eehgià Bistrò — Restaurant in Unione di Comuni Montani Colline del Fiora

You have heard the cliché "the best meal we ever had in Italy...", etc, etc...

You won't hear that from me, but, I was compelled to write about this exceptional little restaurant tucked away in Sovana, Maremma, Toscana, Italia.

I focused in on this restaurant by mostly reading the translated reviews by Italians, which has worked for me before.

A collaboration between a mother and son, and la nona, who hangs out there, the restaurant decor is modern, in contrast to the traditional rustic nature of the town. This may put off some, but I am glad I looked beyond it.

Firstly, the people are kind and welcoming, and dog friendly. They are food enthusiasts who are passionate about the ingredients, that was self evident. I started with a sparkling water, fresh bread with a local Sovana olive oil, and an excellent well balanced red wine locally produced near Sovana.

The first plate was a home made pappardelle pasta in wild boar ragù. Just al dente, the combinato of the pasta and red sauce with tender pork made every bite delishious. This was an exceptional ragù. Refined rustic, but down home.

Next came an original casserole-like dish comprised of baked and sautéed vegetables, including eggplant, covered by a savory local cheese. Super tasty, not salty, again refined and balanced, yet such a simple dish.

This was accompanied and complimented by sautéed spinich with raisins and pine nuts.

Dessert was a stunner, yes, because the extra dark chocolate truffles were made in house, and placed in a creme freshe of their own making. If you can't get to sleep later, don't worry, it was worth it.

Finally, I stumbled out the door, but only after they plied me with a home made limoncello.

Lovely people and food here....

We stopped here for a quick lunch. It was a nice cosy place with a lovely terrace in the historical centre. The menu was creative and the dishes were unlike any ither we've seen in other places which was vet refreshing. It was still great Italian cuisine. The waiter was nice and helpful and spoke good English! The food was very tasty and fresh (home-made pasta). The prices of food were slightly above average but that's expected in a historical centre and for such...

Esperienza eccezionale. Ammetto di essere spesso prevenuta nei confronti dei locali ben recensiti, ma presenti su The Fork. Beh, questa è l'eccezione (che conferma la regola? A questo punto forse dovrò ricredermi!). Il locale è molto carino, specialmente il giardino, davvero accogliente. Il personale gentilissimo, il ragazzo che prende le ordinazioni molto preparato: dispensa consigli interessanti senza essere invadente, è cordiale senza mai esagerare. Ma il vero punto di forza è il cibo: in 16 giorni itineranti lungo gli Appennini, non ci è mai capitato di mangiare così bene. Cucina espressa molto sapiente, che dosa benissimo ingredienti e aromi, usa materie prime genuine e elabora un menù non troppo ricco, ma vario nella misura ideale e soprattutto in grado di accostare sapori davvero sopraffini. Pasta fatta in casa; i pici alla "Tamarra", con ragù di costine di maiale e nduia sono ottimi. Menzione d'onore per i contorni, su cui spiccano le cicorie con aglio e peperoncino, leggermente croccanti: sublimi. Indimenticabile la caciotta al forno con ripieno di verdure grigliate. Conto onesto, porzioni generose senza essere esagerate, servizio impeccabile. Qualcuno a Sovana mi adotta?! Voglio tornare...