Barlèsh, at the table in the spinning mill on the Arno river

Francesco Berardinelli is not a conventional cook, offering palatable and measured preparations in harmony with the setting through impeccable and thoughtful execution. The wine list is tight but intriguing, the welcome is warm and relaxed, the service very attentive.

Montevarchi: what are the attractions of a commercial and industrial center, one of the most distant places from the sea in Tuscany, moreover without any particular mountainous scenic qualities, located in the bottom of a valley crossed by the first stretch of the Arno River, but also by the Autostrada del Sole and the High Speed Train?

Montevarchi is located in an important strategic position between Florence, Arezzo and Siena. During the Medici era it was the center of important economic activities, such as collection and sorting posts for the products of the Medici farms in Valdarno and Valdichiana. Grain milling and the processing of flax and hemp took place here. Industrial transformation began in the 19th century due to the availability of lignite and the opening of a hat factory. Today, industry and commerce are complemented by agricultural activities related mainly to the wine sector since Montevarchi is located in the heart of the renewed and vibrant Doc Valdarno di Sopra, which was codified as early as 1716 with the Proclamation of Cosimo III de’ Medici.

No wonder, in short, in discovering a gem like Barlèsh, a restaurant in the old city center, in the alley of the Filande, in the premises that recall the fervor of important work activities of the past.

Barlèsh is not a conventional place and is not just about cuisine. The layout of the rooms and volumes, the vertical development of the spaces, the large windows, the tables of different sizes, predispose to a warm and relaxed welcome, where background noises do not go beyond a whisper and allow for easy conversation with neighbors. The fires are open, the service attentive and attentive. Add to this a cuisine that is judicious in its preparations, mouth-watering and understandable, and Barlèsh becomes the reference of choice for both business lunch and leisure, justifying the trip or stopover.

At the head of it all is Francesco Berardinelli, who was born in Piedmont (barlèsh means “favorite balocco”) on Lake Maggiore to a mother from Veneto and a father from Molise. Raised in Montevarchi, he began his experience with the Rendola osteria before moving on to Imola, Piacenza, New York, Hong Kong, Moscow and Paris. A concentration of experiences eventually distilled with a return to Montevarchi and a clear idea. His cuisine is an Impromptu Cuisine: “sudden,” Francesco defines it, “like a burst of water, like the blossoming of a cherry tree or the arrival of the new season, which tells us that everything repeats itself, fooling us, because everything has already changed in the meantime.

Francesco Berardinelli is not a conventional cook. He claims to “cook simply and to offer the warmth of Barlèsh hospitality to friends and to all the gluttons of the world.” His kitchen is constantly on the move, appearing and disappearing depending on the availability and inspiration of the moment, but it is not an experimental laboratory at the expense of the customer. Above it all, Francesco’s professionalism and flair make the preparations palatable and measured in harmony with the environment through impeccable and thoughtful execution. The menu changes once a month following the rhythm of the seasons and is complemented by a tasting menu renewed even more often based on the market.

Next to strictly local dishes such as “liver crostino” and “Valdarno chicken salad,” on the menu we find ideas such as “butter and radish bread,” “fresh spaghetti with fake sauce, pecorino cheese and ciccioli,” or “beef francesina, Tuscan pecorino cheese, sweet potato chips.” On the tasting menu we can come across a “beet hummus, rapini, pecorino ice cream and dried olives,” the “spicy ricotta and plum tortelli with sausage and leek ragout,” or Laura Peri’s “brick guinea fowl with sour onions.”

For wines there is a very tight list, centered on small producers but with great stories to tell, often close friends of Francesco. If you find Arpepe’s Rosso di Valtellina or San Giusto a Rentennano’s Chianti Classico on the list under “the daily wine,” you can understand what surprises you’ll come across in the rest of the offerings, from Alongi’s Vigna Barbischio to Carleone’s UNO, Castell’in Villa’s Poggio delle Rose, or, wonder of wonders, a climb up to the Chiunzi Pass for Tenuta San Francesco’s E’ Iss Prefillossera Tintore di Tramonti.

Leaving the halls of Barlèsh, a feeling of balanced well-being and positive spirit, of satisfied relaxation, remains in the mind, as if one had emerged from a warm and welcoming hot spring, regenerated in body and spirit.

Barlèsh
Vicolo delle Filande, 6
52025 Montevarchi Arezzo
Tel. 348 001 0665
www.barlesh.it
@barlesh