Osteria Acquacheta

This place was swarmed at 7:32pm last night. Well it opened at 7:30 and without a reservation, you weren’t getting in. We were fortunate enough that our hotel helped us make one a few days ago. And the swarming was justified by the awesome food that come out afterwards. It was more than just good steak — it was good environment, friendly people who knew who they were and executed with passion as well as just fresh high quality stuff.
The owners Giulio and Chiara are a neighborhood icon. Chiara comes around to take orders on everything ex-​steak. Then her husband Giulio comes around to talk meat. Both speak English quite well and don’t discriminate against tourists vs locals. In fact, we learned that even though most people spoke Italian in the restaurant, we estimate about half of them were still tourists. But it’s low season now. Who knows what happens during summer months. Ok back to the food …
Know what you want when you walk in — the food falls in a few categories: crostini/​bruschetta/​cheese & meat cold plates, pasta, steak, sides. It’s best to be prepared with an idea of what you want as you sit down. And of course everyone should get the steak which given other reviewers I won’t go into detail on but suffice to say definitely high quality and worth every dime and perhaps more importantly, every calorie. To be brutally honest, I have to say the steak Florentine I had in a pinchos bar in San Sebastian, Basque Country of Spain was probably more tender & equally flavorful so I won’t say best steak in my life but still a very good steak.
We weren’t hungry enough for pasta as a first corse but the sides were superb! They had fresh white truffles in season and OMG I was about to order a second of their cauliflower mash with white truffles except that I knew I couldn’t finish it all but I still wanted more! It was mashed to look like mashed potatoes but was ridiculously good! The spinach with butter thankfully had more taste of spinach than butter which could not be said about most restaurants in Tuscany. The salads leaves tasted what I’d call farm to table organic — slightly bitter, crunchy and fresh. Their table wine was also excellent and so affordable! They only have red, no whites (duh doesn’t go with steak) and expresso, no tea for example. What they do, they do well. But come here with an open mind of what you will be eating.
Oh and dessert — omg I think I died and went to heaven. This is what I’d imagine clouds to taste like if there was a grown up foodie version of the Willy Wonka candy factory — their marscspone, whipped cream and white truffles was a new discovery that might be one of my most memorable experiences on this Tuscany vacation. The only slight critique — probably could have used a dash more powdered sugar but the texture was still amazing!
You can count on me trying to replicate the cauliflower mash and this dessert though I’m already pretty sure I won’t get it spot on … But how could I resist trying?
Tips: make a reservation and get there on time, then go with the flow! And let it take you to a great place.

Wow. Just wow. We luckily made a reservation through our hotel and lucky we did. Our reservation was for 7:30. By 7:35, the place was full (fits about 40 people) of tourists and locals and they were turning people away. The restaurant is run by a couple where the wife runs the front and the husband does the steaks and cooking. If you order the steak (–land you definitely should), he comes to talk to you about the cut and how much you should get. The min cut is about 1.2 kg so come hungry. We ordered 2.5 kg for 4 people with 2 salads and spinach and the mashed cauliflower with truffle. The cauliflower was amazing. We wanted another but needed to finish the steak. We had steak florentine in 3 other cities during our trip and this place was definitely the best. I think it’s the seasoning. Their salt is perfectly sized for flavor. They also make their own grappa which was fantastic. Definitely a must when in Montepulciano.

This place was out of this world amazing. Let me preface by saying you must be somewhat adept at Italian culture to maneuver the restaurant, but the food is soooooo worth it. My husband and I ordered the most amazing chicken liver patté, pici with meat sauce, 1.3 kilo steak, and mascarpone spuma. Let’s discuss the steak. You pick how much you want, then rhe owners butchers it, brings it raw and explains the cut, then fires it for you. WOW!!! Talk about some amazing traditional service. Don’t miss this place, it’s once in a lifetime. Also, 85 euros for all that plus a kilo of wine? This place has a lifetime American customer.

The 1.6kg Fiorentina steak was a challenge to finish (a couple, sharing) but damn did it taste good! Great service too.

