San Gimignano
Just back from one week vacation in San Gimignano and like to share our experiences with you.
Hotel Relais Santa Chiara
We had booked Hotel Relais Santa Chiara which is situated just outside the old citycenter – act 10 minuts walk. Be carefull and book a room with view to the vineyards !
Breakfast at the hotel
It was a great hotel with good service and really nice breakfast compared to Italian standards.
Out view from Hotel Relais Santa Chiara
So, what do you do after you have walked around in the city for some hours ?
diVinorum
You could sit outside at diVinorum and enjoy a nice glas of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The entrance to the wine bar is either from the Piazza della Cisterna or coming from the south; the small road to the right just before the Piazza delle Cisterna – across where the public toilets are.
Lunch at diVinorum
Or you could go get a cup of coffee and a cookie at Pasticceria Armando E Marcella on Via S. Giovanni 88
If I should make a list of restaurants, where se had supper, and rank them, the list would look like this:
Except the Cum Quibus, all the other restaurants had more or less the same menu, which in the end is getting booring ! San Martino 26 is at least trying to rethink some of the dishes !
Cum Quibus
We sad in an open air courtyard with sunshades.
We choose the small tasting menu at Euro 55,- each.
Appetiser: Fake risotto – Manioke colored with squitink and spinach mousse
Mezzovo – marinated egg yolk, Pienza sheep cheese mousse and truffle
Chicken liver, pineapple, vin brulé and mackerel
Tortelli pasta stuffed with blue cheese, red beet and Tuscan meat sauce.
Traditional big ricotta dumplings, Jerusalem artichoke chips and truffle
Veal cheek braised 18 hours in Vernaccia wine, horseradish and celeriac
Maringata – quark ice cream, delicate meringue and sugar free cream
Really delicious food 🙂 2 x tasting menu, 1 bottle of water and one bottle of beer and coffee – total Euro 132,-
Ristorante San Martino 26
Really nice rooms where you can see that they have thought about all the details
Appetiser: Small marinated zucchini, picorino and truffle
Risotto with porcini mushrooms and truffle
Braised veal belly
Helle had enough of meat yesterday at Bel Soggiorno, where she lost her appetite !
To be honest, we did not have room for the dessert, but shared one after all – the four different panne cotta were good .
Really delicious food – really good and friendly service . By the way, they also have 5 and 7 dishes tasting menus at eur 45 / 55 + 20,- for the winemenu. Insider info; its the son from Peruca 😉
We had a bottle of water and nice bottle of Ori, Vernaccia Reserve, our check ended at Euro 106,-
Peruca
With the help of Tripadvisor we ended up in this restaurant the first evening.
The rooms are rustic and dark. The restaurant was almost full and there were a good atmosphere.
Helle startede with Pici cacio e pepe and truffle.
I hadRisotto Perucà, with bacon, zucchini flowers and truffle – it was the best risotto I have had !
Coniglio abbracciato a modo mio (Coniglio disossato con ripieno di salsiccia si cinta senese e fegatini di coniglio avvolti con lardpo di colonnata chiusi con un abbraccio di cavolo nero servita su salsa di vernaccia di san gimignano scalogno e tartufo) – Boneless rabbit – unfortunately there were bones in the dish !
Helle a cheese plate, as she was not that hungry
The risottoen was fantastic. The rabbit was not totally boneless and the meat were hard and some of it dry. The cheese was good and so was the wine !
Le Vecchie Mura
Le Vecchia Muras outdoor restaurant – looks great for a hot summer evening.
Le Vecchia Mura
Unfortunately, just after we arrived, a party of 22 dutch people arrived and thereafter we did not get much attension from the staff.
Helle started with melon and ham
I had a Pici alla Boscaiola. Thick pasta with meat sauce and mushrooms.
We both had veal cutlet with porcini mushrooms and grillede vegetables
Really nice and tender meat !
Panforte and coffee
For sure a nice restaurant, if you can sit outside. Inside there is no charm, its a cold room. The food and the wine were good, but the staff was difficult to get in contact with.
Bel Soggiorno
Fantastic view !
Fantastic wine
Helle had a selection of Tuscan cold cuts and cheese
Pici “Bel Soggiorno” alla carbonara with artichokes, truffle and Grana Padano cheese
I had Beef sirloin cooked with Porto wine and crispy fried artichokes
Helle had ordered Suckling pig cooked in oven with roasted potatoes and got this fallos, whereafter she lost her appetite !
leftovers….
I tasted the suckling pig and must admit, it was barely seasoned and some of the meat was hard.
My dish looked really delicious. But the chef had not cleaned of the tendons from my sirloin 🙁 The crispy fried artichokes were really good !
All in all a restaurant that lives of its view – what a shame !
Hotel Ristorante Da Graziano
The receptionist our hotel recommended us this restaurant, which is just around the corner from our hotel.
The view going there…was great 🙂
When we arrived, there were only another couple in the restaurant. Later four more people came. For sure not their high season yet !
Carbonara with truffle
It is for sure not the same large truffle they use here as in the other restaurant in the old town ! But the Carbonara was okay.
Tomato and mozella
Fish and vegetables
Everything was well made !
Tiramisu can be made in many different ways – this one was heavy and cold, but tasted good – I like it better with more ladyfingers, more coffee taste and some Marsala !
It was clear that the chefs in the kitchen can cook ! The service was very professionel and I am convinced, when there are more guests eating there, it will be a good restaurant !
