Rome, Florence, Tuscany Michelin Starred Restaurants w/ Kids?

Hello-

I am planning a trip in November with my family to Italy and need some restaurant advice and recommendations. We really enjoy excellent restaurants, but not long tasting menus or a formal atmosphere. Is there anything in the Tuscany/Rome area that would be of Michelin star quality and welcoming of kids? My kids are aged 7 and 9 and well behaved, just could not sit through 3+ hours of a tasting menu. As an example we were in Lima last year and really enjoyed Maido. Comfortable atmosphere and able to order a la carte.

Thanks in advance,
Ben

Ben: This your first and only post and I see you have no responses. Use the search function and you will get lots of pertinent information. You also might try using a full name to get a bit more help…just my opinion.

Cheers!
Marshall

Ben,

I do not visit the EE forum often so I just saw this. I have been visiting Tuscany every year for over 20 years. I can give you a few Michelin star level recommendations, but do not think you may have a lesser dining experience at some non-starred venues:

My list:
*** Enoteca Pinchiorri - In Florence. Probably one of the top 5 wine lists in the world. Not just Italian. Pinchiorri gets bottle numbers 1 thru 5 of every DRC vintage.
Cibreo - In Florence. Not starred but my favorite in the city. Great list.
**Arnolfo - Colle val d’Elsa - half way between Florence and Siena just off the SI-FI autostrada. Located in the beautiful upper town.

Ben,

Kelly is a good source here for Tuscany and Florence. Those are both absolutely stunning places.
You will have amazing meals.

I like the non Michelin starred venues BTW. If you want a few suggestions, I am glad to supply.
Cibreo is a fantastic choice as Kelly notes. There are several others if you are interested.

Wish you good travels.

+1 on Cibreo: great wine list (and wine service), fantastic food, and still the slightly familial atmosphere you get even in many of Florence’s finer restaurants–would be a great place for a family.
(For non-familial, the all-time winner, would have to be Il Convivio in Rome, but that’s another story.)

Went to Enoteca Pinchiorri about a month ago. The wine list is enormous. I have never seen so much Petrus. That being said the prices across the board are just plain stupid even by 3 star standards. The room we sat in was beautiful. The food was good, not great. I wouldn’t go back.

George

Took our children a few years ago to Antico Arco in Trestevere, Rome which was vg. Don’t think its starred but excellent nonetheless.
My report then:
This is a restaurant that is well reviewed on a number of sites, and is in the fashionable Trestevere district of Rome. It was a delightful cab ride across the river and up the hill past the fancy houses in this fashionable inner suburban enclave.
We were first to arrive at the restaurant as is our custom, and were welcomed by the proprietor. He was casually dressed in faded jeans and an open necked shirt, with white runners which seemed a bit casual for a restaurant with such an elegant decor.
We were asked to select our table and went for one in a quiet corner, and were talked through the menu options, particularly honing in on the unfamiliar fish options. the proprietor gave us very detailed descriptions of each dish and we proceeded to order. I was torn between three red wines being 2 Chiantis from 2001 and an ‘06 Grasso Barolo. Again the explanations were detailed and informative, and it was obvious that our host had extensive knowledge and passion, not to mention an excellent command of the English language. We selected a glass each of a 2012 Riesling from Alto Aldige, which was pure and varietal, very much in the Australian style, with just a touch of exoticism. For the red wine I ended up selecting a 2001 Querciabella Camartina, which our host steered me towards.
Soon an outstanding pre entree was presented. A carpaccio or ceviche of sea bass with tomato flavoured bread crumbs and beetroot jelly cubes. Delicious, and close to dish of the trip. To start the boys and Christine went for pasta while I selected the spring pea soup with Octopus. Harry’s fettuccine with pecorino and fried zucchini flowers was powerful and luxurious, with lots of aged pecorino character. Christine’s tiglioline with prawns, lemin and tuna roe was again rich and decadent with a creamy sauce, while George again plumped for Carbonara, sans truffles. It was super eggy and rich. My soup was fresh, the tiny octopus tender. A nice touch was that a small bowl of each person’s entree was placed in the centre of the table so that each diner was able to sample their companion’ meals. The entrees were very generous portions and we were all quite full at their conclusion. Rome really is a challenge to the waistline!
The red was duly poured, without decanting and we engaged in some banter with the sommelier, who informed us that he had just returned from two years in Melbourne and that he was hosting an Australian wine tasting the following week, including some 1990 Wendouree. He was keen to further the conversation, but now the restaurant was full of suits and customers from all round the world.
Mains soon arrived. Christine and Harry’s Amber Jack was a large chunk of possibly Kingfish, with crispy skin and sliced asparagus and ‘wasabi drops’.Lovely execution.
My Sea Robin fillet was a delicate white flesh fish, perfectly oven baked with with ‘scarola’ and coral beans. While George went for a thick cut veal tenderloin with a honey glaze and an eggplant timbale. Cooked medium well it was lapped up, although I was surprised that it could not be offered more rare.
The Chianti was rich, nicely aged, with sufficient secondary characters. It was quite a strong wine and showed a bit of sediment toward the end of the bottle. It really should have been decanted.
Harry was the only one who was able to fit in dessert, which was called a BRONTE , a pistachio mousse, passion fruit jelly and cocoa sable. The intensely flavoured passion fruit jelly cubes that exploded in the mouth. Needless to say that the expanding ten year old lapped it up with gusto. A selection of three petit fours arrived to ensure that we now definitely required larger trousers for the return trip home. A black currant pastille, mini Madeline with preserved lemon insert and one other capped off a very high quality meal. By this time the restaurant was humming and we made for the exit and the bill, after waiting too long for someone to present it. It was obvious that the early outstanding service had slipped back a gear or two as the pressures of a full restaurant were brought to bear.
All in all a very high quality meal with good service and excellent wine list was just let down by slipping service at the conclusion

