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Restaurant da Balestra

3.8 (4 reviews)

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La Taverna di San Giuseppe - Lasagna

La Taverna di San Giuseppe

4.7(204 reviews)
78.4 km
€€€

We went May 1st, first of all, the restaurant truly carries that Tuscan brick-stone tavern, charm…read more The staff was accommodating, knowledgeable about wine selection, the food was absolutely delicious, walking down to the cellar definitely had an awe factor. The staff cut us up a platter of their cheese in the cellar. Tiramisu for desert topped the 5 star experience. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: You need reservations that can only be made by calling them, no online reservations capabilities. You should call 5 days in advance. Worth it. Our bill came out to less than $250 + Tip for 2 bottles of wine, 6 main entrees, 2 appetizers, 3 Tiramisu, and cheese platter - NOT BAD if you ask me. Because we gave them a nice tip - they gave us a bottle of wine as a thank you gift.

Taverna di San Giuseppe was a disappointing meal for us, especially in a city with so many great…read moredining options. We ended up here by mistake (confused it with another spot), and unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations. The restaurant fills up with reservations for two seatings, and from the moment we sat down the pace felt rushed. We ordered drinks and a starter while deciding on the rest, but multiple staff members kept coming by trying to take our full order. It felt like they were pushing to move things along quickly. There were a couple positives. The chicken livers to start were quite tasty and something we didn't see often on other menus. The primi were underwhelming. The pasta didn't taste fresh like many other trattorias in Siena, and the dishes overall were just average. The lasagna in particular was mushy, and the sauces didn't stand out. The secondi were slightly better -- pork ribs, Barolo-braised beef, and a "small chicken" -- but still nothing that justified the higher prices. They do have an underground wine cellar built into a cave, which is interesting to see, but there are other places in Siena with much larger and more impressive cellar spaces. Also worth noting, they add a "10% tax" charge rather than the typical €2 coperto per person. Overall, a rushed and fairly mediocre meal at a higher price point. With so many better places to eat in Siena, this is one I'd skip.

Photos
La Taverna di San Giuseppe - Inside

Inside

La Taverna di San Giuseppe - "small chicken"

"small chicken"

La Taverna di San Giuseppe - Wine bootle

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Wine bootle

Ristorante Peruca - Wild boar ragu

Ristorante Peruca

4.4(54 reviews)
73.6 km
€€€

Food was delicious! Wine recommendation from the waiter was excellent! Ambiance was typical…read morefamiliar run Italian restaurant and just love that! Would definitely go back and might before we leave San G!

We came here onto mother-in-laws recommendation. She said they had the best gnocchi she has ever…read morehad. This being my wife's favorite, decided to make a special trip to San Gimignano just to try them out! We made reservations and I am glad we did because by 8pm, every table was full. The place is very small and dark, but they add a small LED light at each table giving just the right amount of light to read the menu. We reviewed the menu only to find that they no longer have gnocchi. She was disappointed at first, but absolutely loved her entree. We weren't vey hungry so no starters tonight, but they brought bread and some sort of potato fritter that had bits of octopus in it. I loved it, my wife stopped eating it when she found out about the octopus! She was fine before I told her. We order a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio and I went for the wild boar ragu while the wife tried I Fagottini Del Contadino, pasta stuffed with pears & pecorino cheese in a saffron and pecorino sauce. Spectacular! The pear had a little sweet and the pecorino a little salt and the sauce was velvety smooth and delicious! My ragu was very hearty with lots of pork. Simply delicious. They had crème brûlée, which is my wife favorite. We still had a little wine left, so she ordered that and I got the double chocolate cake with orange marmalade. We both enjoyed our deserts very much. While they didn't have gnocchi, we both thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will definitely come back the next time we are in town.

Photos
Ristorante Peruca - Decor

Decor

Ristorante Peruca - Tre in Uno

Tre in Uno

Ristorante Peruca - Tomato pomporro with basil

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Tomato pomporro with basil

Restaurant da Balestra - italian - Updated May 2026

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