I was having an aperitivo with a group of friends the other day, and as we drank our wine and watched the sunset, the subject of restaurants with a view came up. You’d think in Italy restaurants with a view would be a dime a dozen. However, we (people who have lived in Italy between five and 35 years) were hard pressed to name many places where the food was excellent, the view was splendid and the prices were reasonable.
Some of our favorites for food have an atmosphere that is okay, but nothing special. Several do not have an outdoor eating area, which in the summer is very nice. Many of the restaurants with a panoramic view from a garden like dining terrace have exorbitant prices or mediocre food, or both.
So the idea of a series of articles with the theme “food with a view†was hatched. Whenever I came across a restaurant with great food, fair prices, and an exceptional view, I would write about it.
Oh, on second thought, maybe that’s not such a good idea. Have you noticed that as soon as a favorite restaurant is praised in print, it changes unrecognizably? Suddenly it’s so swamped you can’t get a table on a Wednesday night, and the quality of the food begins to slide downhill under the weight of excess dinner traffic. I am tempted to delete what I’ve written so far and start on a different topic all together. I can be selfish and secretive when it comes to protecting good places…
Well, I shouldn’t flatter myself that many people are reading this. It’s not a NY Times restaurant review after all. And I suppose of those of you who do read it, even fewer will actually follow my advice, so perhaps I can safely share my most recent discovery. I’ll let you in on the secret, dear reader; can I just ask that you treat it with care?
The restaurant is called La Terrazza, and it’s in Bagno Vignoni, in southern Tuscany. Bagno Vignoni is famous for its hot mineral baths, and the restaurant overlooks the ancient bath in the center of the historic square. As you drink your wine, you can gaze over the bubbling pool where Lorenzo de’ Medici and St. Catherine of Siena once took a dip. The pool is surrounded by old stone walls with flowering caper plants cascading from its crevices, olive and fig trees, charming stone houses with bright geraniums on every windowsill and ledge. It’s a magical spot: quiet, tranquil, sparkling.
And best of all, La Terrazza has wonderful food and an interesting wine list (all at very reasonable prices). Last Sunday the appetizer list included: a pecorino cheese soufflé with a thick balsamic sauce, a chilled tomato flan with a fresh mozzarella center served with marinated vegetables, beef carpaccio with rocket and parmesan, chicken liver paté crostini with porcini mushrooms, as well as a variety of local salamis, prosciutto, cheeses, and bruschette.
For the pasta course: gnocchi with duck sauce, pici (hand rolled thick spaghetti) with tomato and lots of garlic, tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, wild rabbit or wild boar ragu, ribollita soup, and a risotto made with orzo (barley), local saffron and zucchini.
The meat special was guinea fowl stuffed with truffles, but you could also have the guinea fowl simmered slowly in vin santo wine and grapes, if you preferred. Both were delicious. Rabbit stuffed with herbs and ham, grilled lamb, and various cuts of steak (including the massive, sizzling Fiorentine). Tuscan white beans, roasted potatoes, asparagus sformati, marinated peppers and salad were among the side dishes.
For dessert: meringue with marscarpone cream and strawberries, ricotta and pine nut tart, amaretto semi-freddo, millefoglie, and chocolate torte.
The restaurant is part of the family run Hotel Terme. The young and stunning Laura, took over the running of the restaurant from her mother and grandmother after finishing her studies in Florence. There are two chefs in the kitchen. Farouk, originally from Egypt, has been at La Terrazza for seven years and was taught the local Tuscan recipes by Laura’s mother and grandmother. Manuele transferred to La Terrazza from the L’Amorosa (a nearby four-star restaurant) three years ago and specializes in innovative interpretations of traditional dishes. Farouk and Manuele work in harmony, and their creative synthesis is evident on every plate.
Overall, La Terrazza is picture perfect.
La Terrazza, Piazza delle Sorgente, 13, Bagno Vignoni. Open everyday from 11am to 11pm. Telephone: +(39) 0577-887157
Californian cook and cookbook author Rachel Lee has been living in Italy since 2001. She divides her time between Tuscany and Sicily.
