Daria

DARIAAAAA! Honestly, Monticchielo is SUCH a hidden gem and we found Daria through straight up exploration, Marco Polo style. Phenomenal food and service! The staff were awesome and we found that we were sitting in a room with like three other American couples (maybe by design lol). Well the drinks were a flowing’ and I had to strike up conversation and before we knew it, we were all BFF’s. Such a great, memorable stop on our trip!

We always come to this restaurant when we’re in Val D’orcia and have never been let down. Pastas were so delicious and we had the best steak of our 2 week trip to Italy here.

During our adventure to Monticchiello, we came upon Daria restaurant. In this restaurant’s history, Daria has achieved Michelin star status. First the pastas were sublime! The homemade texture was so very delicate and the sauces were light and incredibly flavorful! While it’s is a little walk up, it is absolutely worth it! Our wait staff, Navneet, also so helpful and kind. Can’t wait to return on our next trip!

This was such a special place. The setting in a stunning village already makes it unforgettable, but what truly stood out was how warmly we were welcomed and how cared for we felt throughout the evening. And then came the food—the best bistecca fiorentina Chianina we have ever had, cooked to perfection and absolutely unforgettable. We loved it so much we came back twice during our trip. This isn’t just a dinner—it’s an experience, a feeling you carry with you. Absolutely a must if you’re in the area.

Most gorgeous and delicious lunch of our whole trip. We loved the amouse bouche and we shared the truffle pasta and the steak (both sooooo delicious and they kindly apportioned it into two separate bowls/plates). Gorgeous wine and the service was attentive. 100% recommend.

Super restaurant in Monticchiello -- friendly staff, great food and wine. We will be back -- the tartare in particular was amazing

A gem find while visiting this small but quaint village in the Tuscany region. The steak was a pleasant surprise and the vegetarian pasta was great 👍

We took cooking class and that same evening came to dinner, whatever you choose in the menu is extremely tasty and the people, staff are so friendly. It is pure Italian tuscany experience, and pls see chef Danielle, he is the guy to meet and take cooking class .

Incredibly delicious food, and beautiful location. However, this place has gotten incredibly popular and that means you really need reservations. I did see several patrons being turned away, even though they asked to wait for a table. They were told none would be available even though several tables did become available in 30-40 minutes time. There were 2 servers and they seemed overwhelmed. They did not really check in between courses and I had to flag them down many times to be served. The service was pleasant but they seemed frazzled and our party felt neglected. Food and view/location are 5 star, service was 2.5 stars.

FYI, the name of this restaurant is now Ristorante Daria, named after the local entrepreneur Daria Capelli who helped put this lovely old walled hill town (back) on the map. Sadly, Daria passed away this past month, way too young. But she's left a great legacy. Ristorante Daria occupies a cozy but luxurious spot inside the old city walls. Two main dining areas, linked by a walk-through wine cellar. Tastefully decorated, and making for a lovely lovely experience. The food at Daria is best described as "upscale Tuscan": traditional dishes that have been updated in interesting ways, and well-executed. There are some who would say that Tuscan cuisine is best unadulterated (I would usually be one of those, I admit) but if it's done in harmony with the original dish and doesn't just add gratuitous frou-frou, it can be a real treat. Daria's dishes are somewhere in the middle. Some dishes were really nice; others didn't quite take flight. (We had some of each.) They have a great winelist. The wait staff is incredibly professional and knowledgable, although a bit smug and over-polished. They also, somewhat annoyingly, seemed very keen on getting our entire order in before we'd had a chance to really decide, and then brought "il conto" while we were eating our primi! It is unusual in Italy to feel like a higher-end restaurant is focusing on table-turns, so this was a bit off-putting. So....all in all, we end up being less entranced than we wanted or expected to be. However, they have all the makings of a really great experience if you're hankering after an upscale dinner in a lovely little hill town; perhaps our experience was just a one-off. The place gets busy, so reservations a must.

Hands-down, the best... ravioli... I've ever had in my life! It was made with mushrooms, truffle oil, and true Italian love. I'm not even sure how I ended up in Monticchiello, but it was fate after driving through Tuscany and finding this hidden gem. After parking my car near the entrance of this medieval-aged town, I knew there was something more than just what was offered at the entrance in terms of a restaurant. Besides, those were too overcrowded and the wait-staff didn't seem to care you were there. So, I decided to keep going and enjoy the views of this beauty of a village. Right before I started to exit, I found this place in a charming alley (what alley isn't charming in Italy?!) Immediately, we were welcomed by the chef? I'm not sure if he was the owner, but definitely a very nice gentleman along with the waitress. Beautiful interior, lovely atmosphere, and pure Italian cuisine. Worth the drive.

Great farm to table restaurant. Food was fresh and well prepared. Service was a bit slow, but it's Italy and I'm judging by US standards. Quite a walk up the hillside as it is unaccessible by car so be prepared!

We found this restaurant online because we were staying near Torrita de Siena and wanted to try something relatively close. We had a beautiful table outside with a view of the Tuscan hills. The staff started us off with sparkling wine while we reviewed the menu and we were given an amuse bouche of fresh ricotta with some type of berry compote that was both savory and sweet. We had beef tartare as an appetizer and it was so delicious, we ordered another one. For entrees my husband and I shared a truffle pasta and a pork dish with crispy skin that was unforgettable. This was the best meal we had while in Tuscany for the week. Highly recommend!

Today we had lunch at La Cantina de La Porta and this meal was one of our favorites in Italy, so far. The head waiter and his assistant were attentive and helpful, very professional but also warm. My ricotta and spinach ravioli with its mascarpone sauce was perfect with subtle flavors coming through and not overly rich. I also had side dish of roasted vegetables with each type well seasoned and roasted to appropriate doneness. Husband had pork which was the best pork (outside of bacon and porchetta!) that I've tasted in years. Panna cotta for dessert was so, so good. We had dinner at their sister restaurant, Osteria La Porta early this week. Dinner there was our other favorite meal, so far. The restaurants share much of the same menu, same attention and caring that we have a good meal.

Daria and her team are top notch. The ingredients are fresh and local. Daniela gave us a great cooking class. The local wines are fully stocked and very reasonably priced.