Eating in the villages of Maremma

The best restaurants where you can taste authentic local dishes al fresco in front of a breathtaking view

A land of butteri (cowboys), unspoilt beaches, vineyards, olive groves and villages perched on tufa mountains, the Tuscan Maremma has a charm to discover. Encompassed between the Gulf of Follonica and the Argentario promontory, today it confronts refined visitors who slowly discover its treasures: wine cellars where you can taste the best wines of the area, charming hotels, farms and restaurants where you can enjoy a magical evening eating al fresco.

A land masterfully recounted in the book commissioned by the Consorzio Tutela Vini della Maremma Toscana and published by Gruppo Editoriale: MAREMMA TOSCANA – A journey through people, places and tastes with texts by journalist and food and wine critic Aldo Fiordelli and unpublished photographs by photographer Dario Garofalo.

Libro Maremma Toscana

Prefer to eat by the sea? Here is our selection of must-visit seaside restaurants.

Al Convento
Largo Beccani, 3 - Scarlino
ph. +39 0566 37041

A place of great charm, the setting is undoubtedly worth the view from the large terrace overlooking the village with its unforgettable view of the Tuscan archipelago. The menu follows the seasons, firmly anchored in tradition with game, Maremma ox steaks, and the catch of the local coastal area as the protagonists. It is the Chef himself who is responsible for researching and choosing the best ingredients for his dishes every day. His searches take him as far as the port of Castiglione della Pescaia as well as the countryside of Punta Ala.

Al Convento, Scarlino

 

La Tana dei Brilli
Vicolo Ciambellano, 4 - Massa Marittima
ph. +39 0566 901274

It is the smallest osteria in Italy (10/12 seats inside and a small space outside in summer). A place with a familiar and romantic atmosphere. It offers a rich menu of Maremma dishes accompanied by excellent Tuscan wines: some examples are: wild boar loin with fresh burrata, chestnut necci with wild boar ragout, Maremma-style wild boar steaks and exquisite homemade desserts.

 

Locanda La Luna
Via del Podere, 8 - Tirli
ph. +39 0564 945854

In Tirli, an Etruscan village perched above Castiglione della Pescaia, one must stop at the inn/restaurant La Luna, named after the boat Luna Rossa. Emilio Signori, an experienced chef, and his wife Tiziana, decided in 1997 to set up a restaurant and then, over the years, transform it into an inn. The restaurant was immediately a great success and Emilio's fame has grown ever since. The Osteria offers typical Maremma dishes to which a pinch of innovation is consciously added.

Locanda La Luna

 

La cucina di Andrea, Agriturismo Il Baciarino
Via della Fonte - Vetulonia
ph. +39 347 9344943

A magical, enchanted, radical chic place on a picturesque hillside where, amidst oak, olive and cork trees, you live in contact with nature. You eat outdoors with a wide-open view of an incredible panorama, thanks to Andrea, the host. You fill up on simple delicacies made from top-quality local ingredients, and when possible Andrea cooks the fish he has caught for guests.

 La cucina di Andrea, Agriturismo Il Baciarino, Vetulonia

La locanda di Torquato
Via del Corso, 10 - Montorgiali
ph. +39 331 7640822

One of the most authentic and genuine trattorias in Montorgiali. The menu is recited verbally, no starters, just first and second courses, such as tortelli seasoned with scorsone truffle and lamb with lemon, but in summer there is also a small area for local fish. The vegetables are delicious, thanks to the vegetable garden located just a few steps from the inn. We could say zero metres. The desserts are also simple and classic, but not infrequently with a little whimsical touch. For those who are fans of the Morellino di Scansano producers' cooperative, there is almost the entire range of wines.

La Cantina di Simone
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 14/16 - Scansano
ph. +39 0564 507400

"If you want to eat good cheese and salami in this cellar, you have to come in. It's worth it'. So says the sign: and it really is worth going in and descending the steep staircase to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and aromas of the cellar. For lunch, dinner or just a snack: the quality local cold meats and cheeses are accompanied by good wine, and being in the centre of the beautiful village of Scansano, Morellino is a must. 

 

Agriturismo Piatina
Pod. Piatina Loc. Monte Antico Stazione - Monte Antico
ph. +39 346 5142855

From the restoration of a former convent dating back to the early 15th century, Agriturismo Piatina now offers hospitality in the Tuscan Maremma, on the farm surrounded by about 160 hectares of cultivated land used for raising pigs, cattle and horses. You can also arrive just for lunch in the garden, enjoying typical Maremma cuisine, with raw materials produced on the farm and game: vegetable soups, home-made pasta (pici, tagliatelle, gnocchi), roasts and sauces for hunters' meats, and a wide choice of home-made desserts, including cantucci.

Agriturismo Piatina

 

Ristorante Da Guido
Via Castellana, 18 - Magliano in Toscana
ph. +39 0564 592447

A medieval village perched on the hills is the setting for the dishes of this Maremma trattoria: liver crostini, cured meats, fettunta, pappardelle with wild boar, roast suckling pig. All accompanied, if you like, by the local wine par excellence, Morellino di Scansano.  

