Il Leccio, Montepulciano

Il Leccio is a rustic trattoria in Montepulciano, the elegant Renaissance hill town in the province of Siena celebrated for its noble red wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Set on the Costa del Municipio in the historic centre, the restaurant occupies a characterful space with stone walls and the warm, unhurried service typical of a good country trattoria, and it cooks the traditional dishes of the Montepulciano area to pair with the local wine. The menu is built on the hearty cooking of inland Tuscany: hand-rolled pici, the thick Sienese pasta, served with a rich meat ragu; roast pigeon, a classic of the local table; grilled and braised meats; Tuscan soups; and seasonal vegetables and cheeses. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the powerful Sangiovese-based red that has made the town famous, features strongly on the wine list and is the natural accompaniment to the robust dishes, with the trattoria offering a good range of local producers. The atmosphere is relaxed and authentic, suited to a leisurely meal after exploring Montepulciano's handsome streets, its grand central piazza and the historic cellars cut into the hillside beneath the town. Prices are moderate, in keeping with a regional trattoria rather than a fine-dining restaurant, and portions are generous. Il Leccio opens for lunch and dinner across most of the week, typically closing one day, and reservations are recommended given the town's popularity with wine tourists. Montepulciano is a highlight of any tour of southern Tuscany, and a meal at Il Leccio offers travellers an authentic taste of its cooking, where the local pici and roast pigeon are best enjoyed with a glass or bottle of Vino Nobile. For those touring the wine towns of the Siena countryside, it provides a genuine, well-priced trattoria experience rooted firmly in the food and wine traditions of Montepulciano, a satisfying counterpoint to a day spent visiting the cellars and admiring the Renaissance architecture of one of Tuscany's most appealing hill towns.