L'Asinello Ristorante — Restaurant in Castelnuovo Berardenga

My wife and I really wanted to like this place. It is in a quaint little town, with a wonderful garden setting. Sitting down, it seemed like it was going to be the perfect experience.

We ordered the 5-course tasting menus, mentioning a few restrictions. Things started off well with a thin cut of pork cheek compliments of the chef that absolutely melts in the mouth. Delicious, rich and decadent. The trio of small bites as an amuse bouche were also fantastic. The bread was all nice albeit a bit standard perhaps. So far, no complaints on the food.

The first course was the salted cod with apples and a burnt onion coffee they poured on top. Nice presentation, but the flavors did not match. The cod was too salty and overpowered everything but the burnt flavor of the coffee. The apple provided some relief and balance, but didn’t really pull the dish together.

The next dish, the quail with foie gras was a winner. Delicious. Of course, I’m a sucker for foie gras, and this was a nice one. Well seared and perfect texture. The foam, not sauce, was excellent as well. Could have used a sprig of herb or some microgreens perhaps for color.

The next dish was an almond risotto. And I started noticing a trend. Brown. All the food is just brown. The risotto was rich and creamy, and fairly heavy on the palate. The plain almonds were too big and crunchy for the dish and they didn’t add much other than a distraction. This was our 3rd risotto in Italy, and unfortunately the worst so far. Neither of us finished, and my wife only ate a few bites.

Next up was the beef tongue with sweetbreads and some leek soufflé. Another heavy dish, third in a row. Again, mostly brown. Everything was flavorful and well prepared, and stand-alone, quite delicious, but at this point my palate needed a break from the heavy, rich flavors and tender textures. The leek soufflé provided no relief and was also redundant as it made the only vegetable again rich and heavy. This also could have really used some herbs, and perhaps something acidic to give the palate a break. The wine alone wasn’t cutting it, and I was starting to feel like I ate the same flavor profiles 3 dishes in a row.

The dessert was a fairly simple vanilla cream with strawberries, and with a single basil leaf and a minuscule splatter of basil sauce. It was a bit too sweet, but so close! The best thing about this was the basil to finally provide some contrast and offset the sweetness, but they added so little. Basil surely grows like a weed here - don’t be timid and toss some on!

At the end of the meal, they brought out the small box of sweet delicacies. We were quite full, but ended up eating them all anyway as they were quite good. More contrasting flavors here than the earlier courses to be honest. This selection saved a star.

Service was acceptable, and the owner in particular was very friendly and saved the day. The wine selection was a bit awkward off the iPad they had you, and not much help in selection when I asked a question. Utensil replacement was all good, but they left a mess of bread crumbs on the table when they cleared before dessert, and there was no attempt to refresh wine or water pours after the initial short pour.

Summarizing, some nice dishes, but a disappointment for a Michelin. If your tastes lean to heavy and rich food, this may suit you better but I found it a bit overwhelming, and needing a lot more balance both within the individual dishes as well as the overall...

Having a Michelin 1 star I would expect more. amuse bouche - the pork was mostly fat and was chewy. The chicken liver pate was far too strongly flavoured. The quail egg on a spoon was delicious breads and crackers were delicious and a nice selection appetizer - the beef tartar had an interesting presentation but the meat was chewy. The cod fish was particularly good and an exceptional presentation primo - the ravioli was delicious and a lovely presentation seconde - the duck was chewy and not particularly flavourful dessert - the strawberry ricotta cake was sublime apres diner - the lovely box of small extra desserts was thoughtfully created and delicious wine - there were only 3 white wines available by the glass and none were particularly interesting location - both the location and the...

The restaurant is unique, lovely, and situated in a charming town. Attention is paid to all details of the dining experience. I loved the jazz + play list background music. The dishes are carefully prepared, and the blend of ingredients creative. The menu is very heavy on meat, be prepared that this is the focus of L’Asinello. We asked if a small mixed salad might be added to our order of appetizers and main courses, and the answer was a definitive no. I had two wonderful meals on different occasions four and five years prior to this one, before L’Asinello was granted its Michelin star. I confess I enjoyed the experience more when the restaurant was new, working to build a reputation, and the owners served the beautifully prepared dishes with less formality and a more individual...