Muito bom!!! Bem barato (para o padrão que estavamos pagando em roma, sardenha e costa amalfitana) e a comida é mtooo boa! Gnochi com verdadeiro gosto de batata! Vinho da casa ótimo! Tudo
Perfeito!

best meal of my life.
bistecca alla fiorentina
pasta
house wine
everything was fantastic, prices were fair, and the owner was very helptul.

This place was so fun. Went with a group of 8 — since we’d been forewarned (by the menu posted outside the restaurant) of how big the servings of meat were. We shared one bistecca between 5 women and it was enough food — and delicious to boot. Having said that, I almost enjoyed the picci with ragu that I had as a primi as much. And what a nice surprise to find out how inexpensive it ended up being. I will definitely go back.

We came here because of the 5 star rating across the board. It did not disappoint!!! Although they mixed up our reservations, they still accommodated us. The owner personally cuts the meat for you and presents it to you before cooking it. DELICIOUS!!! We also had this GREAT amber beer that went well with the meal. A MUST stop if you’re in the area.

This was definitely the perfect meal, and I am so glad that it was my first meal upon my arrival in Tuscany. My sister made reservations for 10 people for lunch here, and it’s probably one of the best decisions she’s ever made in her life. It is also one of the most memorable meals of my life. Seriously.
Friendly owner, friendly staff, gorge décor, and delicious food. What more could a girl ask for? I can tell you that the T-​bone steak here is by far, the best steak I’ve ever had in my life. Cooked to perfection, seasoned to perfection. I almost didn’t want to stop eating. It wasn’t only the steak though, everything served to us was equally as amazing and I can’t find one negative thing to say about this establishment. Do order the pici with white truffle! Do order the tagliatelle with wild ragu! Those two pastas were such great compliments to the steak, and I would die to have the pici back at home in states. although that’s near impossible.
So, yes, if you ever decide to visit Siena or Montepulciano or any region of Tuscany that is close enough to Osteria Acquacheta, you must give this place a try.

Kleines Restaurant in der Nähe des Grande Plaza, wir hatten reserviert und binnen Sekunden war der Laden auch voll. Alles Essen war hervorragend, TBone sowie die Nudeln die Bruschetta und die Crème Caramel! Die Bedienung war freundlich und schnell und sprach auch englisch! Sehr authentischer Laden den ich wärmstens empfehlen kann!

One of the best food we had in italy if not the best. Anything on the menu is worth trying. Believe we tasted them all:) definitely reserve a table before going; without reservations you have a very very slim chance of finding a table. Friendly owners with great attitude only makes the experience a better one indeed.

Depuis que l’on connait ce resto, y aller fait partie de mon top 3 des raisons pour retourner en Toscane.
On choisit, à coup sûr, un logement dans les environs parce qu’il faudra au moins y aller deux fois. Une fois le midi pour les pâtes ou les suggestions et pour réserver pour un soir pour la Bisteccaaa.
D’abord, il y a le patron, un air sévère, peu accueillant… Ici, c’est un seul verre pour l’eau et le vin (sauf si on prend une bouteille) et puis c’est tout! Du thé après le repas? Hum, on est en Italie «no té» (par contre, le «cafè» est excellent). Il parle un peu «francese», il aime ça. Si vous faites l’effort de parler italien, il parlera français et là, pouf, un sourire s’échappe… Oups !
Chaque plat est parfait en tout ! En goût, en qualité, en quantité. Les pâtes sont faites maison et sont cuites parfaitement. A l’Osteria Acquacheta, on a la parfaite illustration de ce qu’est la gastronomie toscane. Des plats simples, des saveurs parfaites !
Au moment de l’addition, le boss arrive près de vous, retire son bic de sa queue de cheval et écrit «il conto» sur le set de table en papier. C’est à ce moment là que vos yeux restent incrédules… Vraiment bon marché en comparaison à la région et même en comparaison à «chez nous».
Mes conseils :
— En entrée, le jambon, le jambon, le jambon quoiqu’il arrive ! Il est sublime ! (Quand on le dit au patron, il vous répond «c’est normal, c’est le mien» haha)
— Les suggestions, parce qu’elles sont typiquement de la région et qu’elles sont magnifiques
— La Bistecca, le soir (sinon, on né bouge plus) et on se lache sur les «Contorni» un peu originaux comme le pecorino aux poires au four. Des accompagnements que nous n’aurez nulle part ailleurs et qui valent largement le détour !
— Venir le jeudi… Pourquoi? Parce qu’Anna fait le tiramisu le mercredi et qu’il est servi le jeudi. Bön, j’avoue, c’est à cause de lui (et de la Bistecca) que ce resto est dans mon top 3 ! Il est juste Par-​fait !
Alors, c’est quand qu’on y retourne?

