By far the best dinner I've ever had in Italy, and that's really saying something. Don't do what we…read moredid and waltz up with no reservation and hope lots of smiling and high school-level Italian will score you a table -- even on a Wednesday night the restaurant was fully booked. We did manage a table in the end, very luckily for us. The menu here (which changes annually) is pretty hefty but is dwarfed by the wine list, which is so thick it -- no kidding -- has a table of contents. There's a lot of wonderful things on that wine list, including a number of bottles from the Montefollonico area and neighbouring Montepulciano. The food, which started with a surprise complementary amuse bouche, was nothing less than exquisite. A number of the things I wanted to try (like the Filet and sirloin of wild boar, eggplant, chocolate sauce and raspberries) were sold out for the night by the time we'd sat down, but what we did get was truly top-notch. I'd put La Botte Piena up against any fine dining restaurant in London. The biggest surprise of the night was the bill. After a good bottle of wine, four plates of food, a dessert and coffee, we hadn't even managed to spend 100 euros.

We chose to eat a la carte, as we were 6 adults with different food needs. If I say perfetto!, do…read moreyou know what I mean? La Botte Piena aspires (correctly) for a Michelin star, and it shows in the whole dining experience. Obviously, from the name of the restaurant, they know wine. The small touches that Michelin seeks are all there. Our amuse-bouche was a delicious pasta chip with flavored cheese and a spoon of bean soup. Our primi were perfectly prepared - pastas, ricotta gnudi, ravioli. The secondi were also delicious - beef cheeks and (for our birthday boy) bistecca fiorentina. I dolci delighted us, as did the dessert wine we chose to finish our 4 hour meal. We chatted with the sommelier and the owners, which rounded out a great evening. Highly recommended!

This family run restaurant is warm and welcoming. The servers (father and son) were very welcoming…read moreand personable. We had fantastic Steak and pasta dishes. We loved the food and ambience. Steak was cooked just right with great flavor and perfect salting. We felt like we made new friends as the staff were so friendly. I definitely recommend checking out this small family restaurant in a very beautiful mountain town very close to Pienza and Montepulciano.

Overall 4.5 stars. We two had dinner…read more SERVICE: 5.0. The gentleman who runs the restaurant is a character, and fun to interact with. Every one we dealt with was friendly and professional. FOOD: 4.0. - Pecorino Pasta: 5.0. Fun to watch the preparation, and excellent taste. Hot pasta is placed on/in a large cheese round, and the resulting melted cheese with pasta mix is then delivered to one's plate. - Pork: 3.5. - Tiramisu: 4.5 We ended the meal with a limoncello digestif. AMBIANCE: 4.0. Indoor and outdoor seating. Very pleasant. This night only the outdoor was being used. Located just inside the main gate of the quiet and pretty town of Montefollonico. As we left there was a group of locals of varying ages sitting outside at a patio across from the town gate, watching a soccer game together on a large TV screen.

Best Home Cooked Italian food I have ever had in my life! My Grandmother would slap me with a…read morewooden spoon but I telleth the truth! Went 2 nights in a row! Freshest selection of everything! It's this type of place that makes life worth living! I continue to fantasize about this wonderful eatery Every now and then! Bottom line it's worth flying here just to smell the fabulous cuisine wafting from the kitchen! Do they deliver?

Il Fornacino has an adventurous menu that I was excited to try. Like every restaurant in the area…read moreit offers the traditional Tuscan tagliata di chianina (is there a law?) but there's also rabbit stuffed with veal and truffles and a very on-trend Swiss chard, ricotta, and truffled egg raviolone. I started with the latter, which was delicious -- but the powerful flavour of cheese and the egg yolk drowned out the chard. My wife's potato flan was quite nice, but it arrived buried under a heap of truffle shavings that tasted of nothing in particular. My main was a special of roast suckling pig with potatoes and a savoury tuile made with the pork drippings. The tuile was gratuitous -- a chef-y touch that didn't actually taste very nice. The suckling pig was beautifully cooked but the potatoes were weirdly inconsistent; some crisp and others mushy. Il Fornacino is a good restaurant that would be the best restaurant around in most places, but the five-star bar is set pretty high in Tuscany. But the prices were very modest and the wine selection was great. It's a tremendously good value for what it offers.

Amazing dining experience in this small rustic Osteria! Chef Julio masterfully cooks Bistecca Alla…read moreFlorentina to perfection in his wood fired oven! Pici Con Ragu Di Cinta Sense e Tartufo is a must try. Authentic Tuscan food! Atmosphere is very cozy with shared tables.

Great dining experience. One of the best meals we had in Montepulcino. We ordered the steak, which…read morewas perfectly cooked and a couple of sides which were also delicious. The house red wine was quite good.

This place has it all, great views, great food, great wine at reasonable prices and a passionate…read moreowner who isn't afraid of telling it like it is. We went with a group of 10 and had a blast. I'd highly recommend having a great meal here.

