Octavin - AREZZO

A culinary experience with warm and attentive hosts! read more A culinary experience with warm and attentive hosts!

We went during Easter this year. It had a 4.9 rating, and obviously we thought we couldn't miss it. We decided to get the short 5-course menu because we always... read more We went during Easter this year. It had a 4.9 rating, and obviously we thought we couldn't miss it. We decided to get the short 5-course menu because we always leave very full when we do the longer menus. Be that as it may, we were still hungry. It sounds like a joke, but I thought about going to McDonald's afterward. On the positive side, I recognize the care and attention to detail in the dishes, but most of them were basically vegetables. Like the scalogne, which was basically onions, or the cavoletti, which is Brussels sprouts! Literally. Who eats Brussels sprouts in a restaurant? Or the pasta dish, which used a type of pasta typically given to small children. And the cider, well, I expected much more. In northern Spain, natural cider is consumed a lot at very low prices €5-€8) and of excellent quality, and paying €60, I really expected something sublime. Overall we felt that the products did not justify the price.

An experience worth the trip. A journey into the cuisine and philosophy of the Chef, excellently accompanied by attentive, friendly and prepared service. Excell... read more An experience worth the trip. A journey into the cuisine and philosophy of the Chef, excellently accompanied by attentive, friendly and prepared service. Excellent wine choices and also the non-alcoholic accompaniment with a wide selection of kombucha with different flavors. A special mention for the fermented potato bread that started the dinner with a good mood, the burnt grapes, the simple complexity of the Brussels sprouts, for the red pine oil, the perfect balance of the whitefish and for the yeast foam (a true epiphany) served as an excellent accompaniment with the shallot. The comté is the (vigorous) coccola that closes perfectly. A place not to be missed for those who want to venture down the rabbit hole.

Small, understated place with intentional, simple decor and soft music so the focus is entirely on the food without a bunch of showy distraction. The service wa... read more Small, understated place with intentional, simple decor and soft music so the focus is entirely on the food without a bunch of showy distraction. The service was excellent and perfectly timed. We got a little booklet at the beginning that had the name of each dish so we would know what was coming next. But even so, no tasting plate was what we expected. Really played with our head! Every plate was fantastic and eye opening, the starting course was a tomato elderberry broth that was such a flavor zing j could not believe it. A black trumpet mushroom dish had the most incredible texture I am a cook by profession, and I just can not figure out how it was achieved. I was so happy with everything and had so much fun and it was like a performance of tastes. At the end, they gave us a little bag with cookies. I was so full, and yet when I got home, I wanted a sweet treat and there it was. They really just thought of everything. I strongly recommend this place to folks who want to have an experience, not just dinner. Thank you so much to the incredible, thoughtful staff and the soulful, skilled chef. I will never forget my night there. Ciao, Mattea

We were three for dinner (we brought our 12 year old daughter with us) and two of us are gluten free. They beautifully prepared everything respecting our food i... read more We were three for dinner (we brought our 12 year old daughter with us) and two of us are gluten free. They beautifully prepared everything respecting our food intolerance. The fixed menu was convincing with a lot of variety thought and research put into it. Seasonal and local ingredients with Asian influences. There is a juice tasting menu paired with the main menu which is really original. The broths were artfully prepared. The most striking dishes to us were: the sweet and sour game broth with elder, the roast Porcini mushroom with grilled chicken broth, the grilled duck with kombucha of “ Olivella spinosa” and the lacquered cow spare rib with squashed potato and horseradish butter. Please pay attention to the Normandy butter that they bring to the table with the ancient grain bread… very addictive. We will definitely be back!!