Ristorante a San Vincenzo Il Sale — Restaurant in San Vincenzo

We are a group of 8 people. We came here on a Friday in September because of this restaurants Michelin listing and the very nice location (see pictures!). I knew we were in bad hands right from the start when they told us we all have to order the same food. Because there is one (!) vegetarian in our group everyone (!) was forced to eat the vegetarian “menu digestif”. They showed zero interest and zero flexibility in finding any other solution for this. This is unheard of. I could write many pages about this place, which I perceived as unprofessional, disinterested and uninspired in every possible way! I frankly think it is a scandal Michelin has this place listed and the person who is responsible for that should be removed from Michelin immediately! This is not tolerable and it makes me suspicious about the reliability of Michelin overall. Having eaten in expensive restaurants (and also dirt cheap but good ones) for decades it was my impression the “Il Sale” team does not have the slightest clue of how to operate a higher level restaurant at international standards. This is about every aspect of the experience. For example they did not show up once at our table to ask if we need anything or if we would like to order something else to drink. We had to go inside hunting for someone to finally show up. For the most part staff just vanished, ignored us and they seemed to be insecure and busy with themself. Their lack of any communicational skills starting from the ridiculous booking process by phone (had to give the expiration date of the credit card 6 times before they finally noted 02/27 - the whole booking conversation lasted a full 30 minutes) to the denial of even saying “good bye” to us when we left, is astonishing. And no!…we did not even show them our disappointment in any way, nor did we complain about their many fails even once. We kept our very friendly composure throughout all the while I was boiling inside, because I was the person who choose this restaurant. How embarrassed I felt! I am convinced the people running this restaurant have generally no clue and have not themself eaten in other restaurants in their price range to find out how things are usually handled nor do they have the common sense to imagine or care what a guest of their restaurant might want. For example when one in our group asked the “Somelier” about three red wines in their list, all the “Somelier” said “it is obvious” (meaning the more expensive wine must be the “better“ one and it was my impression that this is all he “knew“ about their wines because he was not willing or able to say anything about the character of any of those three wines. His english was good by the way and there was no language barrier). The food was just mediocre for my taste and some dishes like that half aubergine (main course) tasted like cold paper slush and was not even cooked long enough to be eatable. Have they tried their own food??? How is it possible a wonderful aubergine has so little taste? Then the portions were ridiculously small and it always took them 40 minutes to bring the next “course”. I guess they have seen some Hollywood movie with high class cooking scenes and that is why they believe tiny portions automatically make great quality food. Man, this place and the ignorant attitude really made me so very (VERY!) upset and I cannot believe all this is possible in such a nice location, in wonderful Italy and at this price! To my experience - most of the time - you get better food and enthusiasm at almost any street corner...

Restauracja znajduje się w przepięknym miejscu, z widokiem na wzgórza i morze, z gustownym wystrojem i wyjątkową atmosferą toskańskiej posiadłości. To miejsce, które – na pierwszy rzut oka – obiecuje wieczór pełen elegancji, spokoju i doznań kulinarnych.

Niestety, już od samego początku wszystko poszło nie tak. Rezerwacja została dokonana z miesięcznym wyprzedzeniem, a mimo to po przybyciu na miejsce stolik nie był przygotowany. W pośpiechu zaczęto organizować dla nas miejsce wewnątrz lokalu, mimo że wszyscy goście – i cała magia tej restauracji – skupia się na tarasie z widokiem.

Po naszym proteście obsługa z widocznym pośpiechem przeniosła nas na tyły restauracji, z dala od głównej przestrzeni i atmosfery, dla której rezerwowaliśmy stolik właśnie tutaj. W efekcie, mimo rezerwacji na godzinę 20:00, dopiero o 20:30 mogliśmy usiąść i złożyć zamówienie. To doświadczenie zburzyło nastrój jeszcze zanim zaczęliśmy kolację.

Obsługa była obojętna, mało pomocna i nieprzygotowana. Nie potrafiono opisać dań, niczego polecić, ani tym bardziej doradzić w kwestii win – usłyszeliśmy jedynie, że „to dobre wino”. Momentami miałam wręcz wrażenie, że przeszkadzam obsłudze kelnerskiej.

W miejscu, które aspiruje do wyższej klasy restauracji, taki poziom serwisu jest absolutnie nie do przyjęcia.

🍴 Kuchnia Przystawki: fenomenalne – pięknie podane, estetyczne, wyważone. Tarta tatin – wyśmienita. Makrela – wyjątkowa. Wysoka jakość składników.

