La Biscondola In San gimignano

DELICIOUS LUNCH INSIDE A CASTLE ! My wife and I arrived in Florence by Bullet Train from Rome on Sunday, March 23rd. A well appointed king suite on the 5th floor of the luxurious Hotel Berchielli would be HOME for the next 4 days. Hard to beat that view of the picturesque River Arno ! We had a couple of day tours planned while in Florence and had engaged the services of our fav limo tour driver Martin who knew the ropes around here better than most. And more than that Martin had become our good friend since we first used his services 18 months before when he drove us from Florence to Bologna via the scenic route. On Monday Martin picked us up out front to begin our road tour of Tuscany. AMAZING SCENERY EVERYWHERE ! We stopped at Piazza del Campo for a look around...Siena Cathedral was beautiful ! In the distance I could see a large structure that looked like a castle. I said to Martin that I had never seen a castle....then we will go there Michael was his reply. Martin let us out at the front entrance while he parked the limo...and then he joined us within a few minutes. WOW ! What we could see out front sure looked majestic. NOTE ! San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Five Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses which with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline". In the 3rd century BC a small Etruscan village stood on the site of San Gimignano. Shortly after we entered through the front gate my wife bought a beautiful Italian wide brimmed straw hat to replace the one left behind on the Bullet Train. We walked along the pristine paved paths looking at the wide variety of small businesses designed to please the hordes of tourists who visit here. At around 1pm we decided it was time to have some lunch and Martin knew the perfect spot...La Biscondola. We found a level table on the sloping outdoor patio and a smiling server named Giusy brought us menus. FIRST UP ! I ordered a bottle of Vale Blonde Ale to come out with our glasses of iced waters. I also asked Guisy to bring me a tall stem glass. FOOD ! I wasn't really sure what I wanted so I thought ordering a Bruschetta would be a good start. My wife and Martin both went with serves of Zuppa Toscana di Farro ( Tuscan spelled soup ). My ice cold blonde ale in a tall stemmed glass tasted very good. SUPER FAST SERVICE ! Before we knew it our server Giusy brought everything out to our table. My wife and our friend Martin commented how satisfying their soups tasted....it was a chilly day. OMG ! When I ordered my bruschetta I figured it would be a small serve and then I would order something else. BIGGEST BRUSCHETTA EVER ! But tell you what....it was totally delicious. DESSERT ! We had plans to buy gelatos at a very famous gelateria up the street but some sort of cake sounded nice. When I was checking out inside a bit earlier I saw this interesting looking cake on the bar counter. Giusy told me it was called Panforte Fichi e Noci ( figs, nuts, honey ). Everyone agreed we should have some. Soon after Giusy brought out 6 thin slices on a platter...it tasted dense, rich and very flavorsome. We loved it. I had a lovely chat with Stefania the owner before we headed off on our merry way. A VERY ENJOYABLE LUNCH !

Wonderful spot for a sandwich and a Spritz. Food is good, not great, but very solid overall. Service was amazing and the atmosphere is A+. Your in an old Italian town. What else could you ask for?

A really nice place and absolutely excellent service. The man who served us had a great sense of humor and was really fun. Highly recommended!

The waiters were very friendly and welcoming, and they made us laugh right away. Excellent service throughout. The food was also excellent, especially the value for money!

Very nice staff and good food and dessert

Amazing traditional Italian food we ate lasagna, carbonara and it was special. Tiramisu also great

Delicious food, good value for money. Service was good. Friendly staff.

Very nice place to eat or have a coffee and amazing service from Melissa, Ilaria, and Amadou. Thank you for your kindness and smile. Will return!

Excellent restaurant. Exceptional service. The waiter who served us was very kind and friendly, and recommended a delicious wine. For 25 euros per person, we had a dinner with a cold cuts appetizer, cheeses, a main course, reserve wine, and soda. Everything was exquisite! Highly recommended.

I was surprised to see the one-star reviews. The waiter who served us was by far the friendliest and most welcoming of the entire trip. The atmosphere was great, very nice, with good music and a good location. The food was also spectacular, very good. My family and I ordered pesto noodles, lasagna, and a burger, all delicious. And the prices are some of the best in the area, much lower than other restaurants in town, and you don't pay for the cover or service. (20-30 euros per person, even though we ordered a starter, wine, and several sodas in addition to the four main dishes.) Please, if you're unsure where to eat, come here. I'd like everyone to enjoy the wonderful experience I had with my family and for this place to get the recognition it deserves as the best in the area.