I visit every time I am in Montepulciano. The food is great as well as the atmosphere. I like the family style seating. You get to meet people from all over the world. You can bring your own wine as well for a small fee of a few euros. Or just get the house wine which is great and cheap.

Great family style meal where you must make reservations. We met a lot of people while conversing over wine. The steak is the thing to get. Huge portions so go hungry. Also, they allow you to bring wine so I recommend this given their list is very minimal. One of the most memorable meals of my life, and I hope to return to this place one day.

We stayed in Montepulciano and I’m pretty sure this is one of the best steak restaurants in the area. First off, be sure to book a table in advance. You can call or email. Then arrive 10 – 15 minutes before your time and the hostess will start calling out reservation names to check if you are there. She will then start seating the people she’s checked off. Of course get the steak, there is no question about that. The question is, can you eat anything else? If you can, you should order a plate of pasta.
If you start to slow down from all of the meat consumption, they will gladly warm up your steak. You can bring your own wine or they have a few for you to select from. Enjoy!

There’s a reason that you need a reservation at Osteria Acquacheta, and it’s not the size of the restaurant. My husband and I had lunch here while visiting Montepulciano. The proprietors of the agriturismo we stayed at near Siena (who take food very seriously) highly recommended it. We were fortunate enough to get in, as it appeared pack throughout the lunch hours. We enjoyed the intimacy of the communal seating, and knew we had made the right choice when we realized how many natives were dining along side us. We began our meal with a bruschetta of cream cheese and handmade sausage. The texture of the cheese and sausage were a perfect match. The dish was salty, savory, and sweet. As other reviewers have mentioned, the steak Florentine is absolutely delectable. They achieve a crisp yet tender crust on the steak that seals in the moisture and flavor. It was the best meal we had in Tuscany. I just wish we could have gone back for dinner!

My husband and I ate here 10÷4÷13. It is a gastronomical experience. The grilled florentine steak is expertly prepared. The communal seating fosters a cameraderie amongst the guests that are visitors as well from other European countries, the United States and Australia on our night. If you love steak this has to be the best restaurant in Italy. But other main dishes are fabulous and the sides a perfect compliment to any meal. Manga!

One of the best meals and dining experience we had during our 2 week trip to Italy! We were so lucky to have gotten seats at this place without a reservation! The place is small and cozy with an open kitchen in the back where you can see «the man» hack up the meat you’ll be eating that evening. Butchered to order… just fantastic.
I can’t even remember all the food we had here… our party of 4 ate like pigs that night. Prociutto with melon, pears with cheese, pasta with veal sauce, another pasta dish with arugula pesto… all fabulous. Then there was the steak. The huge t-​bone for 2 that we devoured as soon as it hit our plates. The most memorable dessert was the fresh ricotta with chocolate sauce, although the panna cotta was delish as well.
The service was great, ambiance was of a family style, shoulder to shoulder, conversing with your neighbors kind of fun dining experience. If you’re ever in Tuscany, take the drive out to Montepulciano… it’s a small little charming town, and this restaurant alone is worth the drive. This place is a MUST.
This place was one of the cheapest meals we had as well. Such a bargain for all the food you get!

