Agriturismo Al Castagno

Sandra, the owner, was so kind and lovely. The stone building has lots of thoughtful details, and our apartment was clean, beautiful, and fully equipped. We had a wonderful time in the mountains and will definitely come back.

The silence and the magic of the nature around the house made it easy to reconnect with myself. The apartment was delightful, clean, and finished with care. The road is unpaved, but taking it slowly was easy enough, even in my Lancia Ypsilon. Thanks to the landlady for being so welcoming and available. 🙏🏻🪷

We’d love to come back and try one of the apartments for a holiday. We had lunch there on a sunny Friday, and the owner cooked just for us, since we were the only couple. She was friendly and sociable, and the food was all authentic, local, and delicious. We ate outside in one of the little gazebos, where our dog relaxed too. For the amount and quality, about €33 per person felt very reasonable: appetizer, two first courses, a second course, two desserts, and house wine. The place is beautifully designed and meticulously kept, surrounded by pristine woods and mountain scenery in the Pistoia countryside. The winding dirt road to get there is picturesque. Well done for the warm welcome, the cooking, and the lovely setting.

The setting was truly beautiful, though cars passed right by the tables. The way our meal was handled left me very disappointed, and I won’t return somewhere I didn’t feel welcome. I’m vegetarian, and when my family and friends and I had lunch on August 11, 2024, we checked the ingredients before ordering. The menu described saccottini with Taleggio cheese and mushrooms, and when we asked the lady, presumably the owner, she said they contained only those ingredients. I ordered risotto alla parmigiana, which they described as risotto with only Parmesan cheese, while everyone else ordered the saccottini. I tried one because we were sure it was vegetarian, then found speck inside, though it wasn’t on the menu or mentioned by the owner when we asked specifically. I asked the waitress why there was unlisted meat in the dish and explained that this was a serious communication error for someone who doesn’t eat meat. She brought the owner, the same person who had assured us the saccottini contained only Taleggio and mushrooms. The owner didn’t seem apologetic and blamed me, saying I should have told her I was vegetarian, even though the menu and her answer had already made the ingredients clear. She also said they make pretty much everything with meat, that this is normal for them, and, in her words, “we don't usually even serve vegetarians here.” They could list all the ingredients or explain them when asked. I felt unaccepted, and nobody seemed to care about what had happened. I’d suggest making the menu much more explicit and being more courteous with customers.