Pici z ragù z kaczki: poprawne, ale bez emocji – można zjeść lepsze w mniej pretensjonalnych miejscach.

Dziczyzna: bardzo dobra, głęboka w smaku – najlepsze danie wieczoru.

Il maialino di grigio - estetyczny talerz, ale smakowo przeciętny – więcej finezji w opisie niż w rzeczywistości.

Panna cotta z werbeną i mus kawowy – smaczne, dobrze zbalansowane, przyjemne zakończenie kolacji.

Beza – spodziewałam się czegoś zupełnie innego. Nie spełniła oczekiwań.

To miejsce ma ogromny potencjał – wspaniała lokalizacja, estetyka, wartościowe produkty i ciekawa kuchnia. Ale całość doświadczenia jako gościa – rozczarowuje. Niestety – kulinarne doznania nie są w stanie zrekompensować braku serdeczności i troski o gościa. W miejscu o takim standardzie, gość powinien czuć się wyjątkowo, a nie ignorowany.

Czy wróciłabym? Nie. Bo nawet najlepsze dania nie są w stanie zrównoważyć poczucia, że nie jesteś tu mile widziany. Choć kuchnia miała momenty, brak atmosfery i profesjonalizmu w obsłudze całkowicie zdominował wieczór.

Restauracja Il Sale znajduje się na liście miejsc rekomendowanych przez przewodnik Michelin – co budzi konkretne oczekiwania: nie tylko w zakresie kuchni, ale przede wszystkim w jakości obsługi, atmosfery i spójności całego doświadczenia. W tym przypadku kuchnia momentami błyszczy, ale brakuje elementarnej gościnności, opieki nad gościem i konsekwencji, które powinny być wizytówką lokalu sygnowanego...

L'arrivo degli chef giapponesi Shimpei Moriyama e Sayuri Tanaka (coppia anche nella vita) nella cucina del ristorante del Relais Poggio ai Santi ha portato un'aria decisamente nuova nella proposta gastronomica di una struttura di ospitalità -  situata in posizione invidiabile sulle colline che dominano la località balneare toscana di S. Vincenzo - che, da tempo, ha fatto della sostenibilità il proprio elemento distintivo.

Poggio ai Santi, prima che un raffinato Relais, è una fattoria che produce - dal 1995 - un eccellente olio biologico, ma anche verdura e frutta, nonché pollame e conigli, allevati nel rispetto del benessere animale.

Il Sale - questo il nome del ristorante - è  un "ristorante agricolo" che reperisce le materie prime, non prodotte in fattoria, da allevatori (e pescatori) locali.

Shimpei e Sayuri hanno fatto proprio l'orientamento sostenibile, "etico" di Poggio ai Santi (che già alla fine degli anni 90' si era dotato di pannelli fotovoltaici) traducendolo in un menu che valorizza la qualità delle materie prime disponibili, ponendo attenzione alla riduzione degli sprechi e al riciclo.

La carta non è ampia e centrata sulla disponibilità di materie prime sostenibili. In occasione della nostra visita abbiamo così potuto degustare: paté di fegatini, pan brioche e tre confetture di nostra produzione, fiori di zucca ripieni di ricotta e menta in tempura con prosciutto crudo (di grande qualità), tagliatelle con funghi porcini freschi, linguine con tartare di mazzancolle, bisque e cipolla agrumata, trancio di ricciola, verdure di stagione, maionese di uova di gallina livornese e purea di patate, kakuni (lunga cottura a bassa temperatura di pancia e finitura croccante in firni) di maiale grigio toscano e melanzana al kombucha, cremoso al cioccolato fondente con olive, pere e gelo d'uva, sbrisolona di grano toscano antico "Verna" ripiena di ricotta, zucca di Hokkaido e cioccolato. È disponibile un menu degustazione di 5 portate a 80 Euro. Pane e pasta sono fatti in casa. Carta dei vini ben fatta, con bella scelta anche di bollicine. Gli ambienti, tipici di una bella dimora di campagna, sono caldi e accoglienti: un ampio salotto con sedute comode e camino,  libri e i prodotti dell'azienda in esposizione, precede la sala ristorante vera e propria che, attraverso ampie vetrate si affaccia sul giardino esterno (utilizzato nella bella stagione), dal quale si hanno belle vedute sul mare di S. Vincenzo. Il servizio è giovane, garbato e...