Location: Palaia
Top Restaurants in Palaia
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Palaia Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Palaia
Palaia is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 45 kilometres (28 mi) southwest of Florence and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Pisa.
Things to do in Palaia
1. Ristorante Il Lago
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 257 reviews
Open Wednesday to Saturday dinner only. Sunday and holidays both lunch and dinner. Open every evening in August.
Reviewed By Sarah J - London, United Kingdom
It looks rather like a wedding only venue, but is a fully functioning restaurant. the waiting staff were attentive and helpful, even bringing us dishes to try that they thought we might like. Tip - the fish menu is amazing! Everything was good and made the walk there and back well worth it!
2. Casa Masi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By ReallyBadHat
We chose to visit based on hotel recommendation and good reviews
A quaint old building with eclectic decoration inside.
All tables in the main restaurant were booked mid week which is good but unfortunately we were seated in the entranceway by 2 families with small children whose little darlings were allowed to run about as if in a playground making service difficult and taking the shine off our evening.
The mixed antipasto was good containing a wide selection. Unfortunately the main was not so good - Fiorentina steak was not medium rare, more rare for 80% of it, the fried mushrooms with mint were lovely but no hint of mint and the roast potatoes were overdone and distinctly average.
Service overall seemed a bit rushed and impersonal. House red wine was a star at €12.
Maybe we were unlucky or maybe it has changed ? It did not match the reputation, reviews nor our expectations.
3. Osteria del Sole
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 134 reviews
Reviewed By GuyB698 - Cambridge
My wife and I ate at the Osteria Del Sole at the end of our annual week in the Palaia area, and we both felt that although we'd enjoyed almost all our meals, this was the best of them all. The service was great and the food was exciting and delicious. We'd had a largish lunch, so we shared the much-feted octopus salad to start. Brilliant! Beautifully tender, with subtle flavours of celery and fennel. Then Leena had a fantastic squid dish and I had pigeon with roasted potatoes. Again, the meat was very tender - difficult to achieve with pigeon, and altogether delicious. Sadly we didn't have the appetite to try a pudding, but it is our avowed intention when we (hopefully) return to Tuscany next year, to place Osteria Del Sole at the top of our list of 'must go to' restaurants, and to go hungry!
4. Papaveri e Papere
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 945 reviews
Reviewed By MD G
We have just returned to Ireland after spending two weeks vacation in San Miniato, dining out frequently here and elsewhere in the provinces of Tuscany and Pisa. Without doubt, this restaurant is one of the best in the entire region!
The restaurant cooks outstanding meat and seafood dishes and also offers local truffle dishes. The staff are very efficient and attentive, without rushing you if you want to savour a leisurely meal. There is a choice of indoor or outdoor Seating, all with proper table linen and superb house bread. If you don't leave early, you might even meet the chef when he comes out to meet customers.
Our standout dishes included their signature grilled octopus, which was succulent with amazing texture and flavour, an inventive take on insalata caprese, which involved superb mozzarella with a tomato veloute, and main courses of homemade gnochetti dumplings with truffle and superb local seawater fish. See photos attached to this review.
If you're looking for dinner with a view, go elsewhere, but if you want superb flavours and a memorable meal, you won't be disappointed here! We will be back!
5. Pasticceria Ferretti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 463 reviews
Reviewed By Sandra T - Zurich, Switzerland
Already spoiled by Tuscany cuisine we still could not help ourselves going to Pasticceria for the third time during our few days visit of the region. It is simply amazing. Not overly complicated, and at the same time incredibly tasty dishes.
Clearly loved by locals, who are there both at lunch and dinner.
Must try the veggie lasagna.
Not pricey, easy dining, only a few tables, friendly staff, lovely local atmosphere.
6. Ristorante Albergo Quattro Gigli
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 288 reviews
Reviewed By Roger W - Bournemouth, United Kingdom
The front door to this hotel gives little away, walk a little further in and still you see only traces of former grandeur and gain the impression of a slightly fusty hotel. A complicated meander down a few corridors and down a number of flights of stairs will eventually lead you to a fairly old fashioned but charming sun bathed Terrace with wonderful views over the tuscan countryside. First wow.
The service is unassuming and unintrusive but very informative ( especially if you need help with the menu which is in Italian only) and efficient.
