Osteria Magona — Restaurant in Castagneto Carducci

The food was delicious. I ended up with the tagliata — basically because the waiter wouldn’t let me order anything else from the meat menu, or simply wasn’t interested in helping me choose something different. I had a reservation for 2:00 PM and came specifically for the steak tasting. But I was told I couldn’t have it unless my wife ordered it too. When I asked about ordering something else from the meat menu, I was told I’d have to get at least 1 kg. I then asked what meat I actually could order, and the answer was: “Tagliata.” So I said “OK.” The waiter rushed off without even asking if I wanted any side dishes. I was there with my wife and two kids, and yet I couldn’t get what I came for. The service felt bored and disinterested. When my wife said she would just have the ravioli, the server responded, “Only ravioli?” — as if ordering only a first course was something to be ashamed of. The food for the kids was okay, but I don’t think it was homemade pasta — which I would expect from a restaurant that prides itself on fresh, handmade pasta, especially for the first courses. Overall, the experience just wasn’t as pleasant as it could have been. It felt like if you’re not there to order huge amounts of meat, you don’t really belong — even though I genuinely wanted the tasting menu. What was I supposed to do — sit at a separate table from my wife and kids just to try the steak tasting? Or come alone to meet the expectations of this...

The positives are that it’s good food and the wait staff check in often. The cacio peppe had a blue cheese quality to it, which I’ve had before in Lucca at a pizza restaurant. It’s ok. For the beautiful steak Florentine they force you to eat a cold, raw center vs. a medium rare warm center that you might ask for in the US. So we had to get a different steak. Totally fine though since we are guests in their world, and it was good. At the end of the meal they served us two glasses of wine that were turned. In our group we had a first level sommelier and a winery owner from Sonoma, California. The wine smelled as if it has been open for 3-7 days (depending on how it was stored). Without question the wine had turned, and anyone who smells wine often knows in 1 second. He said it was opened at lunch, the same day. Which was A. Absolutely untrue. And B. Still too long in a restaurant setting if left uncorked since wine peaks around 30 min to a few hours after opening. By the time someone came by again, by then it was escalated to Il Capo, we had lost momentum. I told him not to worry about it, and no need to bring it. He was determined to show me we were wrong, and appeared to be upset with a cross face, but didn’t express it verbally. He opened up a new bottle. It was confirmed that we were right and the freshly opened wine didn’t taste turned (or corked). Since we didn’t feel like drinking wine any more we left the mostly full glasses at the table. The manager doesn’t smile and the staff aren’t friendly, but they do a good job and they put up with a large group of us, including kids. While in a foreign country (even if we visit often), my complaints are minimal, and it’s more important to have good food. In New York City I’d give 3 stars, but in Bolgheri I give it 5 stars. Not bad at all. And we lived to tell about it! 😅

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Gli aspetti positivi sono che il cibo è buono e i camerieri fanno il check-in spesso. Il cacio pepe aveva una qualità di formaggio blu, che avevo già mangiato a Lucca in una pizzeria. Va bene. Per la bellissima bistecca alla fiorentina ti costringono a mangiare un centro freddo e crudo rispetto a un centro caldo mediamente raro che potresti chiedere negli Stati Uniti. Quindi abbiamo dovuto prendere una bistecca diversa. Assolutamente bene, dato che siamo ospiti nel loro mondo, ed è stato bello. A fine pasto ci hanno servito due bicchieri di vino che sono stati girati. Nel nostro gruppo avevamo un sommelier di primo livello e il proprietario di un'azienda vinicola di Sonoma, California. Il vino puzzava come se fosse stato aperto da 3-7 giorni (a seconda di come era stato conservato). Senza dubbio il vino era cambiato e chiunque senta l'odore del vino spesso lo sa in 1 secondo. Ha detto che è stato aperto a pranzo, lo stesso giorno. Il che era A. Assolutamente falso. E B. Ancora troppo a lungo in un ristorante se lasciato stappato poiché il vino raggiunge il picco da circa 30 minuti a poche ore dopo l'apertura. Quando qualcuno è tornato di nuovo, a quel punto è stato trasferito a Il Capo, avevamo perso lo slancio. Gli ho detto di non preoccuparsi e di non doverlo portare. Era determinato a dimostrarmi che avevamo torto e sembrava arrabbiato con una faccia arrabbiata, ma non lo esprimeva verbalmente. Ha aperto una nuova bottiglia. È stato confermato che avevamo ragione e il vino appena aperto non aveva un sapore girato (o tappato). Dato che non avevamo più voglia di bere vino, abbiamo lasciato a tavola i bicchieri quasi pieni. Il direttore non sorride e il personale non è amichevole, ma fanno un buon lavoro e sopportano un gruppo numeroso di noi, compresi i bambini. Mentre sono in un paese straniero (anche se lo visitiamo spesso), le mie lamentele sono minime ed è più importante avere del buon cibo. A New York darei 3 stelle, ma a Bolgheri ne darei 5. Non è affatto male. E siamo vissuti per...

There was a time when this steak restaurant stood out — not just for the quality of the food, but for the warm, attentive service that made dining there a memorable experience. Unfortunately, those days are gone. What used to feel like a special night out now feels more like a trip through a conveyor belt.

The restaurant has clearly shifted its focus to volume over experience. Tables are crammed together, and the staff seems overwhelmed, rushing from one order to the next with little time — or interest — in offering genuine hospitality. You’re no longer treated like a guest, but like a number in a long line of tickets that need to be cleared.

Even the steaks, while still decent, suffer from the overall lack of care. There’s no longer that consistency or attention to detail that made the place great. When the atmosphere becomes chaotic and the service robotic, it’s hard to enjoy even a good cut of meat.

I don’t recommend this restaurant anymore. There are better places to spend your money — where service still matters, and dining doesn’t feel like being herded through a fast-food version of what used to be...