Il Ristorante Il Pievano — Restaurant in Gaiole in Chianti

Listen, I don’t like writing bad reviews. But I am compelled to write this review because the food here — at a Michelin starred restaurant — was awful. Overall, the chef has chosen “creativity” over flavor. There was not a single dish in the Mr Hyde 12 course tasting menu that I would ever order again. And some courses were downright inedible. (Namely, the truffle served in the small cardboard box that tasted like an airplane snack on a cheap domestic airline.)

Let’s start with the single ravioli course, “filled” with a lentil-sized amount of “fermented ricotta”, which was completely undetectable, and a strange egg yolk only pasta. It didn’t taste good. At all. It wasn’t foul, but, like, it wasn’t good. It certainly wasn’t better than a neighborhood trattoria. Much worse, in fact. This is one example of the prevailing sentiment we had the whole meal “what are we paying for?” It’s not flavor, I’ll tell you.

Or what about the Negroni spaghetti, with Campari dust on top. Creative? Absolutely. But I could barely eat it. As Campari is bitter and orange, this dish of spaghetti was bitter and orange. That’s not delicious. That’s not even good. It’s interesting, but I’m not paying €400 for “interesting”.

And we have to talk about one dish in particular: it’s the “cacio e pepe”. The twist is that the ingredients are described after you eat it — and surprise, it’s intestines instead of pasta. Look, I get it. It’s trying to be playful. But to me, that’s simply arrogant. Not everybody eats that, and the chef knows that. So you’ve now grossed out certain diners, who are turned off for the rest of the meal. Who wins in that scenario? My suggestion: offer two versions and tell diners that one is “unexpected” or the likes and one is traditional. Cautious diners can choose the safe option, so to speak. Heck, lean into the Jekyll and Hyde theme here — which is NEVER incorporated or even referenced in the meal. At all.

In summary, the dishes lacked any theme whatsoever, they were not delicious, and they really came across as arrogant “you’ll eat what I have envisioned” rather than “let me cook a world class meal for you you’ll never find anywhere else.” The service was outstanding, the decor grand and moody and lovely, and the wine was great! But the food. The food was a complete waste of money, time, and the reputation of Michelin.

I would absolutely have a thoughtful and dispassionate discussion with the restaurant, if...

As this was the only one star Michelin rated restaurant in the area we had high expectations. The restaurant is set in an old convent, turned into a luxury hotel.

As expected the service and advise from the staff and sommelière are excellent, if a bit stiff.

They have two different menus plus a blind menu with 10 surprise dishes at 160€. The wine accompaniment is 130€ per person.

There is a lot of creativity in how the Chef creates his dishes. However, none of the various dishes were in the category of amazing, wow or excellent. The dishes look nice and tasted OK. But that’s about it.

They also hurry you along a bit. You are still with one wine and they already pour the wine for the next dish that arrives within a minute.

Wine accompaniment was a bad choice considering you pay so much money for just five small glasses of wine, plus a grappa. That comes out at 20+ € per glass. The wines served should be super Tuscan category, but the wines were way below that. I had checked one wine, the Sauvignon Blanc from Graf in Meran. Retail price is just 16€ per bottle. Just imagine what kind of wine you can buy today for €260 (wine accompaniment per person is 130) in...

First, a qualification. I am not a "foodie" so I really dont know what a Michelin star is supposed to represent. Having said that, I have been blessed with the opportunity to eat at some pretty phenomenal places around the globe over the years, so I can appreciate good food and a good experience.

We booked this with a group of friends since my wife and I were staying at the hotel (which is fantastic). Overall, I had a great time with this meal and we were all very glad that we were able to make it happen. We did the "blind menu" and it was an amazing adventure of 10+ courses. I won't give away any trade secrets, just to say that most of the courses were absolutely amazing, others a little bit less....all incredibly imaginitive and full of courage and flair. The service was impeccable. The setting is a dream. Well done to...