Choose whatever you fancy and you will not be disappointed, all dishes are beautifully prepared and presented. The scallops are excellent ( two of our party said they were the best they had ever had) so come highly recommended.
The set menus ( there are two, one vegetarian the other with meat) were very enjoyable and may introduce you to new and interesting flavours.
The house wine that comes with the menus is very drinkable, red or white.
All in all a very enjoyable experience and one that I would not hesitate to suggest you try, even if it means going a little bit out of your way.
We went twice.
Perfetto!
7. Ristorante Agriturismo Colleoli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By FrankieFile - CHicago
I can't understand negative reviews because this was the highlight of our two week stay. We came for lunch, were warmly greeted. The food, presentation were wonderful with the added bonus of a spectacular view on a gorgeous day. The Waitstaff was delightful.
I highly recommend the seafood appetizers. We had two spaghetti dishes, wild boar and, my favorite, the rabbit. The desserts were sumptuous.
Highly recommend
8. La Taverna dell'Ozio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 696 reviews
Reviewed By Cris A - Stockholm, Sweden
I don't know how any times I've been in this restaurant during last 10 years. It's always a big plesure to have lunch or dinner here in Taverna dell'ozio a Corazzano. It is amazing what a wanderful , tasty food they can cook ! absolutly home made and real toscano dishes. Don't eat too much antipasti if you want to taste their pasta and bisteca fiorentina, tirami su etc. Be aware that you have to book at least two week in advance but the waiting time will be much compensated....And is not expensive at all. Congratulation to the team and the cook in Taverna . It's always a pleasure to be there.
9. Antica farmacia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 203 reviews
nuovo ristorante aperto dal 2010. Buona cucina a prezzi molto convenienti
Reviewed By Chris M - Haslemere
This was our first time in this little corner of Tuscany and we were generally a bit disappointed in the restaurants. Antica Farmacia was by far the best restaurant meal we had during our week in here. This is a small, characterful place with about 7-8 tables. We had one of the two tables as you first enter, and then the rest are a few steps up in the "main" room that has the view. It was still charming where we were, but I suspect we were a bit "forgotten" in the first room, and the buzz is in the second room. They offer about three pasta sauces, and they are all served with the same pasta, which our waitress told us has been fusilli for the last 18 months or so - not my favourite pasta, but the mixed ragu sauce (duck, wild boar and maybe rabbit?) was absolutely lovely. We then had the bistecca, which was offered either by itself for €40 a kilo, or with pancetta and truffle oil on top for €45 a kilo. We ordered the second (just one, the biggest one they had at about 800gms (€36), as we had already had pastas), and it was absolutely delicious! We took the pancetta off the top, and our two young children had several pieces of steak, and although they don't really like truffles, they loved the steak - the truffle oil was concentrated in the pancetta, which my wife and I absolutely loved along with the bistecca. An outstanding dish. It took a very long time for our plates to be removed after we finished, and I had to be a bit pushy in the end to get the bill, but we were in no rush so it wasn't a problem for us, and the waitress remained very pleasant throughout. We would definitely go back.
10. Bacciomeo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 323 reviews
Typical Tuscan cuisine of our ancestors in a very astonishing location. Original fescos dated 1700 telling us the story of an ancient marriage.
Reviewed By slb787 - Pleasanton, California
This restored 15th century palazzo has the perfect ambience for an incredibly delicious Tuscan meal. My husband and I were placed at a table for two in the parlor of this villa surrounded with frescoed walls.The servers treated us like royalty and even the chef came out to our table! We were the only diners at 7:30 pm but a group of 50 joined us around 8:30 and yet, the service never lagged at our small table. And to cap things off our dinner was probably the best we've had in Tuscany to date! First of all we shared (plates were split in the kitchen) the tagolini with boar sauce and it was divine; my husband ordered the pork tenderloin with poppy seed crust and it was so tender you could cut it with a fork; my entrée was the eggplant in puff pastry - light and sumptuous. We had the sweet and sour onions as well as the grilled vegetables as our sides and all the flavors combined to make a very delicious meal. We took it one step further and shared the apple tart for dessert and were so glad we did. The wine list features local wines, reasonably priced. The whole evening in this restaurant was perfection and we certainly will return.
Well done Baccimeo!