Trattoria Da Paolino
Via Marsala, 41 - Manciano
ph. +39 0564 629388

Two romantic dining rooms adorned with handcrafted tables and 18th-century furnishings, plus an outdoor dining area in July and August, provide the setting in which to sample tempting specialities prepared with seasonal produce. These include pappardelle with wild boar, acquacotta, roast suckling pig, wild boar with wild fennel and homemade desserts. Olive oil and local cheeses, wild boar and pork cold cuts. 

Trattoria da Paolino

La Filanda
Via Marsala, 8 - Manciano
ph. +39 0564 625156

This is the restaurant run by Barbara Cannarsa and Gian Paolo Costoloni, who have renovated an old granary, transforming it into an elegant venue. As an aperitif, there are the schiaccette fritte (fried flat bread) to accompany wild boar mortadella with truffles or salami, followed by more substantial dishes such as peposo with polenta, tagliatelle with grandmother's ragout and crispy wafers, and cannoli di ciaffagnone (cannoli of ciaffagnone) with Maremma beef, artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes.

Ristorante Caino
Via della Chiesa, 4 - Montemerano
ph. +39 0564 602817

Just mention the town and Valeria Piccini and the Da Caino restaurant immediately come to mind. Near the thermal baths of Saturnia, this is a place to cross the threshold and let yourself be pampered, part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux circuit. Michelin-starred chef Valeria Piccini - who likes to reiterate that she would not have got where she is if her mother-in-law had not been there to teach her how to be a cook - has been able to take tradition to high levels. There is the tasting menu, where the non-fried calamari and prawns with smoked potatoes and the roast pigeon on olive wood and red tones stand out, and the menu of historical dishes such as tripe and lampredotto, the heart of grilled Manzetta Maremmana, almond, sanguinelle reduction and field salad.

Caino

La Bandinella
Montelattaia, 1 - Roccastrada 
ph. +39 0564 577034

In Montelattaia, we find this restaurant whose specialities include tortelli maremmani, seasoned both with meat sauce and with game. Moving on to the main courses, the trattoria is also known for its fritto: platters of chicken, chops, rabbit, lamb and many vegetables. Tortelli and grand fritto is the perfect combination.

Hostaria del Ceccottino
Piazza S. Gregorio VII, 64, 58017 Pitigliano
ph. +39 0564 614273

In the historic centre of Pitigliano, next to the cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, a few steps from the Jewish ghetto, this is an elegant yet informal trattoria. On the menu, traditional Maremma dishes and about 120 labels of wine. In summer, it is possible to eat outdoors. The pitiglianesi crostini served with spleen and liver are remarkable. Among the first courses: pici with white duck or wild boar ragout, tagliatelle with various seasonings and tortellini. Among the main courses: Ceccottino lamb and Morellino di Scansano fillet (Maremma beef fillet, slow food presidium), tagliata (sliced steak), rabbit in porchetta (roast suckling pig), and fiorentina (T-bone steak). Taste the typical Pitigliano Jewish cake: Sfratto, a short pastry roll filled with dried fruit, honey, almonds and orange.

Il Tufo Allegro
Vicolo della Costituzione, 5 - Pitigliano 
ph. +39 0564 616192

A delightful little place carved out of tufa rock that also uses some Slow Food Presidia for its dishes. Try the Millefoglie di baccalà mantecato con bottarga di Orbetello, the onion soup and the red potato gnocchi with sugo di maialino.

Il Frantoio
Via Renato Fucini, 10 - Capalbio 
0564 896484

A bar-restaurant where art is at home. The intuition came from Philippe Daverio, who was immediately indulged by the owners who have transformed this former oil mill into an exhibition space with adjoining bookshop and boutique where you can have an aperitif or dine. Try the spaghetti with anchovies and pecorino cheese or the cream of chickpea, cod and sun-dried tomatoes among the appetisers. For some time now, vegan dishes have also appeared on the menu. Wines from the Maremma and beyond, with space also for niche producers.

Il Frantoio

 

Il Fontanile dei Caprai
Localita' Fontanile Dei Caprai, Strada Provinciale Capalbio - Marsiliana
ph. +39 349 524284

If you get there in the evening, you have to wander through a remote piece of countryside: that's part of its charm. A trattoria in the middle of the countryside, with a beautiful pergola and simple, Maremma cuisine, mainly meat, to which is added pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. It was originally a hunter's hut in the 1960s. 

Locanda Rossa
Strada Capalbio Pescia Fiorentina, 11b - Capalbio 
ph. +39 0564 890462

Not far from the medieval village of Capalbio, between the hills and the sea, this inn offers Maremma cuisine redesigned with gourmet touches. Dishes are prepared from 0 km ingredients, such as tagliatelle with a white wild boar ragout, olives and orange, pappa al pomodoro with roast octopus, and guinea fowl roast with creamed green beans, mint and tomatoes.

Locanda Rossa, Capalbio