Il Borghetto Country Inn

Breakfast on the outdoor patio was lovely, with cheeses, meats, sweets, tarts, yogurt, fruit, and often fresh squeezed blood orange juice. Lunch and dinner are available if you ask, and they sell their own olive oil and wines. The inn has nine rooms among vineyards and olive groves in the rolling hills of Chianti, Tuscany. There’s a nice pool and a walking trail to an Etruscan tomb from the 7th century BC. Florence is about 20 minutes away and Sienna about 35. Il Borghetto is a wonderful place for a relaxing Tuscan holiday.

Staff were pleasant, and breakfast was alright, though the scrambled eggs were too salty. Getting suitcases from the car park to reception over the gravel was a struggle. The room was okay but had lots of awkward steps, a barely working shower, a leaky sink, and lots of stink bugs. I’d call it a 3.5 star experience.

We spent seven nights in the Self Catering Villa and couldn’t have picked a better base for settling into Tuscan life. It’s a beautiful, homely villa that feels more like staying with friends than renting a holiday house. There are lots of great places nearby to visit, including Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano. For food, we went to Officina della Bistecca, Rinuccio 1180, and La Cantinetta Di Rignana. Nearby vineyards include Antinori, Castello di Verrazzano, and Montefioralle.

We just finished three weeks touring Italy. None of us was on our first trip, and Il Borghetto was high on our list to revisit. We spent a full week there, and all four of us agreed it was easily the best week of the holiday. The location is ideal, halfway between Florence and Sienna, and the rooms are comfortable and beautifully appointed. The staff made each of us feel at home. Ilaria and Christina taught our cooking class, and we all thought it was the best meal of the trip. I wish I could give more than five stars. In our hearts, it was a ten. Thank you, Ilaria, Christina, Margo, Caramela, and Carol.