L'Altro Cantuccio Ristorante — Restaurant in Unione dei Comuni Valdichiana Senese

Must have gotten it on an off evening. Honestly this place didn't resemble anything mentioned in the positive reviews.

Firstly, the food. The appetisers they brought out to us, were not explained what they were just put out on the table. A macaroon liver paté... Not very tasty at all, quite overly salty. A fish bone shaped "cracker" with some sort of filling on it... Zero taste at all. Then, olive shaped cold "balloons" that dissolve in your mouth flooding it with an overwhelming taste of lukewarm pungent olive oil 🤢 I normally love olive oil but this was disgusting to us both.

We both had starters, Picci pasta with Ragu sauce and tagliatelle with nobilo red wine and pancetta, ok but nothing to write home about. Mains were the flank steak and pork cheek, again ok but lacking in overall taste and presentation for such a well regarded restaurant.

Drinks were an Aperol Spritz and a Hendricks gin which was flooded with peppercorns so they kept getting stuck in your mouth, eventually had to spoon them all out in order to be able to actually drink it.

The main lackluster points were the service and atmosphere... Of which there were none. Imagine how much friendlier a venue would seem if the waiter asked you how your evening was, how long you were visiting for or even if you were enjoying your holiday. Imagine if they asked you if you wanted any recommendations from the menu. Imagine if they told you what the food was that they put on your table. Now apparently the place was booked out and could not accommodate any more dinners though these waiters certainly didn't look to be run off their feet. We saw a lady ask if they could fit in 2 people for dinner and the waiter just said sorry fully booked... He didn't say he was very sorry he couldn't accommodate them tonight but if they gave him a moment he could happily look to book them an alternate evening etc.

Nope, definitely over hyped and over...

This place was absolutely amazing! My husband and I were both blown away by it. We selected it because of positive gluten free reviews and we were not disappointed in any way. Almost the entire menu is available with gluten free modifications. The staff was extremely polite, spoke excellent English and explained the menu, as well as every dish. They also had an English menu. Unfortunately I did not take photos of everything we ate - it was too good and I forgot! The atmosphere was so beautiful as well! We ordered the beef tartar and scallops appetizers, as well as the 50 hour cooked beef and salted cod main courses. We also ordered the cheesecake dessert. Additionally, they brought us fresh baked breads (my husband loved all 4 types and asked for more!), locally made olive oil, locally made wines (sparkling, Pinot noir and a dessert wine), two different "illusion" tastings and chocolate truffles with a tiramisu cream inside. The gluten free bread and crackers were packaged, but very good quality.

My husband was given a "tomato" which was actually a gel exterior with a kind of cream and pâté interior. I was given an "asparagus" made from catfish and peas. They were both beautiful and tasty.

The beef tartar was a work of art and one of the best, if not the best, I have ever had. It came with picked vegetables and edible flowers. The scallops and cauliflower were perfect. The sauce was so good that we scraped the plate!

The absolute star of the show was the 50 hour cooked beef. Both of us kept saying "wow" as we shared it. The salted cod was also very good.

The cheesecake dessert came with two - one traditional and one made to look like a piece of cheese. The second had a hazelnut exterior. Both were excellent, but the second was amazing!

This is an excellent restaurant and we...

This restaurant clearly has great potential: a beautiful location, quality local ingredients and owners who are clearly passionate about their business. Unfortunately, the service we received was not what we would expect in a restaurant where we were paying 150EUR+ for a couple of set menus.

Firstly, when I asked if there was wifi I was told I should be talking to my partner instead of being on my phone. I don’t disagree with this sentiment but surely this is a decision for the customer, particularly when we’re talking about a meal which ended up lasting 3+ hours.

The food ranged from nice but nothing special to excellent. While some of the dishes missed the mark a little, they were made up for by highlights like the beef tartar, pigeon ravioli, beef cheek and cheesecake (which was probably the best cheesecake we’d ever eaten). Disappointingly, our waiter kept changing and many of the staff, while friendly, seemed very inexperienced. Sometimes the waiter would come by to see our plates empty, only to ask us if everything was OK and disappear again. We ordered a bottle of sparkling water which we later noticed had an expiry of March 2021 on the label. While the restaurant apologised and corrected the mistake, these are not the kinds of things you expect at a restaurant like this.

Ultimately, our experience was good but it could have been a lot better. There are no shortages of exceptional restaurants in Tuscany and it’s not hard to find good value for your money, so when you are paying more than 150 EUR, your expectations should be very high. Again, the potential is there and with some tweaks to the menu and serving staff, this could really be...