Il Papavero — Restaurant in Gaiole in Chianti

My family and I had one of our favorite dining experiences in Italy here at Il Papavero. We are staying at a local winery and were looking for something close by, and were fortunate to make a reservation for dinner. We arrived slightly early and were joyfully greeted by our host (possible owner?). He let us choose where we wanted to sit, and were happy to accommodate us wanting to sit outside. He and his female coworker went above and beyond to make us feel welcome, giving recommendations for food and wine, sharing the history of the town, even found a brochure of an artist whose piece we were admiring in the restaurant. The food and wine were delicious. We shared a cacio e pepe croquette-type appetizer with prosciutto and fig jam. So unique and delicious. We then had their gnocchi with pesto of the day-today being a black cabbage pesto, and wild boar ragu pappardelle. Again, both delicious. We finished with their tiramisu which was hands down my favorite since being in multiple areas of Italy for 2 weeks. All of the food was so fresh, unique, and extremely well priced. Along with the delicious meal, the kindness and engagement of the staff puts this restaurant above the rest. When I return to Italy this will be a priority...

I went here for a cooking class with my family in 2018. Literally came back to write a review as I was talking about it with a friend because it was one of the best travel experiences in my life. Francesca and her husband own the place and are passionate about their restaurant and their food. They are also sweet and hospitable hosts!! It is an absolutely beautiful, comforting restaurant with stunning views. We were four of us, and had the entire restaurant to ourselves over the lunch period, to make three courses and enjoy the results over wine and aperol spritzes. Comparable price to the 20+ people classes in sterile environments, but got the entire place and attention to ourselves! Cant recommend this place and...

This place is one of the hidden gems of Tuscany, we came across it by chance but we were so glad we did! We would go out of our way to go again. The Chef is reimagining classic Tuscan dishes with a twist. The front of house staff were so friendly, and passionate and knowledgeable about the menu. They even shared a Grappa with us at the end of the meal! The price is fantastic for the quality, this is not to be missed. We had the ‘Tuscan Tuna’ which is actually Pork, the local Beef pepper stew, and the pork ribs slow cooked for 24 hours. All highly recommended. The wine list is excellent also. We watched the sunset over the hills from our lovely little table outside. We...