Relais Il Falconiere

Italy
Europe

The Experience

This 17th-century villa dotted with elderly stone structures sits in the panoramic Tuscan countryside, surrounded by trees, fragrant gardens and vineyards--the Baracchi family has crafted wine here since 1860. Food is the focal point at Il Falconiere (which has a real falcon mascot), with culinary lessons and an internationally acclaimed eatery attracting epicures of all stripes. If you need more culture, just an hour’s drive away awaits art cities such as Florence, Assisi and Arezzo.

The Rooms

The lodgings are spread across a clutch of structures, including an old farmhouse and the seven-room Vigne del Falco, featuring its own private pool. The farmhouse is fashioned with a book-filled sitting room and deep sofas, and its smallish, pastel-hued bedrooms contain chestnut wardrobes and wrought-iron bedsteads; less appealing are its creaky stairs and rattling doors, which form an insomniac's symphony. For more privacy, silence and whirlpool baths, try the spacious suites adjoining the chapel. One caveat: This is the country, so ants and crickets are common.

The Service

With such an intense focus on the restaurant, where the waiters are swift and gracious, the rest of the service lags by comparison. The concierge can be temperamental (except when booking dinner reservations, mind you), and their day-trip suggestions are not always on point.

The Highlights

You came for the food and drink. And you won’t be disappointed. Amateur gourmands can take Tuscan cooking classes, explore the working winery or tour the groves of fruit-bearing olive, pear and persimmon trees and the wine cellar; samples are paired with cheese and charcuterie. Il Falconiere’s finest hour is the multilevel restaurant housed in an old lemon-tree shelter. The eatery features a glass-encased conservatory and a private dining room decorated with diminutive clocks, which tick-tock as you twirl homemade pasta topped with Falconiere-produced olive oil and sip the villa’s vintage wines.

 

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