July 2022

Dining Review: Taverna Squarcialupi – Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany Italy

There are far too many places in Tuscany to have a wonderful meal so picking one meal could be a difficult task with so many choices. Since we were staying in Castellina, I wanted somewhere nearby. Located right in the heart of Castellina in Chianti, Taverna Squarcialupi came well rated and the menu looked fantastic.

When we were brought to our seats, we jaw dropped – we were seated on the back terrace with an incredible view! How unbelievable – I had no idea this view was even here, all the reviews just mentioned how good the food was and having that with this view is just amazing.

This menu was quite amazing featuring many of our favorite things. After some back and forth, we decided to get two pastas and then share an appetizer and an entree to give ourselves the opportunity to try everything we wanted. To start, we ordered the house wine Chianti Classico and started munching on the bread. We instantly recalled how Tuscan bread has no salt and the different breads in this basket were delicious.

Fiori di zucca fritti ripieni di formaggio caprino
Deep-fried zucchini flowers with goat-cheese filling

Stuffed zucchini flowers are one of my favorite appetizers so the fact we visited when these were in season was such a great surprise. These flowers are huge and stuffed with delicious goat cheese, and the tempura batter was so light to let the zucchini flower shine. A wonderful way to start our meal.

“Tortello del Pastore“con tartufo al profumo di maggiorana e crumble di grana
Farmer’s Tortello with black truffle, marjoram and Grana crumble

Oh my, oh my – this was divine! The tortello were perfectly stuffed and cooked, the creamy sauce was tasty, chunks of cheese added a bite of saltiness, and those truffles – those truffles were heavenly. This dish was easily a ten of out ten for both of us.

“Carbonara del Toscanaccio” maltagliati in salsa di uovo, scaglie di pecorino affinato con foglie di tabacco affumicato e guanciale di cinta senese
Fresh home-made pasta with egg sauce, pecorino flakes and Cinta senese bacon

Carbonara is one of my favorite pasta dishes and Kevin has perfected the recipe at home so when I saw it listed on the menu, I knew we had to try it. These noodles were very wide – there is nothing quite like fresh handmade pasta. The egg sauce was executed well creating a great consistency. The chunks of pecorino were so yummy and while I thought the guanciale was a bit on the scare side, they were all hidden underneath the pasta. The saltiness of the pecornio cheese chinks and the guanciale matched with the creaminess of the sauce paired perfectly.

Piccione della Taverna con pan brioche alle albicocche, pepe e tartufo
Pigeon “Taverna” style with apricot pan- brioche and truffle

Our server split the dish into two portions which we were so thankful for! The pigeon was so delicious – the meat was super tender, and the skin was wrapped in bacon which added so much flavor. The jus was definitely a reduction of all those juices and it was lick the plate” good. The truffles on top was such a great added bonus that brought earthiness to the dish. The addition of the potato puree certainly allowed us to sop up all that jus till the plate was clean. I am so glad we ordered this way so that we could both enjoy this dish.

The view was so incredible – we got to watch the sun set and change the colors of the scenary as well as spot a faimly of wild boar making their way through the countryside.

We absolutely loved our meal at Taverna Squarcialupi! I can only imagine how many wonderful places there are to dine near and around Castellina but I can say that Taverna Squarcialupi is definitely a great option. The service, the menu, the view, and the value were all on point and we highly recommend!