Awesome dinner. So authentic. Delicious everything along with super friendly staff and a rustic…read moreauthentic atmosphere you would hope for. Fantastic service. A great meal, night and experience! Ciao Bella

We stopped in on our first day in Montepulciano after checking in to our Airbnb. We had the most…read moreincredible, delicious, and memorable meal of our entire trip. Plans on returning next year!

Hands down, this is the best place that I ate at while I was in Italy…read more The restaurant was very unique with a vibrant interior that you can't help but love. The salad, pasta and vegetables were nothing but amazing. The pasta was fresh and the tomato sauce was indescribable. The freshness was out of this world. What also made this experience perfect was the hospitality shown by the owners. They were extremely kind and friendly. The male owner also goes around and sings to the guests, which is a great surprise. It's a very family oriented restaurant with home style cooking and beautiful ambience. 5/5!

This restaurant should really get 10 stars for its food. My mom and I had a lunch reservation when…read morewe first arrived in Montepulciano and we got the Pici all'Aglione della Valdichiana which was phenomenal. It was actually so good that we inquired about a reservation for dinner the next day! And again we got the same exact thing. I was too full to finish mine so we took it back to the hotel and I ate it at 10:40 pm cold and it was still amazing! Everyone was so friendly and it was such a great find. I cannot recommend enough!

The service and food was outstanding! They even asked me if I wanted the restaurant's Wi-Fi while I…read morewaited!

We visited the place twice in 1 week and I had to restrain myself. Flipping through the menu will…read moremake you hungry and greedy. It's now my favorite restaurant in Montefollonico.

La Porta (as the name implies) is right in the main gate of the old castle walls surrounding…read moreMontichiello. It has both indoor seating and (weather permitting) outdoor terrace seating with killer views looking towards Pienza and over the Val D'Orcia. This is one of several noteworthy restaurants in town that have put Monticchiello (back) on the map as an "it" place. The cuisine is anchored in traditional Tuscan dishes, but upscale and prepared with panache and creativity. Our dishes were quite good, expertly-executed, although just a bit pricey. They have a great winelist, (predictably) rooted in all the great local wine districts, but also focusing on both Val D'Orcia wines and other areas of Italy. Service is very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. It's become (justifiably) quite popular so reservations are likely a must, especially if the weather isn't great and the only available seating is indoors. We enjoyed our meal there, without being absolutely amazed or entranced. I think we're also very glad people are flocking to Montichiello again. I'd certainly take a look at this place if you're staying nearby. And...if the weather gods favor you, by all means get an outside table for the view!

Ordinary food. So-so service. Fantastic sunset view if one is lucky enough to have one of the three…read moreterrace edge tables. There is a small park right in front of the terrace where one can enjoy the view without dining at the restaurant. FOOD: 3.0. Ordinary. One diner described the taste as pre-made and then warmed up. Later when our agriturismo host heard that we dined here, he frowned and said "micro-waved" food. - Risotto orzo: 2.5 - Gnocchetti di patate: 3.0 - Guancia di manzo: 3.0 SERVICE: 3.0. One server was very considerate and worked hard to provide a good experience. When we entered the restaurant he had us wait while he cleared an edge terrace table that had just been vacated. The other two servers were indifferent. That balances out to 3 stars. AMBIANCE: - for those without an edge terrace table: 3.0 - for those lucky few who have an edge terrace table: 4.5

Last night, we had one of the the top 10 restaurant meals of our lives. This morning, I'm…read morereflecting on why. This place had no "stars". It's not in any guidebooks. The setting was unlikely...the ground floor was a neighborhood bar. Definitely NOT fancy. The locals were hanging out, outdoors on the cobblestone street if they were smoking, inside if the temperatures were a bit too brisk. The dining room was upstairs. Pretty, spotless, but definitely not fancy. There were no tuxedoed waiters or rows of silverware. No fancy China. The service was by the owner, who miraculously flew from table to table. He was fast but never felt rushed. There were no menus. He charmingly explained 6 starters and 7 mains. The only problem was deciding....each and every option sounded incredible. Wine service was equally casual, but lovely. He deposited multiple bottles on our table and instructed us to "test". We did. All great, and we made a selection. After all that, he brought a different bottle. "You'll like this more." He was right! The food came quickly and it was amazing. Fresh, locally sourced, and absolutely delicious. No fancy presentations, no edible flowers, no frou-frou. We barely were able to finish (but we put our minds to it, and did). I have no idea about dessert...we simply couldn't. We felt like we'd made a new friend and had dinner in his home. He cared deeply about the enjoyment of every guest. He was passionate and loved every minute of serving us. And that's why it made our top ten. If you find yourself within 50 miles of Il Barrino, in Montisi, it's not to be missed.

This restaurant is a hidden gem. It's upstairs of the bar; lovingly chosen food offerings,…read moregracious host, a slow food delight. We loved the pasta, and the duck; all the other dishes were equally good!