There are so many good places to eat in and around Montepulciano, so where to go? Ask the locals, of course. Cinzia Caporali, owner of La Locanda di San Francesco, a boutique hotel in Montepulciano, recommends five places:

Montepulciano

(1) La Grotta: in Cinzia’s opinion, the best in the Montepulciano area for the quality of food and service. It’s perfect for a romantic dinner, but also for business meetings. The menu is based on fresh local products. Excellent wine list (French and Italian wines and champagne). Garden view of San Biagio Cathedral. Tasting menu for approx. 48 EUR per person.

La Grotta
Via Di San Biagio, 15
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 757607

(2) Logge del Vignola: Cozy and intimate, less than 20 seats, in the historical center of Montepulciano. Attentive service, extensive wine list, menu based on local products. Tasting menu is between 40-45 EUR per person (cooking classes for small groups of two to four people on request).

Logge del Vignola
Via Delle Erbe, 6
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 717290
www.leloggedelvignola.com

(3) Osteria Acquacheta: popular meeting place for the locals in the off-season, famous for the steak (fiorentina alla brace) and for the quirky character of the owner, Giulio. Handmade pasta and bread, and extensive offerings of vegetables as side dishes. The osteria also serves traditional Tuscan dishes that have been “lost” to memory and are very difficult to find elsewhere (for example, cibreo - a dish made of chicken innards and coxcombs). About 40 seats set along two long tables. Average price: 20-25 EUR per person.

Osteria Acquacheta
Via del Teatro, 22
53045 Montepulciano (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 717 086
www.acquacheta.eu

Monticchiello

(4) La Porta: Family -run restaurant at the gate of the village boasts of a beautiful terrace.

La Porta
Via Del Piano, 3
53026 Monticchiello (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 755163

Pienza

(5) Latte di Luna: Family -run restaurant with a lovely outdoor space, great “pici” pasta; famous for “maialino al latte”.

Latte di Luna
Via San Carlo, 2
53026 Pienza (SI), Italy
+39 (0)578 748606

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If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, check out La Locanda di San Francesco, an intimate (4-room) boutique hotel set in a 14th century palazzo in the historical center of Montepulciano in Tuscany. It is a family-run hotel which has been written about in magazines such as Food & Wine and Condé Nast Traveller. The owner, Cinzia Caporali, can arrange private wine tours and tastings in the family winery, Tenuta Valdipiatta, which makes Nobile di Montepulciano wine. The bistro/wine-bar offers artisan cheeses, salumi, and other simple delicious dishes. You can also buy locally produced olive oil, honey, pasta and other Tuscan foods.

The area around Montepulciano has so much to offer people who love food, wine, nature and history. The atmospheric little town of Pienza, which lies next to Montepulciano, was the birth place of Enea Silvio Piccolomini, later Pope Pius II, who rebuilt the town in Renaissance style and used it as his home away from Rome in the 1400s. Pienza has wonderful small food stores that sell fresh pecorino cheese, which one must consume immediately. You can find pecorino cheese, plain or mixed with truffles, hot red peppers, etc. in Montepulciano as well. Don’t miss the ancient spa towns of Bagno Vignoni and Chianciano Terme, whose thermal waters were once thought to have cured diseases. The hilly area is perfect for long walks, especially after all the eating and drinking that inevitably accompanies a stay in this region.

La Locanda di San Francesco
Piazza San Francesco, 5
53045 Montepulciano
Italy
+39 (0)578 758 725
www.locandasanfrancesco.it

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I love the neighborhood of Saint Germain des in Paris, so I was thrilled to find out that a lovely boutique hotel called the Villa Madame has opened very close to my favorite park, the Jardin du Luxembourg. Located on rue Madame, it is also only minutes away from the church of St. Sulpice and the cool shops on the Rue Bonaparte. The Left Bank remains an atmospheric place to stay in Paris, despite the influx of chain stores. If you are going to Paris, check out my list of favorite boutiques and restaurants.

Villa Madame
44, rue Madame
75006 Paris
France
+33 (0)1 45 48 02 81
www.hotelvillamadameparis.com

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There’s no reason to stay in a drab, soulless chain hotel when you are visiting Toronto whether for business or pleasure. I’ve put together a list of my favorite hotels that offer much more than the usual bland interior decor that infests many urban hotels. For example, the Gladstone Hotel’s 37 rooms are designed by artists and each one is very different from the other so if you are looking for quirky artistic accommodations, this one is for you. If your taste leans toward the sleek, international style, you may prefer The Cosmopolitan and the Hazelton.

Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St.
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 531 5042
www.thedrakehotel.ca

Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel
8 Colborne Street
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 945 5455
www.cosmotoronto.com

The Hazelton Hotel
118 Yorkville Avenue
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 963 6300
www.thehazeltonhotel.com

Hotel Le Germain Toronto
30 Mercer St
Toronto, Canada
+1 416 345 9500
www.germaintoronto.com

The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen St
+1 416 531 4635
Toronto, Canada
www.gladstonehotel.com

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