Ristorante Alessandro

Weather forced us to choose a primarily indoor restaurant for dinner so we chose Ristorante Alessandro, which for us turned out to be the best decision we made in Tuscany.

I sent a reservation request over Google chat, not trusting my Italian enough to call. Alessandro responded promptly that they could indeed get us in and before long he was greeting us warmly at the door. At first glance the restaurant didn’t look like anything special but you know what they say and books and covers, right? This hidden gem was indeed a masterpiece.

Our Italian is pretty limited but that was no issue as Alessandro and our charming waiter, Talita, spoke very good English. The menu also has English translations. So with the language challenge solved we started exploring the menu. As we did, we found ourselves humming and grooving on the pleasant background music - the playlist was a brilliant mix of new and old and included everything from Barry White and Elton John to David Bowie and Whitney Houston. Just my kind of eclectic mix of music. Ah, but I digress.

As we were perusing the menu we were served a complimentary Prosecco as well as a small but simply scrumptious fried cheese ball with a lemon mayo sauce. It was then l knew that fate was on our side and we had absolutely made the right restaurant choice.

We read another review about the writer’s doubts of the value of a €16 fried egg and its ultimate payoff, so we too knew we had to give it a go. So my wife ordered it and in her words: “This is the best thing I’ve eaten in our 2 weeks in Italy.” And she wasn’t wrong. It was simply delicious and I strongly suggest you try it as well. As for me, I opted for the TarTar and was equally impressed with my choice. The little crouton-like cheese bits along with the tiny balsamic balls brought together an amazing mix of flavor and texture to this superb dish.

For our main course, my wife ordered the lasagne which was a lovely presented and deliziosa plate. It wasn’t your typical layered lasagne but rather a brilliant creation of individually wrapped pasta tubes with creamy cheese and sauce inside each. I chose the pappardelle cinghiale which, like the lasagne, had a super creative plating and was absolutely divine. I can tell you that the plate you see in the picture didn’t have a crumb of food in it by the time I was done. Just outstanding.

We capped things off by sharing the chocolate brownie with vanilla gelato and a salted caramel sauce. Once again, sublime!

And before I forget, the wine list Alessandro put together is fantastic - a great collection of wines from the region.

Unfortunately these words just don’t do justice to the brilliant work and creativity of chef Simone Cianco who is a true artist in (and out of) the kitchen. Nor can they express our sincerest gratitude to the genuine warmth and kindness shown to us by Alessandro and Talita.

I’ll end with this last observation. We ate at a Michelin star restaurant earlier in our journey and Ristorante Alessandro, in comparison, surpassed them in plating, creativity, and taste by a mile. So if you’re reading this review you simply MUST go! You will be so glad you did.

It's an amazing food experience. A hidden gem in the heart of Chianciano. Traditional recipes with a twist, to combine great authentic taste and local ingredients in new unexpected forms. From the entrees to the desserts everything was outstanding and delicious. The staff was extremely nice, professional and knowledeable. We came here by chance one night during our Italian vacation (we now live in Canada) and this food really made me feel it's time to move back to Italy.

Fantastic host Alessandro providing a great experience for guests. Sincere in his conversations and his staff had great techniques in their dishes.

We also left a bag and he was kind enough to contact us as we had made a reservation via Google.

Good man 👍

Very good, friendly and professional restaurant. Food is geared for tourists and served in a very elegant way. The wine collection is outstanding and the owner is a wine expert, happy to share his understanding and speaks good English. Service is a bit of an overkill using flowers and honey in the plate decoration.

I had a glass of Rose wine with the very interesting first course of wiled boar. Moved to local red wine with the main of a duck and the owner sent me a third glass of sweet wine for closing. Except for the furniture (see the pictures), it was an outstanding experience. Obviously, the best choice in the area

This was one of the best meals we had in 6 weeks in Italy, and also one of the best value considering the quality. An absolute hidden gem, not to be missed if you are in the area. The food was of fine dining quality, the wine list is extensive, and service was warm and efficient.

