a Pizzeria with a range of tasty pizzas, evenings only Wise to reserve a table on weekends and appreciated but not essential weekdays. |
| La Buca di Michelangelo | |
€ 25 – 40 per person Address: Via Capoluogo 51 Open: 7 days lunch & dinner in summer, closed Thursdays in winter Visa, MC & Amex welcome Specialties: Homemade pasta, mushroom & truffle dishes, grilled steaks, homemade desserts Wedding Receptions: 20 – 300 guests | Another good all rounder featuring traditional dishes that honour the local specialty ingredients such as truffles, porcini and Chianina beef steaks. Grandma with her neat grey bun oversees and still participates fully in the daily preparation of the homemade pasta and desserts. Located in the heart of historical Caprese Michelangelo, the dining rooms are surprisingly large, in fact able to accommodate up to 300 and they enjoy a delightful panorama. The restaurant is also a hotel and provides a special and original venue for a Wedding Reception. For around euro 40 per person you may enjoy an authentic 4 course lunch or dinner that includes dishes such as Tagliatelle with a Duck Sauce, Crepes with truffles and sliced, grilled Chianina steaks with juniper berries. |
| Il Cristallo | |
 € 20 – 40 per person Address: Località Pratolino Open: 7 days, lunch & dinner in summer, closed Tuesdays in winter Major credit cards accepted Specialties: Fresh pasta, mushroom & truffle dishes, roasted and grilled meats, homemade desserts Wedding Receptions: 30 – 250 guests | A large, spacious and relatively modern Restaurant, Reception Rooms and Hotel just out of Caprese. All serving staff are friendly, well trained and extremely efficient and the food is also to a high standard. A wide range of traditional dishes typical of the area with many featuring truffles or porcini mushrooms along with excellent Chianina steaks. The pasta dishes are equally good and the desserts are also strictly homemade. Sunday lunch is a 3 hour affair with appetising platters offered every few minutes! First the cold starters then all the warm antipasti including house specialties that vary often. A short break and then the first pasta dish, sample the second or another helping of the first that was so good? The third pasta dish is then presented often followed by a fourth. Very drinkable and unlimited house wine along with mineral water is included in the price. A wide range of more sophisticated wines available on request. The second course includes roast beef or pork along with roast potatoes, assorted grilled meats including spare ribs, lamb and duck, pheasant or pigeon with a side plate of very fresh salad. Desserts follow with a sample of at least 3, all made at the restaurant. Lunch concludes with an espresso and much needed 'digestive' liqueur! Ideally suited for Wedding Receptions and other Special Events, also Conventions and Seminars. |
| ------ Monterchi ------------------------- | |
| La Pieve Vecchia | |
  € 15 – 45 per person Address: Località La Pieve Vecchia 12, Open: For lunch & dinner, pizzas evenings only. Closed Tuesday. Credit cards accepted Specialties: Homemade pasta, truffle & porcini dishes, wild game, Florentine steaks, Pizzeria (evenings), extensive wine selection, homemade desserts Wedding Receptions: 20 – 100 guests | A top restaurant that provides elegance and sophistication in a delightfully historical and rustic setting. It is located on the site where a 6th century Christian parish church was built and later moved to a safer position on the hillside where it still stands today. The restaurant has retained the ‘Pieve Vecchia’ name and features a great range of authentic dishes with a more modern interpretation and yet with full respect for the local specialty ingredients and traditions. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list featuring numerous fine Umbrian and Tuscan labels. The fresh pasta is proudly all homemade and the second courses are equally impressive. From the Duck breasts simmered in Vinsanto to the local Chianina steaks served sliced with porcini or simply with fresh rosemary. The restaurant is also a Pizzeria in the evenings offering a wide range of tasty but affordable pizzas. At lunchtime they have an optional set menu of the day consisting of a first dish followed by a second with a side plate of vegetables for just 12 euro per person. Desserts are also homemade and excellent……make sure to leave some room! Ideally suited to Wedding Receptions, outdoors or on the elegant upper floor. A perfect venue also for seminars and conventions with rooms for every group size. |
| ------ Sansepolcro ------------------------- | |
| L'Incanto | |
