La Locanda Di Fonte Alla Vena In San quirico d'orcia

Excellent restaurant, a 5-minute walk from the historic San Quirico winery. The meat is good quality and the pasta dishes are excellent. I recommend expanding the wine list with smaller, reasonably priced wineries.

Fonte alla Vena didn’t quite live up to expectations. The food was just okay — the tartare was bland, and the pork ribs were so charred they tasted grainy. One of our sides never arrived, and the bread was stale. Service was fine, but overall the experience felt underwhelming. There are definitely better options nearby.

Beautiful Setting, But a Disappointing Experience Fonte Alla Vena has the look of a refined, must-visit restaurant — a picturesque setting, strong reviews, and a limited nightly seating window that suggests care and exclusivity. But what we got was a meal that, while technically competent, felt unfinished and mishandled. Poor service follow-through and a lack of attention to detail left us walking away more frustrated than satisfied. Food: • Starters: The pork belly with leek and potato terrine had a soft, sweet contrast, but the overall dish was overly fatty and lacked any acidity or sharpness to balance it. The beef tartare with truffle was hand-cut and featured fresh truffle, but it was served with nothing — not even toast — just stale, dry table bread. A dish that should have been rich and punchy ended up feeling flat and underthought. • Mains: The peposo (Tuscan red wine–braised beef) was tender and well-braised in a deep, flavorful sauce. The pork ribs were also well-cooked and nicely marinated — but that was it. No garnish, no sides, no sauce, no balance. Both dishes felt incomplete on their own. • We had ordered a spinach side to go with the mains — clearly essential to round out such heavy plates — but it never arrived. When we asked mid-meal, we were told it was coming. It didn’t. By the time we finished eating, we had to cancel the order. That was the first time anyone acknowledged the issue. Only after we paid did another staff member explain that it had been given to another table, who simply ate it. There was no follow-up, no offer to make it right — just a quiet mention on the way out. Service: • Service started off well while the restaurant was empty. But once other tables were seated, it became harder to get any attention, and it felt like we were seen as an inconvenience for following up on missing items. • One staff member, clearly in a rush, told us to “please wait” when we tried to speak with her — which is fine in the moment, but it reflected a larger tone shift. There was no real ownership of the mistake, no effort to fix the situation while it still mattered. • For a restaurant operating at this level, we expected better communication, faster response, and at least some proactive service recovery. Drinks: • Limited to wine, beer, and water. • Both house beers were served in white wine glasses — not a problem. The Blanche was light and pleasant. The Gose, however, was nearly flat and sharply sour, bordering on vinegary — not refreshing and not enjoyable. Overall: This meal wasn’t terrible — but it absolutely wasn’t worth the praise. The food was fine but lacked balance. The missing side was never handled properly. And the service tone shifted from warm to indifferent as the restaurant filled up. For a place that’s clearly aiming to be something special, the experience felt careless and unpolished. We left disappointed — and we wouldn’t return.

Welcoming and refined atmosphere, kind and attentive staff. Traditional dishes, but also original. I recommend the gnudi, excellent! The bill is consistent with the offer. Must try!

Thank you very much! We had a wonderful evening, the food and wine were delicious, we will come back and recommend your place, it was superb!

A fantastic restaurant with genuine Italian hospitality. The decor is tasteful and cozy, making you feel immediately at home. The food and wine are excellent. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful ambiance and the attentive service from Anna – a real insider tip!”

Driven by the excellent reviews a few days ago we tried this restaurant. The reviews were not wrong. Excellent food, welcoming and helpful staff.

Very nice and quiet restaurant in San Quirico d'Orcia. Excellent food and very kind and professional owner.

Exceptional experience, everything perfect and delicious, from the service to the dishes. Really recommended for quality, precision and professionalism. Components!

Sono stata a cena la sera di Pasqua con il mio compagno, il ristorante ci era stato consigliato dai nostri host b&b ed è stato una sorpresa più che piacevole. Il titolare è stato gentilissimo e molto disponibile a consigliarci piatti e vino. Ambiente tranquillo e caratteristico, le portate erano abbondanti e molto saporite e gustose, le pappardelle fatte in casa una vera delizia. Chicca il panforte fatto in casa. Spero di poter tornare presto e consiglio vivamente una sosta alla Fonte alla Vena