Osteria Fornelli — Restaurant in Volterra

Stunning location, disappointing food and horrible wine

The atmosphere: The location and atmosphere are amazing with breathtaking view and a nice vibe with people socialising in the little space in front of the terrace. Indeed, the atmosphere only got worse, once the restaurant switched on their cold-white lighting.

The food: We came for a full dinner. One in our party is vegetarian. Since there is no vegetarian secondi on the menu other than the stockfish (which does not work as an alternative to everyone), the only vegetarian option the staff and kitchen could think of was to combine potatos with spinach (two of the menu's side dishes). The lack of imagination in this was astounding, especially since with all the ingredients for the other dishes, something could have been cooked up. After all, the chef is a professional. The food itself was okay, but nothing special, the dishes all having their small quirks. The stewed boar was dry, the cheesecake had a dry, almost sandy, base, a crumbly body and rock-solid berry top.

The wine: The worst thing was the wine served by glass, the restaurant's house wine. With its acidity and lack of depth it would do justice as a discounters vinegar, but not accompanying a supposedly quality dinner.

Overall I can not recommend this despite the...

We are foodies and have no idea why this restaurant is rated so highly - it's probably the worst food we've have had in Tuscany. The local meat and cheese board (for $25) was the highlight of the evening, good but overpriced. Our second dish was the wild boar pasta - we noticed that the pasta used varied by table (which tells you a lot about consistency and quality); it was just so bland and the pasta was obviously boxed and the worst wild boar pasta we had in Tuscany. Next we tried the lamb and a local roasted beef dish, both we quickly refused. We tried the Florentine Steak since we were still hungry and it was on par with other steaks we've had. I would avoid this place for dinner - they obviously need a chef in the kitchen who understands flavor and balance. In addition, while there is a nice view road side, you're actually staring at a row of cars from the restaurant, so its' not really "the view" they promote online. We've been in Italy for 7 weeks, eat out every night, and this is one of our biggest disappointments. And when it was obvious we didn't like our entrees, they didn't even ask if everything was ok, sorry, nothing. You've...

Great off-the-beaten path restaurant with an amazing view.

On the hunt for a restaurant for lunch we found this gem. It was recommended by an employee in a local leather store. When she told us the restaurant belonged to the same owners who owned the leather store, we were suspicious and did not expect too much. Boy where we wrong! It is away from the touristy places and tucked away in a quiet corner of Volterra. The chefs are from a local cuisine school and create beautiful and tasty dishes. We had lasagne and it was different but still delicious. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive and the view breathtaking. The portions are perfect - not too big and not small. Since we purchased a bag at the leather store, they gave us a discount, which was unexpected. We will definitely go back. This time for dinner to enjoy the view over the beautiful...