Eating is a joy in Tuscany, and its culinary traditions are among the finest in the world. Many of our guests eat out most of the time, and the “Restaurants” section of this website lists many of our favourite locations, in a wide variety of price brackets. However, we know that some family parties prefer to eat at Ripertoli, but want a local cook to come in and take on the burden of food preparation so that they can have a more relaxing holiday. Fortunately we have an excellent local contact  who is very happy to buy food and cook for Ripertoli guests, and knows our kitchen and its equipment well.

Dining on the Terrace, June 2016

Here is how our local chef works:

Normally there is an “Antipasto”, a “Primo” (first course, usually pasta), and a “Secondo” (main course), plus a salad. For this he charges around 35 euros per person (2025) – the charge varies a little depending on the menu you choose and the size of your party. Our clients have always told us that he is great value.

The chef will provide pudding and/or cheese as well if you wish, for an extra charge, but you may prefer to buy your own cheese from Giacomo’s excellent  “Giabar” in Greve (open from midday) or Panzano market on Sunday. For pudding it’s hard to beat the ice-cream you can buy in Caffe Lepanto in Greve in insulated containers which protect it until you get it back to the freezer at Ripertoli.

The  chef and his helper will set the table and serve everything including the main course, after which they will leave you in privacy. This does mean that you have to clear up and run the dishwasher, but this seems to be the right compromise.

If you want dinner on the Saturday when you arrive, we ask you to allow the chef to decide on the menu (after letting us know of any allergies or major dislikes of course). This is because Saturday is frenetic at Ripertoli, as beds are changed, the house cleaned, and dozens of sheets & towels are laundered. So we recommend you to send a shopping party to Greve soon after you arrive to stock up on wine etc. The shops stay open till 7.30, some till 8, and the Coop in San Casciano till 8.30 pm. On Sunday morning the market in Panzano is well worth a visit, and we suggest you buy from the cooked chicken stall – the salt level is mind-blowing, and the taste wonderful- and from Giacomo’s cheese stall. The San Casciano Coop is open till 1.30 pm on Sundays, and has excellent fresh bread baked on the premises.

Wine! This is an important specialist subject and you will want to buy your own, so please read the “Wine tasting and buying” section of the website.

After all this you might wonder what to do about lunch.   Our favourite lunchtime starter is a traditional peasant food, “Fettunta” – toasted Tuscan white bread, with salt and garlic rubbed on it to taste, drenched in Ripertoli olive oil from the container by the kitchen sink. After that, we recommend the home-cured ham and home-made salami from our favourite butcher “Ceccatelli”  in Greve, on the left about 100 yards from the church as you look at the church at the end of the piazza.

Here is the chef’s menu, in Italian and English, so that you can discuss it with housekeeper Licia what you would like to have each day.

E tante altre cose    –  and lots of other things if they look good in the shops and market today!