Romantico — Restaurant in Unione dei Comuni Valdichiana Senese

We were visiting the gorgeous town of Montepulciano for the afternoon, and while caught in the rain we came across the sign for Romantico. After a short climb up the staircase that led to the restaurant we were immediately awestruck by the incredible view from the Romantico terrace, overlooking the luscious green hills and vineyards in the distance. The lovely owner was exceptionally kind and offered to remain open for the evening dinner, just for us, despite the ongoing rainfall and no other guests present. Romantico’s atmosphere and attention to details (such as the amazing glass floor that showcased wines and other bottles, leather place settings, etc.) made this experience unforgettable. We had a delicious meal starting with flavourful cured meats, fresh bread, and mixed greens salad, followed by homemade ragout pasta and white wine. Dessert was an excellent chocolate cheesecake with cream, strawberries, and powdered sugar. As we chatted with the owner we also learned that the building the restaurant occupies has been present since the 15th century, used as a lookout post to observe for intruders from the surrounding parts of Siena. Overall the history and beauty of the setting, excellent meal from start to finish, and welcoming hospitality made this a highlight of our trip. The sun even came out halfway through our meal as a bonus treat! Thank you again...

This restaurant was a recommendation from our host and really nearby, with beautiful views of the fields.

The food was excellent, beef tartar, wow… I could have it every day, great Tiramisu, Ribollita very soothing.

The service was a bit bizarre though… First one waitress approached, took our order, but didn’t know the dailies. Then another one approached, which honestly confused me, I didn’t want them to accidentally put the same order again, but she explained that she’s the waitress too, which I get, I was just confused that someone approached us a minute after our order was partially taken 🙈 Then it went pretty much smoothly aside from the, whom I guess is the restaurant manager, parading around and asking whether everything is fine. That felt very uncomfortable, I’m literally chewing, why are you doing this? 🤣 maybe it’s some American thing? And the cherry on the top was when they turned off the heater nearby after some guests left… It felt very rude, we were only two people close to that heater, but it was making my partner warmer… I felt like I burnt the bridge with that first interaction, so no...

We asked if we could simply get coffee and at first they did not really want to serve it to us. They suggested we get Lemonade or a cocktail instead. Only after we insisted on the coffee they served us but were really hesitant. When we payed we also felt the two waitresses were just really annoyed by us. We were dressed in normal clothes, we weren’t loud or rude in any way, so there was no apparent reason. It was at 4:30 in the afternoon so not lunchtime, but also not yet dinnertime or aperitivo and it was basically empty. If there was a reason why they would not want to serve us coffee or if we were doing something that was somehow offensive, it would be nice to just be told upfront but we just felt they were rude and judgy for no real reason. The espresso was 3€. The place looks...