Tenuta Valle Delle Ginestre

A hit.

I spent five days here in August, and it really is a beautiful, relaxing spot, like a little corner of paradise. The food is all homemade and delicious, from pasta and desserts to meat and ice cream. Prices are reasonable: first courses cost €5-8, second courses €10-12, and side dishes €4. The staff are very kind and attentive to what guests need. It’s a country agriturismo, so don’t expect fancy rooms. The furnishings are antique and the shower has a curtain, though there’s air conditioning. The pool is a particular highlight, and we’ll definitely come back. Make sure to use GPS to find the place, or you might never get there.

We thought dinner would be included if we ate at the farm, as the lady had told us. We stopped there overnight in our camper, so we went ahead and ate to try the local products. There was a bottle of still water, a few slices of very thin coppa, four bits of cheese with just a teaspoon of jam, two green beans, and four pieces of day-old bread with a little diced tomato. The main course was two slices of piglet that had been defrosted and reheated. Dinner for two adults and two children came to €62. I can only imagine what wine would have added. It felt like a total rip-off, and they gave us no receipt or tax receipt.

It’s a beautiful place, and the food was decent and enjoyable. The management, though, is far too strict, with too many rules and refusals about everything, even the dining room furnishings and the pool. It feels snobbish, as if they’re running a courtroom. I booked it for a birthday party. The headcount can change at the last minute, especially during the week of August 15th, as well as at other times, because of unexpected issues, vacationers, and plenty of other reasons. We ended up with 37 people instead of 41, but management charged me for 41, saying they had rules to follow. I paid, rightfully so, but still wanted to make that point.