I’m interested . Cibreo sounds wonderful but they don’t take reservations;is there usually a significant weight ?

An old favorite of mine is Taverna Del Bronzino but it’s been 10 years. Anyone been in the last couple of years?

I also enjoyed la Giostra last time, also wondered big someone’s been more recently.

And I’ll have to try Osteria Del Enoteca that I saw in another thread. Or should I go to the original Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina? (I’m not much aid a meat eater).

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I used to like la Giostra, but also have not been for a while. My recollection with Cibreo was that they did take reservations, but you had to call to make them. That may have changed, of course.

Website says no reservations at Cibreo. Maybe a Concierge can help me.

I love Antico Arco. Though it’s not really in the Trastevere, it’s near the Gianicolo, which I learned when I walked there the first time I went [oops.gif]

Hey, whatever happened to Ben ? Posted once and then poof ?

Barry- we just got back from Florence, SML, and Tuscany. We ate at the Osteria our first night. Wonderful experience all around. We got Bistecca and it was good but I would order something else for my secondi. Since we ordered beef I went with a super Tuscan and felt like I missed the boat on wine so we hit the Enoteca afterwards for a cheese course and some Sangiovese. Great experience sitting at the bar and the folks really know their stuff. Food looked good as well.

We did eat at Il Palagio at the Four Seasons. Excellent food and experience and can see why the Michelin one star. Wine pricing as expected very high and the overall cost will send me somewhere else next time.

We did Osteria Perilla as well in Rocca D’Orcha for an awesome lunch but it does seem like some of the Michelin restaurants follow a very similar script. I agree with Don and on our next trip we will not seek them out. That being said La Pinetta on the coast was fantastic. Michelin one star as well but very evident they’ve been following their own song for a long time. Fantastic seafood, good pricing and solid but basic service.

We also enjoyed for a casual lunch

And https://www.zebgastronomia.com/1121-2/-Owner is a real character but his food is the real deal. Pasta was fantastic and overall an excellent value. I would go back for dinner for sure.



Still here! Thanks for the recs so far. In Rome I have already reserved Roscioli Salumeria. Planning to hit Osteria dell’Enoteca and Cibreo in Florence.

Staying at Villa Bordoni in Chianti. Any recent feedback on the restaurant at the hotel? Any must visit restaurants nearby?

At Enoteca Pitti &Gola right now,great recommendation!

Drinking a 96 Selpvapiana vignetto Bucerchiale 96 riserva that’s drinking perfectly (85 euros). Food menu is short but I loved what I got (chicken liver terrine, pasta with pesto and squid, and a cheese course).

Great to hear Barry. They are batting 1000 w board members.

Where are you going next ??

Went to La Giostra tonight (3 dishes of 4 great, 4th just ok); tomorrow Il Palagio, (and Taverna di Branzino and Cibreo later in the week).

Barry- we had a great meal at Il Palagio but don’t make the same mistake I did and not check the pricing on the pours from the wines they were doing from Coravin. They were way over priced. The list in general is as well. They do have nice BTG selections which is what we’ll stick with if we go back.

Thanks for the warning on the coravin!

Anyone been to the Sunday Brunch at Il Palagio? Would you recommend it?

I went to Ristorante Albergaccio di Castellina for my birthday this year with a six year old. It was great.