My fave restaurants in the province of Siena

I know Tuscany very well, as my hometown is located there. For this reason, I would like to suggest you some really good restaurants in various cities of this amazing region.

Caffè Casolani, located in Casole d'Elsa, my hometown. This restaurant is characterized by a large collection of wines and genuine dishes. The cuisine stands out due to the fusion of traditional Tuscan dishes with Sicilan flavors. If you are lucky you can find truffle based plates, one of their specialties. They serve lunch and dinner, both à la carte and set menu.

If you like pizza, you should visit Radicondoli and book a table at La Pergola. They offer both classic and gourmet pizza. The gourmet pizza is a type of contemporary Italian pizza born to create an atmosphere of familiarity and conviviality at the table, allowing you to taste various types of toppings. By sharing the pizza - which arrives at the table already cut into slices - among the guests, it is possible to taste several types in the same meal, thus building a complete tasting path. The toppings are always high quality Made in Italy ingredients. My favorite is the one with raw shrimps from Mazara del Vallo, burrata from Puglia, pistachios from Bronte (slow food presidium) and candied orange.

At Bar Paninoteca Divino in Badia a Passignano, you can taste Chianti wine paired with traditional Tuscan cold cuts and cheeses in front of a vineyard. Aside from the amazing view, their "Taglieri" are worth it (and very cheap too). The restaurant is casual and perfect for an Aperitivo in front of the sunset.

Moving to Siena, my favorite restaurant is Casato Restaurant Wine bar, an elegant and refined place, two steps away from Piazza del Campo. They serve very original and tasty dishes paired with a wide offer of wines. Excellent and careful service. Unfortunately, I can't tell you my favorite plate because they change the menu quite often (very positive note), but I'm sure you will find exquisite food.

While, if you are looking for pizza, Il Pomodorino is the best pizzeria in Siena*. Quality pizza and good variety of ingredients. If you have the possibility, book a table outside; you will have dinner with an amazing view on Siena's Duomo. My favorite pizza is called Alternativa: tomato sauce, burrata, basil and cherry tomatoes.

*They just opened another restaurant in Poggibonsi

Picò Pizza, Cocktail & Piccornie, located in Barberino Val d'Elsa, was also a pleasant surprise. This pizzeria has been open for just over a year but is already well-known throughout the area. The concept of this restaurant is to pair pizza with cocktails, in fact you won't find beer here. Furthermore, before and after the pizza you can savor their piccornie, small jewels of fried dough stuffed in the most varied ways. Their pizza is very good, the dough is well leavened and tasty. I chose the "Odi et amo" with burrata, fiordilatte and truffle. Then, I tried small balls of fried dough accompanied by lemon cream as dessert, a little heavy after the pizza, but good.

Another good pizza spot is Pizzeria del Borgaccio in Poggibonsi. Sourdough, Tuscan grains flour, fiordilatte from Poggibonsi and Tuscan tomato is what makes this pizza special. In addition, their combinations of ingredients are excellent. You will find yourself in trouble in front of the menu, because you will want to try them all. For this reason, I recommend you to go with a group of friends or family to have the opportunity to try different pizzas. I can suggest you the Pinoli tostati (Pine nuts and basil cream, mozzarella, datterini confit, seasoned pecorino), Fior d'Acciuga (stracciatella, courgette flowers, anchovies from Cetara, caper powder, datterini confit) and their Pizza al vapore (steamed pizza) which topping changes from day to day.

One place I love which is also located in Poggibonsi is Olivia Libreria Bistrot. A unique concept of its kind in this area. They offer products which you can hardly find in other cafes and restaurants in the province of Siena. For breakfast they propose Yogurt with granola, porridge, pancakes, waffles and much more (something you won't find unless you go to Florence). For lunch they offer various bowls, sandwiches and other healthy dishes. I also recommend their aperitivo, characterized by particular cocktails and curious gastronomic proposals. They use high quality ingredients and they take care about the various dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, etc). I really enjoyed my breakfast at Olivia composed by yogurt, granola, blueberries, cinnamon and peanut butter, accompanied by a good cappuccino.