The best restaurant I've been to in Florence by FAR. It's hidden in a garden with gorgeous lights…read moreand an amazing atmosphere. The restaurant itself is in a renovated greenhouse with lots of exotic plants throughout the restaurant. Great music and it is open until 2 am so the later it gets the more it turns into a club! The food was also incredible every single thing we got was 10/10 amazing. Great cocktails too and the owner was so sweet and gave us free drinks! Would highly highly recommend!

This place is a wonderful hidden garden! Great music, atmosphere, food, drinks and people! I love…read morelove this place!!

This is a review of the WWOOFing experience, their wines, and their B&B business. Castello di…read morePotentino is a truly special place, nestled in a still-unspoiled Tuscan wilderness. It's a vineyard and olive estate surrounding a recently-renovated 10th century castle. As one of the proprietors is fond of saying, the castle was renovated to look like it wasn't renovated. This means that there is WiFi (in some parts), electric lights, hot water, and flushing toilets, but you won't see a sleek stainless steel light fixture or modern art sculptures or anything super 'modern chic'. The place is *gorgeously* decorated, inside and out. Each room in the castle is uniquely decorated and the place has been used for photo and film shoots. When I was there, a moderate size film crew was there shooting a Medieval period piece; there were Medieval costumes, horses(!), falcons(!!), white box trucks, and, hilariously, film crew waving frantically at you not to cross the courtyard that you were about to step into because you'd be in the camera shot, following by a distant shout in Italian to effect of, "quiet on the set, cameras rolling (or something)". Lots of fun watching that process. On one weekend during my stay, there was a large wedding party, and I was delighted to see the place transformed and decorated festively for the wedding. The castle is definitely large enough to support multiple types of gatherings. They have a small chapel, multiple outdoor spaces for banquets, and the backdrops are resplendent with vineyards, olive trees, and an unspoiled Tuscan countryside. I did an stint via WWOOF (World-wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), where I am provided food and shelter and I volunteer to help on the farm. When applying, the two owners were good about responding via email and setting general expectations. I stayed about two weeks in the late Spring and really loved the experience there. WWOOFers can number from two to eight, and they all stay in the WWOOF flat, which is basically a three-bedroom apartment in the castle with electric lights, running water, and dorm-style accommodations (2-3 per room, plenty of space). Laundry facilities and WiFi available. Hours in the fields or helping in the winemaking/bottling areas are generally seven hours a day, five days a week, with Sat/Sun off, and a little extra work setting or clearing the tables at lunch and dinner. Mathematically, this adds up to more hours than the nominal norm for WWOOFing (5-6 hours/day, 6 days per week), but it's more than made up for by having two days off instead of one per week, which I think is a good tradeoff. The food is wonderful. Charlotte and Alexander (British) have gone native in a lot of ways, including excellent Tuscan food using locally-sourced ingredients. They are very knowledgeable about the local agriculture and food. Meals are taken with the owners and any family friends that are visiting (which can be quite an fun, interesting cast of characters), and if the hotel guests are eating at the castle, nearly the entire castle eats together. It makes for very interesting conversation and a convivial atmosphere. The house wines are always drunk at every meal, as is their homegrown olive oil. The wines are very good. I brought home and shared with friends the 2011 Sacromonte (red, Sangiovese), and won high votes of confidence from my two friends who are Napa Valley natives (Napa Valley=California wine region). I enjoyed tasting all the wines as we took meals together over two weeks. I didn't stay at the B&B portion; I was in the WWOOF flat, but I did get a chance to see some of the rooms, and they vary a lot in their architecture and decor, but all gorgeously and sumptuously decorated. There are two-bedroom apartments and single rooms and stuff in between. This variance comes from being in a centuries-old castle that had been added to by different owners over the centuries. This is a small B&B operation. It's only Charlotte and Alexander, plus a resident groundskeeper and maid. Between the four of them and some WWOOFers, they grow, harvest and make thousands and thousands of bottles of wine, harvest and make olive oil, and run a B&B operation, so in American parlance, this is definitely a 'small, family-run B&B.' That is, don't expect the type of attentiveness or efficiency compared to, say, a Four Seasons Resort, but do expect that you'll have a unique and special experience in a very special place.