From Euro 30 - 45 Address: Via Tiberina 990, 52037 Sansepolcro Open: Lunch Fri - Sun, Dinner 6 nights. Closed Monday Visa & Diners cards welcome Specialties: Variety of Antipasti, home made pasta dishes, fillet & florentine steaks, woodfired Pizzas [evenings],home made desserts superbly presented Wedding Receptions: 20- 80 guests, from euro 50 | Spacious, elegant & sophisticated but with plenty of jovial Italian atmosphere! Certainly the most original restaurant in the area as they also sell antique furniture so every table & chairs is unique and actually for sale! The standard of food and service is excellent. The menu changes regularly but the pasta and risotto dishes are always exceptionally good offering a slightly more sophisticated interpretation of traditional local dishes. The main dishes include quality grilled meats and steaks. Particularly worth mentioning is the Fillet steak with radicchio and scamorza cheese. All the desserts are A1 and once again maximum attention also in regard to presentation. L'Incanto also offer great pizzas cooked in a woodfired oven, evenings only In the summer months the outdoor dining area is also delightful with tables housed in a variety of gazebos. The restaurant is well off the road and kids love the little pond and miniature houses. Wise to book a table particularly at weekends, unless you go early, around 7:30pm. |
| Convento dei Cappuccini | |
Euro 9 - 10 Address: Casa dello Studente, 52037 Sansepolcro Open: Lunch & Dinner, Mon - Fri, Lunch Sat, closed Sunday No credit cards Specialties: Simple, honest Tuscan fare consisting of choice of 2 Primi, 2 Secondi and 3 side dishes of which the Vegetable Terrine is particularly good | A 400 - 500 year old Convent that offers a simple set menu inclusive of water and house wine for just 9 euro per person, lunch & dinner. Located in the gentle hills above the town of Sansepolcro,the Convent enjoys a delightful panorama of the Upper Tiber Valley. Chequered plastic tablecloths and limited menu but a great opportunity to enjoy a simple Tuscan meal in an historical Tuscan Convent. Much of the fresh produce comes from the Convent gardens, service is very efficient and the experience pleasantly unique! There are no antipasti but a choice of a couple of pasta dishes and perhaps a hearty traditional soup. Second and side dishes change daily and tend to be classics such as Beef stew, Veal, chicken and rabbit. The house wine is a drinkable red which is placed on each table in 1.5 L bottles along with ceramic jugs of natural water. Dessert in the traditional Italian style is a bowl of fresh fruit that you prepare yourself. Coffee is the only thing not included but is available from the Espresso machine in the Hall for .40 cents. |
| Taverna Toscana | |
Euro 25 - 35 Address: Via Luca Pacioli 50, 52037 Sansepolcro Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Tuesday. Visa & MC welcome Specialties: Tuscan salamis & pecorino cheeses, Home made Ravioli & Tagliatelle, traditional Tuscan soups including Ribollita, Porcini & Truffle dishes, Lamb roasted, grilled or stew, Chianina steaks | A small but bustling little Osteria in the heart of the historical centre offering a host of traditional dishes to a high standard. The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed and in the summer months they have a few tables out on one of Sansepolcro's cobbled streets. Antipasto platters host a range of cold cuts, excellent Pecorino cheeses [that I usually set aside to savour after the secondo!] along with porcini crostini and other spreads of the day. The home made Ravioli and Tagliatelle may be married with a variety of sauces including truffle, porcini, duck, wild boar goat or hare. You are free to specify a personalised combination. The soups including Mushroom, White Bean and the famous Ribollita are also very good. Main dishes include everything from Chianina steaks sliced and served with truffles, porcini or juniper berries to Wild Boar stew with Polenta and a range of top lamb dishes. The house wine is good and very affordable and there is also a range of more sophisticated wines available. If you do not have a reservation you may have to wait but you can always have a little stroll around the historical centre and return to find your table is ready. |
| L'Osteria in Aboca | |
Euro 35 - 50 Address: Frazione Aboca 11, 52037 Sansepolcro Open: Lunch and Dinner daily. Closed Monday. Visa & MC welcome Specialties: Home made Ravioli, Seasonal Crepes, local Chianina steaks from Organic farms, extensive wine selection, nougat ice cream cake | Located in a tiny village in the hills just a few km from Sansepolcro is this little gem of a restaurant. Massimiliano & Monica's motto is 'quality quality quality' and indeed this is reflected not only in the divine dishes on offer but also the extensive wine selection and the courteous and unobtrusive service. Their cuisine fully embraces local tradition and the flavours of the area with a focus on the freshness and the use of only certified organic ingredients. The home made ravioli stuffed with potato, creamy cheese and spinach are out of this world. The pasta shoe laces with a goose sauce almost tie for first position along with the Crepes filled with mushrooms or other seasonal vegetables. Amongst the main dishes the grilled Chianina beef with red chicory and balsamic vingegar and the Fillet steak with rocket, parmesan and cherry tomatoes must be mentioned. Desserts are also to a very high standard and include a creamy chocolate Tiramisu and Nougat ice cream cake. The wine selection includes over 400 Italian labels, predominantly Tuscan and the wine waiter is qualified to make recommendations as to the most appropriate wines for the dishes selected. It is sensible to book to avoid disappointment when you get to the top of the hill! |