Casa alle Vacche — Restaurant in San Gimignano

We have just returned from nearly 2 weeks staying with the Ciappi family at Casa Alle Vacche. It was one of the most relaxing holidays we have had. ||||The accommodation is very clean. The apartment (no 5) was upstairs in the main building. It is at the back overlooking reception. A great little apartment. We didn't do big meals in the evening so there was no need for an oven, although a combi/microwave was provided. The apartment contains all you need from crockery/glassware; basic pots and pans and cooking utensils. The bathroom, like everything else was spotless. The shower although on the small side worked well and there was plenty of hot water. No 4 and 5 are close together. I would imagine that the noise from our kitchen might disturb people sleeping later in apartment no 4. Just something to bear in mind. It didn't bother us - for the majority of the time no 4 was not in use as we were towards the end of the summer season. ||||The farm itself is wonderful. If you want a lazy lie-in, this is not the place for you. The humdrum of the farm starts around 07.30/08.00hrs. It's great to see and actually we didn't find it an intrusion at all. More an added delight to our holiday. There are plenty of areas to sit and relax plus the pool and BBQ. The view from the pool area is just what you imagine in Tuscany: fields of grapes, cyprus trees on the horizon, etc. We visited just after the rains so there was a new batch of mosquitos. Make sure to bring repellent if you want to sit out in the evenings. We had all, bar one, of our evening meals sat outside under the gorgeous Tuscan sunsets. ||||We had one dinner at the farm - the one indoors. Wow - it was wonderful. Really tasty and what reasonable price. The Ciappi family are true hosts. The customer service cannot be faulted. From my first emails enquiring about availability through to leaving, they were all wonderful. Francesco and Valentina were fabulous; nothing was too much effort for them. On arrival we were given a welcome pack with all you needed; including directions to the nearest supermarket and train times from Certaldo to Florence. We even went grape picking with Valentina and "Nonna". The wine tasting and tour are certainly worth doing. The wine is lovely and we took a couple of boxes home with us. ||||As to the location - it is an ideal spot to base yourself for a holiday in Tuscany. When we arrived, we weren't sure how far up the small road we should go. Our advice - when you think you have gone far enough - go a bit further. Most tourist places (Siena, Lucca, Pisa, etc, etc) are within 1 - 1.30hrs drive. Taking the train to Florence is definitely the way to go. Hassle free and not expensive. ||||We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday here. Can't speak highly enough and wouldn't hesitate to recommend others to stay here. You'd be mad not to stay - if...

We have recently stayed at Casa Alle Vacche for 5 nights during a road trip to Italy. We found everything from the friendly welcome to the lovely Tuscan food, the cleanliness and hospitality from both Valentina and Francesco helped to make it a great place to stay. It is located in a central position in order to explore Tuscany further. It is a working vineyard and Valentina was more than happy to give us a wine tasting session one afternoon. We learned about how the grapes are turned into wine and enjoyed drinking the lovely wines that they make. The weather was not as good as it could have been so we did not use the swimming pool but it did look inviting. Valentina was very helpful and organised by giving us advice of how to get the most...

No better way to experience the region than staying at a family run Winery. Comfortable clean spacious accommodation. Relaxing in the grounds over looking the vineyards to the sights of San Gimignano and Certaldo in the surrounding hills says Tuscany! The background sounds of this working winery never disturb you - only add to the experience. The on-site restaurant is open on selected days and the amazing local food is not to be missed . Based here most of Tuscany is well within 1 - 1/2 hours drive. Ohh and it's a winery! Valentina's personal winery tour gives you a real insight and the a great selection of wines to tempt you - with a most surprising Sangiovese Bianco. Thanks for an...