From the owner: Vino, Olio, Agriturismo, Residenza d'Epoca, matrimoni, bed and breakfastread more

I stayed here for 3 nights during the month of October and had an exceptional experience. This is…read morean agriturismo which is a farm home located on a vineyard and olive grove. They make their own wines and olive oil which are outstanding. They only have a few rooms available so make sure to book ahead. We were greeted by Anna the property manager who was very helpful with getting us settled into our room. The room was very clean and felt like a 5-star hotel with excellent furnishings, a modern bathroom, TV, and free WiFi. Il Castagno has a restaurant on the property which served outstanding dinners with some of the ingredients coming from their farm. They served the best steak I had in all of Italy. I highly recommend visiting Il Castagno for a peaceful and relaxing experience in Tuscany. We'll definitely stay there again.

This place is a wonderful venue. With a view and service to match. The cuisine is amazing. The…read morerooms are spacious which is hard to come by in Italy. The pool and areas surrounding the pool are superb. I would recommend this place to anyone trying for a goods night rest and a spacious rooms with a view.

This place was Magnificent! The entire staff were so accommodating and friendly. They made us feel…read morelike we were family here. The food was so delicious and fresh! Each special dish was served and we were allowed to hear the history of its creation through the families remarkable creativity. What a joy it was to be presented with such delicious treats from such Gracious Hosts. Thank You!

We had the most amazing private tasting at Acquaviva! First: the grounds of this vineyard are…read moreabsolutely gorgeous; we enjoyed wandering around and taking in all the scenery. Second, the main tasting building is absolutely lovely - all glass (for those aforementioned views) and a perfect mix of modern and traditional. Finally, the WINE! Not only was their wine absolutely delicious, but it was paired with some excellent bread, olive oil, and charcuterie to complete our tasting experience. Our host was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly and it was a treat to learn about the history of these great winemakers. We loved everything so much we immediately bought bottles to take home for dinner and shipped a crate home, too. One of our favorite afternoons of our entire trip to Tuscany.

One of the most unique lodging experiences I've had anywhere in the world. Lovingly restored…read morecastle with odd corners to explore and details to discover. Can't beat the restaurant's deck for sunset views of Perugia. Tough to find but worth the effort.

If you're staying in or near Perugia and you want to get away from the crowds of the city center,…read moreyou can't do better than Castello di Monterone. Situated on the opposite side of the valley east of the city, along a ridge that separates Perugia from Ponte Valliceppi, the renovated castle is both a perfect spot for exploring Perugia and as a jumping off point for trips to Assisi, Spoleto, or wherever else in Umbria your fancy takes you. If you have a car, Perugia's city center is a short 5 to 10 minute drive, and taxi's can get you there for about EUR 12. The nighttime views of Perugia are stunning, and the castle itself could not be more charming with winding stairs that lead to rooms, balconies, and towers, in addition to the hearths, portals, and dungeons that you'd expect from a castle whose foundation was started in the 14th century. Although the rooms are not big, they are very comfortable, nicely appointed, and many have spectacular views of the Umbrian countryside. Try for a room on the western side of the castle for the best views. Finally, the hotel's on-site restaurant, Gradale, serves delicious Umbrian fare at what we considered to be very reasonable prices. Some of the better meals we had during a recent trip to Tuscany and Umbria were our meals at Gradale. All in all, our stay at Castello di Monterone was one of the most pleasant aspects of our recent vacation, and the hotel itself one of the best we've stayed in in recent memory.

We attended a wedding here a couple of weeks ago and had a wonderful time! The venue is stunning…read morewith a gorgeous setting for the ceremony, a spacious location for the reception, and a perfect dance room. The table decorations were beautifully done. I'm not sure if that was the venue or the bride's coordinator. The food served was excellent, and they did a good job of accommodating my gluten allergy, including providing gf pasta. Dessert, including the frosting of the wedding cake, was great and lots of fun. Music, both lived during the dinner and dj in the dance room, were great. Lovely location with a beautiful view. The only suggestion is that they should have had tents set up to shield guests from the murderous summer Italian sun. Sitting for an hour on 90-degree direct sunlight was less than pleasant.