La Pineta - Mulazzo

Great to be back in Italy and the first night out is “La Pineta” for dinner. All the staff are so friendly and good fun. The antipasti is platters of crudo meats that are full of tastes and textures. Don’t be put off by the local speciality Lardo.... it is superb! Another platter has a variety of local dishes: herb tart, chestnut fritters, stuffed cabbage leaves to name but a few, so tasty. The Babe had ravioli alla Carolina, which was homemade pasta and a ragu/meat sauce. Cacciatore had braised or “slow cooked” wild boar that exploded with a range of tastes. This was accompanied with an excellent bottle of vino rosso Papale from Puglia, that was to die for. Needless to say we will be back.

Superb food, really innovative and traditional at the same time. One of the most varied menus I have encountered, and given that this is located in quite a remote area, their skill levels are fantastic, both in the kitchen and in terms of the lovely and very efficient waiting staff.

We got there not by choice. Our first two picks were wedding reception and closed, respectively. The hour was late and we had to just navigate the area, which is not easy. This is a tired hotel restaurant, which, I presume, mainly caters to people staying at the hotel. The menu is huge, and the restaurant likewise. I won't bother to comment on specific dishes. The overall impression was, drenched in oil, confused, and with little attention to detail. Little care, in fact. Buffet and package tourism comes to mind. The only redeeming aspect of the food was that although we ordered a la carte the final bill was rather contained. The sommelier did a fair job, and we had a rather good bottle of wine. Having travelled and eaten all over Italy, it bares to be mentioned that this is an area where you REALLY don't come to be blown away by the food. Nonetheless, this was the worst meal we had during our stay in Lunigiana.

Pulito e accogliente, anche se l'arredamento è un po' datato si sente molto accolto, il personale è molto cordiale e amichevole, la camera dove abbiamo soggiornato era grande e tranquillo, il letto molto confortevole. la colazione è molto buona e il ristorante ci ha permesso di avere una cena eccellente. La piscina è anche bella, immersa nel verde e molto rilassante. Non trovo niente da criticare!

In questo posto abbiamo mangiato bene con abbondanti porzioni, la sterilità dei persi