Hotels
Florence
Orto de' Medici Hotel
Charming centuries-old palazzo with the ambiance of an elegant
private home, tastefully decorated with frescoes, portraits,
chandeliers and oriental carpets. The hotel is in the heart
of Florence’s historic centre and only a five minute
walk from the Duomo. Orto de’Medici is family-run and
all the staff are very friendly and extremely helpful.
Price: Lire 300,000 for double room and Bed and Breakfast.
Orto de’ Medici
Via San Gallo , 30
Florence, 50129
Tel: 055 483 427
Fax: 055 461 276
Website: www.ortodeimedici.it
Siena
Hotel Bellaria
Comfortable, tastefully decorated and extremely clean hotel
ideally situated in Montalcino near Siena. It has a lovely
swimming pool and is the perfect base from which to explore
Montalcino’s 200 wine estates and its medieval town
Hotel Bellaria,
Montalcino
Via Osticcio, 19
Montalcino (SI)
Tel/Fax 0577 848 326
Website: www.hotelbellariamontalcino.com
Grosseto
Montebelli
Montebelli is in the heart of Maremma in the wilds of southern
Tuscany. Run by Lorenzo and his wife Carla, the farm produces
it’s own olive oil and wine and offers extremely comfortable
accommodation in a beautiful setting. It’s a perfect
place to get away from it all and is less that an hour from
the Tuscan coast.
Price: Lire 180,000 per person half-board
Agriturismo Montebelli,
Caldana (near Grosseto)
58020 Caldana (GR)
Tel: 0566 887 100
Fax: 0566 814 39
Website:
www.karenbrown.com/italy/montebelli
Chianti
Il Campo
Planet Food chef Tyler Florence cooks his final dish in the
beautiful home of an Italian family. This luxurious private
villa in the heart of Chianti, and can be hired privately
from Mrs Yole Pozzi.
PIANO ROSSO, Marradi
Owned by lively husband and wife team Emilia and Vanni, this
is a delightful agriturismo perched at the top of a dramatic
hill with fabulous views over the Mugello countryside. The
farmhouse is surrounded by forests of chestnuts and wild mushrooms
and is a rambler’s paradise. The rooms are self-contained
apartments with private bathrooms but Emilia is a great cook
and also prepares hearty evening meals for her guests. Chestnut
tagliatelle with pancetta, radicchio and ricotta is strongly
recommended.
Restaurants, cafes and shops
Florence
Il Cibreo
Located amid the hustle and bustle of the Sant’Ambrogio
market, Cibreo is an institution in Florence. Flamboyant owner/chef
Fabio Picchi provides a three-in-one dining experience: an
elegant restaurant on one side, a casual trattoria on the
other and, across the road, Cibreo caffe offers great coffee,
snacks and a few dishes. Fabio has a strict no-pasta policy
but makes up for it with an amazing array of ingredients and
sumptous dishes.
IL CIBREO
Via dei Macci, 118r
50122, Florence
Tel: 055 234 1100
Fax: 055 244 966
Vivoli, Il Gelato
If ice cream is your weakness, then Vivoli is the place to
go. Founded in 1930 , it is considered by many to be the best
gelateria in Florence. It is still owned by the founder’s
son, Mr Piero Vivoli and his passion for his ice cream is
so strong that new flavours are constantly being conjured
up. His silky, rich ‘chocolate-orange’ is a firm
favourite.
VIVOLI, IL GELATO
Via Isola delle Stinche, 7
Florence
Tel: 055 292 334
Website: www.vivoli.it
Bologna
Tamburini
Tamburini is placed in the heart of the historical centre
of Bologna, a town famous for its cuisine and traditionally
described as a gourmet’s paradise. This famous delicatessen
and lunchtime bistrot has some of the best cheeses, hams and
specialities to be found in Italy. Its also a great place
for culinary gifts to bring back home and you can find everything
from traditional Balsamic vinegar and truffle oil, to dried
porcini mushrooms and pickled aubergines.
TAMBURINI
Via Caprarie, 1
Bologna
Tel: 051 234 726
Fax: 051 232 226
Website: www.tamburini.com
Le Sfogline
This small shop has some of the best fresh pasta to be found
in Italy. Renata Venturi and daughters, Daniela and Monica
make a mouthwatering variety of Bolognese favourites such
as tortellini, tortelloni, gnocchi, lasagne, passatelli and
tagliatelle all handmade on a daily basis .
LE SFOGLINE
Via Belvedere 7B
Bologna
051 220 558
Montalcino
Castello Banfi
Banfi is a giant 7,000 acre wine estate in the middle of Montalcino,
one of Italy’s most famous wine growing areas. Worth
visiting are the spectacular cellars, the shop in the twelfth-century
borgo, the restaurant where you can sample a mind boggling
array of delicious wines with your meal, and the Glass Museum
- housing a fascinating collection from Roman times to the
present.
CASTELLO BANFI
53024, Montalcino
Tel: 0577 840 111
Fax: 0577 840 205
Website www.banfi.com
Biondi Santi
The impressive Biondi Santi wine estate is a wonderful place
to visit and is owned by Franco Biondi Santi, grandson of
the man credited with the birth of Brunello wine, Ferruccio
Biondi Santi. The estate is open to visitors by appointment
and the stately vine-coloured villa is a house of distinguished
style where Mr Santi happily gives informal guided tours of
the wine cellars and his wines can be tasted and bought.
BIONDI SANTI
Il Greppo
53024 Montalcino
Siena
Tel: 0577 848 087
Website: www.biondisanti.it
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