Absolutely amazing! Such a taste sensation. The best food we have been served during the 4 weeks we have been travelling italy. It was so good that we booked to go again in 2 days time.
My husband and I shared the ravioli which melted in your mouth. He then had the beef cheeks and I had the duck. We also had the bacon and cheese potatoes as a side. I had just enough room left to have desert which was the lemon curd tart with strawberry sorbet. The presentation on the plate and the taste of this beautifully prepared food was magnificent. To top it off the staff were efficient, friendly and extremely polite. Do yourself a favour and book a table at Alessandro's to experience food nothing like you have ever tasted before!

I typically never post reviews but we had such an incredible experience here that I felt the need to post about it.

This small restaurant is run by Alessandro himself, who was a kind host throughout the evening. We were served with a small appetizer on the house, in addition to some bread and (delicious) local olive oil.

The food itself, wow. Aside from it's posh presentation we've not been this mind-blown in a long time by the deep fried egg served with pecorino cheese, bacon and spinach. The owner told us this was his experimental way of presenting the same flavor combination as a typical Carbonara pasta. Honestly, it was phenomenal.

The remaining dishes continued to surprise and delight us. We drank the recommended local Montepulciano wine and Prosecco, which were tasty.

We've now driven through most of Northern Italy and this restaurant ranks at the very top of our experiences. A must-try if you are in the Montepulciano region.

Foodies from the USA here. While waiting, you may wonder… is $16 for a fried egg too much? And then it arrives, and you realize that you’d pay so much more! From the beef tartare, to the wild boar over pasta - absolutely fabulous 😁

Impeccable dishes. Tagliatelle with wild boar ragu and hazelnut was incredible! Octopus had my wife asking how to make it. Pork belly was succulent and soft. Dessert was very light, lemon curd and merengue. Enjoy!!!

What a fantastic meal. This was legit the best meal I’ve had in Tuscany. The ragout, spaghetti & then a crunchy egg for a starter are a must. Paired with an Aperol sprits👌🏻

The food was seriously so good! One of the best meals we’ve had in Italy so far (and we’ve tried a lot, I can tell you that). They made excellent use of local products in their dishes and had the best wines to complement each dish. The waiter was also super kind and friendly. If you’re looking for a really nice meal, I highly recommend going to Ristorante Alessandro!

Food was incredible, all stuff is super nice. Owner is there and he is super sweet and caring about experience you get. Totally recommend, one of the best dinners in Italy

The food is very very good. I had the best ravioli. They have a lot of choice in wine and are glad to help you choose. We had a very good red wine from near the area. The staff is very helpful and kind. We asked for a good wine tasting tour and immediately we were given local wineyards. Definitely recommend!

Not being used to spending the big bucks in gastronomic restaurants and being caught by surprise, I still have to say this was a great experience. I first got scared by the prices, then by the size of the portions, but I finally surrendered to the taste of it all. Try the bleu boar meat, it's so amazing 😍 I can't believe they made this wild pig meat taste better than beef, it's really an art, and the wines recommendations allowed me to get acquainted with the most solid references in the region.
The bill was much higher than usual, but for this kind of place and experience I guess very reasonable, all things considered

Such a delicious and delightful experience. The pasta was the best I’ve had in Italy so far… and we have been here for 2 weeks already. The staff were very friendly. If ever in this area it’s a must! 💯

Amazing food, very well thought dishes and very nice stuff!

A special taste of italian food. I had shrimp ravioli that was delicious. Profesional service and dedicated staff. Recommend it for those who pass by Chianciano terme.

Great food and some awesome seafood and vegetarian options that are sometimes hard to find in restaurants in the region. Food was fresh and full of flavour, very well presented but also filling. Staff were very friendly and patient with us a tourists. Definitely worth a visit. We went back for a second meal it was so good.

We had a divine lunch here. The Brunello wine was exquisite. The ravioli and crunchy egg were excellent- surprising but delicious.

This is an out of this world experience, food is some of the best ive ever enjoyed! Staff are extremely pleasant and caring! I seriously recommend everyone visits! Needs a Michelin star