Ristorante Il Cardinale In Colle di val d'elsa

We stayed three nights at the Relais Della Rovere and dined at the restaurant one evening. The hotel setting is very pleasant, especially the terrace in the summer evenings, but the quality of the food isn't always consistent, which is disappointing considering the price. The beef tartare was very good, but it lacked seasoning. The truffle pasta was good, but you could tell it wasn't homemade and it was cooked in a bit too much butter. The gnocchi were quite good, but the pesto was probably not homemade and lacked flavor. The wine list has a wide selection, but almost no bottles under €45. We finished with a pecorino cheese board to share, worried we might be disappointed by the desserts. The board was quite generous with cheeses, but we're still looking for the accompaniments listed on the menu. In short, for a meal costing over €60 per person, we were generally disappointed. I recommend the hotel, but unless you really don't want to go anywhere, skip the restaurant! I'll end on a positive note with the friendly and welcoming service.