This has been my favorite meal so far in Italy, and I think it will remain that, even though we still have six days left. Since we were here in the off season, we were able to make reservations the night before. HOWEVER, during peak season, reservations are required up to month in advance.
I cannot recommend this restaurant strongly enough, and that is truly a grievous understatement.
They seemed to have two settings for lunch: 12:30 and 2:30. At 12:30 we were ushered inside. Four-​person tables are shared (there were only two of us) in keeping with an ancient tradition. They provided us with an English menu, handwritten on brown paper. Note pleasantly that though they do have a menu in English, this place is the farthest cry from touristy.
We went all out here, and it was worth every bite, every calorie, every second, and every centime. We started out with an aged pecorino adorned with walnuts and local honey, as well as liver crostini. Talk about a flavor explosion. Both of these appetizers were wonderful, but the cheese was exceptional. Forget ambrosia– THIS must be what the gods eat.
Our first course was ridiculous pasta that only cost six Euro each. For real? Yes, for real. I had pasta aglio e oglio, which was homemade egg tagliatelle coated in the most sublime olive oil you could ever imagine, with garlic sliced so thinly and roasted so perfectly that it looked and crunched like slivered almonds. I will never be able to ever have this replicated, and for that I am crushed.
Next? Our huge steak fiorentina. The owner, a grey-​haired man with crazy eyebrows, walked over to our table from the completely open kitchen, huge raw steak in tow. It has been sliced from the cow’s body (RIP Mr. Cow) seconds ago. He asks us if it looks «ok.» It looks like the best thing I have ever seen– two inches thick, perfectly ribboned, nearly still mooing.
As we enjoyed our second half-​liter of wine, the beast (Mr. Cow, not the owner) emerged again– this time sliced, slathered with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oozing ever still. The inside was cool and red, and the outside was perfectly seared. It was so tender that I barely needed a knife.
Dessert followed. I ordered truffle custard, which was exactly that: sweet, homemade custard with full slices of truffles camping out on top. Of course, it was paired with out-​of-​this-​world coffee.
I cannot believe the amount of joy I experienced with every bite. Each flavor was so deliberate, so electrifying, and so satisfying. This is an absolute must. If you are ever anywhere in Italy, you should travel far and wide for this.

Wow and Wow! This is the best steak I had in restaurant ever! Peter Luger’s in New York was my favorite place until now. My wife and I had a filet each as the T-​bone would have been over 4 pounds of meat. Meat is cooked rare but no blood as the dry aging is perfect here. Simple seasoning of some salt and pepper with olive oil. We had a caprise salad; a medium carafe of house wine which was quite good; garlic bread and a pasta dish made with tomato sauce and garlic all for 65 bucks and that included the tip! This is by far the best bargain for an amazing steak anywhere.
Ciao!
Mark

What a find!!! We had been here for lunch on a previous visit but wanted to come back for dinner and the famoso Bistecca Fiorentina!!!
There are two dinner seatings — 7:30 and 9:45pm. We had the 7:30.
After ordering, the chef comes out with a big ol’ t bone. In English, he explains he usually does 4 – 5 pounds for 3 people — and writes the cost on the place mat. We say yes!!! Soon after out comes a perfectly seared, rare bistecca fiorentina! The meat just melts in your mouth. I dont know if I’ve ever had a better steak. While the steaks are being served and eaten, you could hear a pin drop its so quiet!
Wine is available — but you can bring your own bottle for a 3 euro corkage.
If you are in the area — do not miss this place! And absolutely make a reservation!!!

Came with a group of 8 for lunch and called ahead for a reservation (a wise choice). It was packed, which is always a good sign.
Started with some pecorino cheese with truffles, and a baked pecorino and pear dish. Interesting pairing, but very tasty. We split three huge pasta plates, one with pici (local pasta) with wild boar sause (cinghiale), tagliatelle with mushrooms, and gnocchi zucchini pesto. All amazing. Very extensive standard menu, but also a long, hand-​written menu with specials of the day and seasonal fare.
Now, the steaks. As an American living in Italy, I generally avoid the Italian steaks because they are nearly always a) cut very thin, and b) overcooked and WAY overdone.
Not the case with this place. The steaks are huge, and when I say that I mean like 2 ½ — 3 inches thick and MASSIVE. They ask how many people are eating, cut the steak like 15 feet away in the open kicken, bring it back so you can see it, then they cook it. It’s cooked very rare (which is how I like it) and seasoned only with salt. I seriously did not think we’d finish what we had, but we managed.
Very cool ambiance and after eating and drinking ourselves stupid, the bill was 25 euro a person. Awesome.
We’ll definitely be back.

