Ristorante Fonte Alla Vena — Restaurant in Unione dei Comuni Amiata Val d'Orcia

Beautiful Setting, But a Disappointing Experience

Fonte Alla Vena has the look of a refined, must-visit restaurant — a picturesque setting, strong reviews, and a limited nightly seating window that suggests care and exclusivity. But what we got was a meal that, while technically competent, felt unfinished and mishandled. Poor service follow-through and a lack of attention to detail left us walking away more frustrated than satisfied.

Food: • Starters: The pork belly with leek and potato terrine had a soft, sweet contrast, but the overall dish was overly fatty and lacked any acidity or sharpness to balance it. The beef tartare with truffle was hand-cut and featured fresh truffle, but it was served with nothing — not even toast — just stale, dry table bread. A dish that should have been rich and punchy ended up feeling flat and underthought. • Mains: The peposo (Tuscan red wine–braised beef) was tender and well-braised in a deep, flavorful sauce. The pork ribs were also well-cooked and nicely marinated — but that was it. No garnish, no sides, no sauce, no balance. Both dishes felt incomplete on their own. • We had ordered a spinach side to go with the mains — clearly essential to round out such heavy plates — but it never arrived. When we asked mid-meal, we were told it was coming. It didn’t. By the time we finished eating, we had to cancel the order. That was the first time anyone acknowledged the issue. Only after we paid did another staff member explain that it had been given to another table, who simply ate it. There was no follow-up, no offer to make it right — just a quiet mention on the way out.

Service: • Service started off well while the restaurant was empty. But once other tables were seated, it became harder to get any attention, and it felt like we were seen as an inconvenience for following up on missing items. • One staff member, clearly in a rush, told us to “please wait” when we tried to speak with her — which is fine in the moment, but it reflected a larger tone shift. There was no real ownership of the mistake, no effort to fix the situation while it still mattered. • For a restaurant operating at this level, we expected better communication, faster response, and at least some proactive service recovery.

Drinks: • Limited to wine, beer, and water. • Both house beers were served in white wine glasses — not a problem. The Blanche was light and pleasant. The Gose, however, was nearly flat and sharply sour, bordering on vinegary — not refreshing and not enjoyable.

Overall: This meal wasn’t terrible — but it absolutely wasn’t worth the praise. The food was fine but lacked balance. The missing side was never handled properly. And the service tone shifted from warm to indifferent as the restaurant filled up. For a place that’s clearly aiming to be something special, the experience felt careless and unpolished. We left disappointed — and we...

We truly loved our tranquil and scenic dinner at Fonte Alla Venna! We got there around 7pm and sat outside on their deck and enjoyed the views of the Tuscan hills while eating our delicious meal. This restaurant is a must visit for anyone in the Tuscan countryside for a delicious Tuscan dinner that doesn’t break the bank - especially with truffles. I truly understand why it has received the Michelin Bib Gormand for 5 consecutive years since 2019!

The service was amazing and the waitstaff was highly attentive to our requests and made sure we were taken care of. They suggested great dishes that balanced traditional Tuscan and adventurous cuts. We had the 1) Steak Tartare with Black Truffles, 2) Handmade Tagliatelle pasta with aglione’s flowers, pork sausages and pecorino cheese, 3) Grilled Cinta Sense pork 4) Roasted Potatoes for a side, and 5) crumble cake for dessert. All of this was just amazing!! My girlfriend who had never had tartare before loved the dish. The pasta was unbelievable with the local pork sausage and aglione flower. The potatoes were sooo crisp and light. The crumble cake of the day was so well balanced with the espresso to cap the night. No dish here was underwhelming, they were perfectly executed and delicious.

We will definitely come back here next time we are in the area and we will be telling all our friends about this spot!

Lastly they had the coolest glass wine decanter to pour exactly one glass of wine. And they sell it! So obviously we...

We were turned away despite our confirmed reservation at 10 pm on the 19 Jun 2019. There were other reservation slots after 10 pm that evening, though. The staff did not check about our reservation but instead, told us that it was closing when the restaurant site officially states that it closes at 11 pm. When this was brought up in the review pages of the restaurant site, via their partner, The Fork, it was brought down within an hour, leaving only favourable comments intact. My daughter and I were full of anticipation for the dinner evening that night. We went to another restaurant that served us very well and the evening ended pleasantly. But the truth needs to be made known. Even if this is a Michelin star-rated restaurant, the service at the first point of contact left a very unpleasant taste in the mouth. Today (21 Jun 2019) at 2.00 pm, I received an email from the restaurant saying that my reservation/booking two nights ago was cancelled. Integrity, honesty and professionalism are clearly not values cherished by the entrepreneurs of this restaurant. Would you like to be...