Where to eat and where to sleep in San Gimignano

 

If you’re in San Gimignano and looking for a place to eat, we have a few recommendations.  Places that we enjoyed and would have loved to return to had we been in town longer.

On our first day, we stopped in at Ristorante Chiribiri  for lunch. We arrived before they filled up, which was lucky, and we each enjoyed a plate of light, yet filling pasta (Mike liked the tagliatelli with rabbit ragu and Gayla liked the pumpkin ravioli).  Delicious and perfectly portioned considering we wanted something light, yet substantial enough to carry us through an afternoon of sightseeing. It was a great choice.  Chiribiri is located south of the town center, near Porta San Giovanni at Piazza della Madonna, 1

Eager to  sample the local gelato, we decided to pass on the dolci menu at Chiribiri, and head off instead in search of a good gelateria, and we found one. The award-winning Gelateria di Piazza, is quite possibly the most popular gelateria in town, judging by the crowd that was waiting to order.  We noticed that the owner and ‘master gelato maker’, Sergio, seemed delighted to talk with customers as they waited.  And, though busy, the service was quick, and the gelato was delicious. Using regional products, Gelateria di Piazza has created some interesting and unique flavor combinations like rosemary and raspberries, sparkling wine with grapefruit, and the Crema di Santa Fina made with pine nuts and locally grown saffron. Gelateria di Piazza is located at Piazza della Cisterna, 4.

Wine Bar di Vinorum

Following our dessert of delicious and refreshing gelato, we started out on a walk along the city wall where we got caught in a mild rain storm.  Finding ourselves next to Wine Bar di Vinorum, we decided this was a great chance to take a break and enjoy a glass of the local wine.   Vernaccia di San Gimignano, is a refreshingly crisp white wine, and the view from Wine Bar di Vinorum is amazing.  A short walk (~1 minute) from Piazza della Cisterna, Enoteca-Wine Bar di Vinorum is located at Via degli Innocenti, 5.

Our choice for dinner in San Gimignano was another good decision.  We picked Locanda Di Sant’Agostino in Piazza Sant’Agostino north of the city center.  It’s a rustic and homey restaurant, with a pleasant atmosphere, serving good, inexpensive homestyle meals and delicious homemade desserts.  We devoured a first course of pici con ragù bianco (pici pasta with a white sauce).  For il secondo (the second course) we tried the wild boar stew and the pollo alla cacciatore (stewed chicken and tomato). And, for dessert, the best tiramisu we’ve ever had!  During our meal we were treated to live music from a group of musicians sitting outside; a nice touch on a rainy evening.  You can find Locanda di Sant’Agostino at Piazza Sant’Agostino, 10; only a minute’s walk from Porta San Matteo and about 7 minutes from Piazza della Cisterna.

Hotel la Cisterna at night

If you’re looking for a nice place to stay in San Gimignano, we recommend Hotel la Cisterna in Piazza della Cisterna. This was our top choice for convenience, since it’s located in the heart of San Gimignano, an easy 5 minute walk from the bus stop at Porta San Giovanni, and it’s the only one we found that allowed direct booking via the hotel’s website. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but we found the rates, which include a mediocre breakfast buffet,  to be overpriced.

Public toilet in San Gimignano

Travel tipSan Gimignano is one town with nice public restrooms.  Found in various places across town, the facilities cost .50 euro cents and are clean and well-kept.

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2 Comments

  1. VJB traveler

    Hello Mike,
    I’m enjoying reading your website and looking at pictures, remembering my time in San Gimignano. However, when trying to read your blog on “Florence to San Gimignano…” it will not allow me to read for more than 10-15 seconds before joining the picture scrolling. I thought you might like to know so it can be corrected.

    • Mikestravelguide

      Hi,
      Thanks for the info. The page seems to work well on my browser (Safari 7.0.1). Which browser/version are you using?

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