My husband and I were in Montepulciano March of 2012 for three nights. We ate at Osteria Acquacheta the first night we were there after reading a recommendation for the place in Rick Steves’ travel book. It was amazing! We loved it so much, in fact, that we went there again our last night. We stayed in Italy for two weeks, and consider this the best meal we had… by far!
Our waitress was a complete jewel and was patient with me as I tried to talk/​order in Italian. This place is known for it’s steak, the absolute best I’ve ever had. Our first night there we had bruschetta for our antipasta, we each ordered a primi, split a steak for our secondi (the steak was as big as my head), split a salad and then finished off with the best homemade tiramisu. When it comes time for the steak to be cooked, the owner comes over to the table and asks how big you want the cut. He then goes to the butcher’s block and cuts off a piece right in front of you with his gigantic cleaver! Then, he brings the raw meat over for you to inspect, then cooks it 7 mins on each side, leaving it rare in the middle (these steaks are really thick). The house wine is the local Nobile di Montepulciano and a Liter costs under 6E.
If you are going to be dining here over the weekend, you absolutely need to make reservations. In fact, I would recommend making reservations regardless of the time of your visit… you don’t want to miss out on this extraordinary meal!

Es war einmal im Toscana-​Urlaub letztes Jahr, als wir, erschöpft von der Trampelei, uns ein nettes Lokal mitten in der Altstadt von Montepulciano rauspickten. Wir bekamen Plätze inmitten des Lokals. Alle Gäste sitzen quasi an einem Tisch, nur kleine Lücken zwischen den Tischen, damit man noch ungehindert durch kommt, wurden gelassen. Dort findet sich alles, von der italinienischen Familie über Buisness-​Leute im Anzug bis hin zum typischen Japaner mit Kamera um den Hals, alle kommen im Acquacheta
zusammen um nur eins zu tun: Der Fleischeslust zu frönen.
Die Küche ist für jeden Gast gut einsehbar. Oben auf dem Podest steht ein riesiger Holzklotz auf dem ein ca. 50 kg T-​Bone-​Steak bereit für den Verzehr liegt. Kommt die Bestellung, geht der durchgeknallte Wirt zum Hackeklotz und hackt einem ein ca. 1,5 kg schweres Stück Fleisch herunter. Diese bringt er dann auf einem Pergamentpapier zum Tisch und sobald er die Lizenz zum Braten vom Gast bekommt, duftet es auch schon wieder herrlich im ganzen Lokal!
Wir waren mit dem Hauswein bestens bedient. Es gab Wachteln, hausgemachte Nudeln mit Lammgulasch ala Mamma, denn die kocht dort mit und serviert wurde alles von Familienmitgliedern des wahnwitzigen Wirtes.
Die Atmosphäre, das Essen, die Stimmung die dort von den Gästen und vom Gastgeber ausging waren perfekt und haben uns ein unvergessliches einmaliges Erlebnis beschert, von dem wir noch heute schwärmen.
Im Übrigen kommt der durchgeknallte Wirt direkt nach dem zarten, saftigen, knusprigen, frisch gebratenenen, riesigen T-​Bone-​Steak, als oberster Grund, da noch einmal hinzugehen. So herzlich, offen und ohne Allüren habe ich noch nie irgendwo gegessen!
Ein Erlebnis der Sonderklasse!!!

Ganz großes Kino!
Haben hier spontan mittags (ohne Reservierung) einen Platz ergattert & das Essen (& die Gäste) genossen!
Das Fleisch (völlig undeutsch! ;)) liegt im oberen Teil der Osteria offen & wartet auf eine Bestellung. Kommt diese, portioniert der Wirt die Bestellung & zeigt sie dem Gast. Gibt dieser sein Okay erhält er als Dank dafür kurze Zeit später ein unglaublich zartes, leckeres Stück Lebensmittel!
Die Suppen, Salate & was wir noch alles so hatten waren allesamt Klasse!
& die Rechnung ungemein klein.
Ist halt keine Touri-​Falle… ;)
Lecker — Hin!
Alternative Internetadresse:

Der Wirt ist zwar etwas durchgeknallt und auch das sonstige Personal eher speziell. Aber was an klassischen toskanischen Spezialitäten aus der offenen Küche an die langen Holztische kommt, ist einwandfrei. Unbedingt reservieren!