The countryside is calling as the sunny season entices explorers out into the green outdoors. Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Tuscany is the perfect destination during your spring and summer meanderings. Surrounded by deep forests, rolling hills and quintessential gravel roads, the 1000-year-old castle offers a taste of the finer things in life with gourmet dining centred on local produce and the freshest picks from the on-site, all-organic vegetable gardens.
Fine dining at Tosca
Open for dinner six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) from 7 to 10pm, new fine-dining restaurant Tosca revolves around hyper-seasonal local produce. Guests can dine indoors in a relaxed and sophisticated ambience lined with rich Italian textiles and ancient stone walls or alfresco in the charming outdoor courtyard. Executive chef Daniele Sera and chef Michele Raggi have curated recipes that have evolved with time, climate and season, whilst retaining the signature dishes cherished by Tosca’s regular diners. The kitchen teams work hand in hand with the gardeners who nurture the vegetable gardens at Castello di Casole to bring farm-to-plate experiences and produce for optimum flavour and nutrition. House-made pasta and bread, estate-grown red wine, honey and olive oil, and an ever-changing series of vegetables, fruits and herbs are augmented by locally sourced meat and exceptional seafood from producers who emulate the kitchen’s philosophy. Plus, Tosca’s sommeliers are on hand to provide expert guidance when selecting from the cellar, which features the best Tuscan and Italian, local organic and biodynamic wines, as well as an excellent line-up of international labels and the Castello di Casole’s own red wine.
New for 2024, Tosca is serving three tasting menus:
I nostri classici, a five-course menu presenting timeless dishes such as cappellacci pasta filled with pappa al pomodoro, mozzarella and basil; and Lamb two ways with garden peas and Marsala Zabaione;
Io 360°: a seven-course menu celebrating meat, fish and garden-fresh produce with specialities like rabbit from Pistoia, pine nuts, black garlic and cacciatora sauce, and turbot, carrot and sorrel;
Espressione vegetale, a six-course menu enhancing seasonal vegetables featuring “Mescolanza”, mixed salad and vegetables from the Castello’s gardens; celeriac, onion brown stock and turnip greens.
Other culinary experiences at Castello di Casole
In a family-friendly atmosphere, Emporio del Castello offers a traditional Tuscan and Italian menu. Here guests can savour appetizers, first courses, pizzas baked in the 17th-century wood-fired oven, grilled meats and desserts.
Open for dinner all week in the low season, from 6.30 to 10pm
Recently launched, the Castello Grill is the place to indulge in delectable lunches and dinners by the pool, while soaking up the ravishing vistas of the valley. Guests can interact with the chef in his outdoor kitchen as he cooks succulent meats, fish, vegetables, salads, pizza and pasta.
Open noon to 3pm, 6.30 to 10pm
The panoramic Tosca Terrace is located in front of spellbinding views of the Tuscan hills. Menus celebrate Italian favourites crafted with homemade pasta, locally sourced meat and fish and garden-fresh produce.
Open every day at lunch during the summer months from 12 noon to 3pm
The Bar Visconti, with classic marble details, a frescoed wall and banquette-style seats, is the ultimate place for lunches, aperitivos or small bites known as “Fermini” during the evening.
Open every day, upon reservation, 12 noon to 3pm in low season. Aperitivo from 6pm. Small bites from 8pm.
Food + film experiences at Castello di Casole
Every Thursday throughout the summer, head to Castello di Casole for Green Thursday! From dawn to dusk, events will pay tribute to the environment and the nature surrounding the castle. Start the day with a tour of the vegetable garden, attend a sustainable cooking class (on request), enjoy green drinks made from herbs and rose petals, savour sunset yoga and end the day with a poolside family-style dinner based on vegetables picked in the on-site vegetable garden.
Don’t miss La Domenica del Villaggio every Sunday in May at Castello di Casole. Starting at 12.30pm, the castle’s courtyard comes alive with gourmet lovers. Food stations manned by local food artisans explain and serve their specialities, while the hotel’s chefs serve pasta, pizza, grilled meat and vegetables in a festival-style atmosphere. Families can make the most of the children’s entertainment with a babysitting service in the vegetable garden.
75 euro per person, drinks included; 50% off for kids under 12 years old
The Casole d’Elsa area has won awards for its clear night skies, which is why Castello di Casole is organizing Dinners under the Stars throughout the summer. Savour exquisite cuisine on June 10+17, July 1, 8, 22+29, August 12+19 and September 2+9 before taking part in stargazing sessions with the astronomical tourism network Astronomitaly.
135 euro per person, drinks excluded; 50% off for kids under 12 years old
Enjoy Cinema under the Stars on June 24, July 15, August 5 and 26 based on a theme linked to this year’s stirring artworks by renowned artist Daniel Buren, in partnership with Galleria Continua.
135 euro per person, drinks excluded; 50% off for kids under 12 years olds
