Ristorante Tempero — Restaurant in Cortona

I would really like to give this ‘Ristorante’ a better star rating but unfortunately I can’t. We walked in and we’re given a table. The son of the owner delivered menus and asked what we would like to drink in Italian. We said 1/2 L of white wine however he only spoke Italian. The owner, who I believe is the father, came over and made a joke about his son, saying that he ‘won’t get it and will never get it’ before his son quickly left embarrassed and went and tended to the pot plants. We considered walking out at this point due to the unnecessary behaviour towards his son if not a fellow staff member. We proceeded to order the bistecca fiorentina and a pasta. The bistecca fiorentina was so unbelievably tough it took a lot of energy and willpower to eat. The steak knife simply moved the sinew around and couldn’t cut it. All in all this was a very very average meal for the price. Not to mention the stomach ache that followed...

The food was good. Unfortunately, the server demanded cash because we didn’t spend enough $, pointed to a cash machine when we said we didn’t have enough euro. This should have been disclosed PRIOR to seating as we would have moved on. The service was fine up until the point of payment. 2 of the 4 of our group shared 2 courses - possibly annoying the server based on his response to us. We ordered a bottle of wine and 3 desserts, 4 cappuccinos, steak, veal, chicken and pici. The bill was approximately 125 Euro. I do not use cash machines in Europe, because their fees are absurd and the exchange rates in Italy already unfair to the dollar (not to mention that these machines could have skimmers that could steal your financial information). So in spite of a pleasant location, good food, I would avoid this place. In the end we paid...

I love this place dearly and it will hold a place in my heart forever! The owner, Mara, welcomes you with open arms when you arrive and is an absolute delight. The service is fast but not too fast so that you have time to enjoy each portion of your meal. The servers are very kind and know enough English that any traveler will be able to order with ease. My family go here often and I can proudly say there is not a bad item on the menu, though I’m quite partial to the gnocchi. I highly recommend getting a liter of their house wine, red or white, as it is quite good and incredibly reasonable in price. I think most of all this restaurant is great because Mara will remember you every time you stop in, making it even more special. I absolutely recommend this restaurant...