Trattoria Dal Castiglionese — Restaurant in Castiglione del Lago

We had an absolutely lovely dinner at Trattoria Dal Castiglionese! We stayed in Cortona and had taken a day trip to towns like Pienza, Montepulciano and Montalcino but wanted to get closer to Cortona for dinner so we stopped in Castiglione del Lago. It's a quaint and quiet little town. We took a little walk by the lake and then made our way up to via vittorio emanuele and strolled all the way to the end to see a beautiful sunset and then headed back to Trattoria Dal Castiglionese for a table. We were very lucky and grateful that they were able to put together a table of 6 for us, outside (apparently not easy to come by in Italy). The food is amazing (so good that we didn't take any photos), the drinks were great and everything is a great value. The menu has some hearty local hits and classics. I think the Italian portion sizes are slowly catching up the US. We probably ordered more than we needed but it was all delicious. Amie and Alessandro were super friendly, welcoming and all smiles all night. Being a tourist is hard for us, probably as hard for Italians that host us but Amie and Alessandro were always very hospitable and gracious, even when I tried my hardest to speak Italian. It's always a treat when you're welcomed as a guest and not just "another tourist". There is parking access very close to via vittorio emanuele and it's very accessible by a very short and flat walk (very important when you have someone with you that is limited with steps). I'd highly recommend Trattoria Dal Castiglionese if you are in...

A walk down the central street on a winter’s day revealed this restaurant was full and most others empty. The food is certainly excellent, impressing both foreign visitors and Italians alike. The menu is Tuscan rather than Umbrian. Trina said it was the best pici all’aglione she’d enjoyed to date. Catia loved the beans and sausage. I liked the cinghiale in umido. The servings are good too. While prices might seem highish, the answer is to share an antipasto and then choose a second dish each. The tagliere boards all looked amazing and huge. Similarly the coccio di fegatini (cooked liver pate). The resulting meal is first rate and satisfying. It must also appeal to families since about half the tables involved family groups. I can see the scope for some visitors to quibble. The delivery is slow (generally a good sign, not a bad sign, since it means the chef is taking the role seriously). The place did not feel, to me, super cosy for winter; rather a little on the Spartan side. And I always prefer places which don’t measure out drinks too precisely (like some nameless countries to the north). In conclusion this is a first class restaurant and a great first choice if you are visiting this small but beautiful town with gorgeous views across the lake and surrounding...

If we could give them 10 stars, we would. This family is absolutely incredible. They treat you as if you’re part of the family the minute you walk through the door. We were here during the Liberation celebration and they seated us the first night almost immediately. After our first evening there, we ended up seeing Franco talking with the owner of the restaurant next to his (after we had just left an amazing dinner there), and we told him we’d like to make a reservation for the following evening at his place. He told us it wasn’t needed, and to just come by and he would take care of us. His entire family took care of us. Franco, we love you and appreciate your entire family, the food, and the vino! Thank you so much for taking care of these to Americans on two evenings that we had dinner at your place. We met some other people that come here multiple times a year from London, and they love this place. Seeing the reaction of the family when they saw them return just confirmed what great people they are. Grazie amo la tua...