On the border between Tuscany and Umbria, in Cortona, the relais Il Falconiere will also welcome you for a great meal with flavorful, colorful cuisine of substance.
If you are in Tuscany, near Arezzo, precisely in Cortona, perhaps for a wine tour, I recommend stopping to eat at Il Falconiere, a beautiful country relais, with an adjoining very good restaurant (1 Michelin star) also open to guests outside the relais.
Beautiful country relais
The whole facility is beautiful, not too big, not pharaonic but still very high standard (part of the Relais & Chateaux chain): with luxurious rooms and suites, swimming pool, spa and wine cellar, scattered within this manicured and beautiful portion of the countryside.
With my partner we stayed there this summer, for one night. As soon as we arrived, before a dip in the pool, we took a small guided wine tour, among the vineyards, the production cellar and the aging cellar. Tour ended with a tasting of four estate wines.
The structure of the restaurant is beautiful and very articulated: an old, masonry part with different rooms and lounges, and another, more modern and spacious part located inside a large structure made entirely of metal and glass, with spectacular views of the countryside and under the Tuscan sky.
The relais restaurant, a Michelin star
Owner of the Relais and chef of the restaurant is the very talented Silvia Baracchi, who offers you three different tasting menus or an a la carte menu that you can compose as you wish, choosing from the dishes on the tasting menus. In any case you will be satisfied.
In fact, the two of us, going a la carte, each choosing three different dishes (120 euros per person) which we then exchanged, ate very well: flavorful, colorful cuisine of substance, rich in vegetables, aesthetically beautiful and far removed from many pseudo creations of certain fine dining.
To tell you what we liked best would have been difficult but, as a good Marchesan, I have a gastronomic predilection for farmyard animals. So when I saw the Pigeon casserole with shallots and cherries on the menu, the choice was forced. The dish was not perfectible, not least because of the deep pink color of its meat. But the romantic and poignant thing about it was its service, its portioning and plating at the table, done by a young waiter of rare skill, who with a few measured gestures put a masterpiece on the table! (watch the video below).
Articulated wine list
You can drink very well, fishing from a very extensive wine list with lots of Tuscany, lots of great Italian wines from north to south and also lots of champagnes. We pastored with a Taurasi Riserva from Di Meo, offered at a solemnly commendable price.
Finally, we, never really quenched our thirst, climbed a few stone steps and went to the Cocktail Bar to enjoy a well-made Gin Tonic, just the right finishing touch before bedtime!ud and also lots of champagne. We pastored with a Taurasi Riserva from Di Meo, offered at a solemnly commendable price.
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PHOTO GALLERY.
RESTAURANT
