The restaurant is in the historical part of Colle Val d'Elsa, a medieval Tuscan town. (Visit my travel blog for photos of the town.) The main dining area was on the street level of what looked like a residence that is on the hillside - even the lower level was bright and open. We were glad we chose lunch because for once it's great to see our food in broad daylight! The formal dining room had an understated elegance even though the chandelier and the stemware are ostentatiously Bacharrat. The window looked out onto a sloped field (of sunflowers in the summer) - it was a picture perfect windowscape. And so was the meal...
The entrance portal on one of the main streets in the old town |
The lower level sitting room |
The book-lined dining room |
A selection of breads, all deliciously bite-sized |
I love the cover for the soup! |
Tuna with sweet sour onion swimming in chickpea soup (I confess I'm not going to rave about this one) |
This one, however, is superb: scallop with caviar swimming in pumpkin soup with orange compote. |
Pigeon breast with goose liver, grape sauce and chestnut paste |
Anchovies with fennel foam, onions under the foam, saffron with scampi |
Lasagnita with lentils and lobster, clams |
Ravioli blue lobster vervain with enoki mushrooms |
Pasta with tiger shrimp and squid, broccoli |
Pasta stuffed with sausage, parmesan cheese, cabbage and lima bean sauce |
No you can't eat this, but I just want to show the place of honour for my camera - its very own stool! |
John Dory with coffee sauce, Jerusalem artichoke, fois gras terrine |
Rabbit with curry, wine, liver, olives and capers |
Suckling pig ribs, lamb with celeriac and red currant |
Beef cheek with red wine, porcini mushrooms, squash flowers and squash |
Anise-flavoured figs with San Giovesia ice cream |
Chocolate with chestnut (mmm...GOOD!) and ginger ice cream |