Fattoria le Spighe

I loved the romantic, homey feel of the garden, and the staff were so professional and kind. The tasting menus are €35 for meat and €40 for fish. Before either one, there’s a buffet aperitif with local cheeses, garden vegetables fried up, and cured meats, and it was all delicious. Then dinner brings three appetizers, a first course, and a second course. I can’t wait to come back next time I’m here.

The welcome starts with a generous self-service aperitif, with a bit of everything, and it feels almost like a varied lunch. Once seated, you choose meat or fish, then there’s an appetizer, first course, second course, side, dessert, coffee, and an after-dinner drink. The food is delicious, high quality, organic, and homemade, and wine is included. The restaurant’s in a spectacular setting, and the service was welcoming and literally impeccable. Everyone was unusually kind and helpful. There’s so much food, and the price felt more than fair for the whole experience. Highly recommended, a wonderful day.

I hadn’t visited for a few years, and sadly the experience didn’t live up to my old memories. The setting is still lovely and well kept, though I can only speak about the buffet restaurant, as I haven’t stayed overnight. Dinner is fixed-price: you start with self-service cheeses to try with jams and honeys, cured meats, mozzarella and burrata, plus mixed fried vegetables that were a bit greasy and soggy. After that, they serve a five-course meat or seafood menu at the table. I’ve tried both. The portions are what you notice first, they’re microscopic. You can ask for more if you have room, but that’s a hassle. I understand the wish to avoid waste and throwing away extra food, and that’s commendable, but the flavors were not very distinct, even though the ingredients seemed good quality and, I assume, came from the farm or local suppliers. Service was very simple and a little convoluted, though the staff were smiling and helpful. The price matches what’s offered.

The setting, among the greenery of the Maremma, is a real highlight, and you can take a walk among the vine rows. At the buffet, there’s unlimited access and a wide range of products, with excellent sparkling wine alongside it. The cheeses were fresh and delicious, the battered vegetables lovely, and the cured meats exceptional. After the aperitif, you choose either the seafood or meat menu, and both were delicious and well prepared. Easily the best buffet I’ve ever had. Spectacular!