Restaurant in Chiusdino, Italy
Remote Tuscan dining that justifies the detour.
Saporium earned its 2024 Michelin star through precise, produce-led Tuscan cooking built almost entirely from the 100-hectare Borgo Santo Pietro estate. At €€€€, the combination of candlelit setting, estate wines, and a 1,300-label list makes it worth the remote Chiusdino drive — but book well ahead; hotel guests get priority and outside covers are limited.
If you can secure a table at Saporium, book it. This is one of the most compelling arguments for Tuscan fine dining outside of a city: a Michelin-starred restaurant set within Relais Borgo Santo Pietro, a 13th-century property in the hills of Chiusdino, where the kitchen draws almost entirely from its own 100-hectare estate. The combination of a serious wine list (over 1,300 labels), estate-grown produce, and cooking that reads as modern without feeling performative makes this worth the detour. The catch is logistics: Chiusdino is remote, the restaurant seats within a small property, and demand from both hotel guests and outside diners makes reservations genuinely difficult to secure. Plan well ahead.
Here is the booking intelligence you need first: if you are not staying at Borgo Santo Pietro, your window for a reservation is narrower than you might expect. Hotel guests get natural priority at a property this size, and outside diners are competing for a limited number of covers. Contact the restaurant directly as early as possible, well before your travel dates, and be specific about your preferred seating. The portico table in fine weather — a 13th-century outdoor terrace overlooking the estate garden and Valle Serena — requires advance request rather than assumption. If your dates are flexible, weekday bookings in shoulder season (late spring or early autumn) will give you the leading chance of availability.
The recent evolution worth knowing: Saporium was repositioned as Borgo Santo Pietro's flagship fine-dining restaurant, with executive chef Ariel Hagan shaping the culinary direction and resident chef Luca Ottogalli translating that vision into the daily menu. This is not a hotel restaurant coasting on its setting. The 2024 Michelin star signals that the kitchen has arrived at a level of technical consistency that places it among a small group of destination restaurants in southern Tuscany. The cuisine sits in the register of modern Tuscan: produce-led, precise in execution, seasonal in structure.
The estate is genuinely central to what you eat here, and that specificity is rare even at this price tier. Olive groves, vineyards, orchards, and a kitchen garden supply the kitchen with ingredients that have a measurable effect on the character of the cooking. Seasonal vegetables and herbs, estate-pressed olive oil, and fruit from the orchard all feed directly into the menu. When the kitchen uses cavolo nero sourced from its own garden alongside game from the surrounding region, the coherence between place and plate is not a marketing claim , it is the structure of the menu. Dishes such as saddle of hare with cavolo nero and pear illustrate how the kitchen builds around what the land produces rather than importing a style from elsewhere.
Setting does a great deal of work in establishing the mood before a dish arrives. Dinner in the interior dining room, lit by hundreds of candles, creates a warmth that most city fine-dining rooms cannot replicate by design. The decor is genuinely considered , old stone and refined furnishing rather than the kind of pastoral cliché that often accompanies rural Tuscan restaurants at lower price points. In warmer months, the shift to the open portico changes the register entirely: the garden, the valley beyond it, and the long Tuscan evening light become the backdrop. Both settings serve the same menu, but they are meaningfully different experiences. If your visit falls in summer or early autumn, the outdoor seating should be your priority.
Wine list at 1,300-plus labels is serious enough to reward a pre-dinner conversation with the sommelier rather than an autonomous browse. Among the options, Borgo Santo Pietro produces its own wines from the estate vineyards, including a Pinot Nero that has drawn favourable attention for its balance. Estate wine at a Michelin-starred table on the same property where the grapes are grown is a coherent and satisfying way to approach the pairing. That said, the broader list means that if your preference runs to established Tuscan producers or further afield, the depth is there.
At the €€€€ price point, Saporium is asking you to assess whether the overall package , setting, estate produce, wine depth, and cooking quality , justifies the spend for a single meal. Compared to city fine dining at equivalent prices, what you gain is a completeness of experience that a restaurant-only visit elsewhere cannot offer: the landscape, the estate, the candles, and food rooted in the ground immediately outside. What you trade is convenience and accessibility. For food and travel enthusiasts treating this as a destination in its own right , and ideally combining it with a stay at the property , the value calculation is clear. For a quick dinner stop on a road trip, the logistics may not be worth the effort without an overnight.
Chiusdino itself is a small medieval hill town in the Sienese province of southern Tuscany, and Saporium is the area's most decorated table. For context on what else the region offers, see our full Chiusdino restaurants guide, our full Chiusdino hotels guide, our full Chiusdino bars guide, our full Chiusdino wineries guide, and our full Chiusdino experiences guide. Within Tuscany, the restaurant most directly comparable in terms of regional produce focus and Michelin recognition is Caino in Montemerano. For a different take on Tuscan fine dining in a more accessible location, L'Asinello in Castelnuovo Berardenga is worth consideration.
Booking difficulty is high. Outside diners compete with hotel guests for limited covers. Reserve as far in advance as possible , weeks ahead is the minimum; months ahead is safer for weekend dates or peak season. If you want the portico table in summer, request it explicitly at the time of booking. A stay at Borgo Santo Pietro is the most reliable way to guarantee access.
| Detail | Saporium | Caino (Montemerano) | L'Asinello (Castelnuovo Berardenga) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Stars | 1 Star (2024) | 1 Star | Check current |
| Price Tier | €€€€ | €€€€ | Check current |
| Setting | Estate hotel, remote | Village, southern Maremma | Village, Chianti Senese |
| Booking Difficulty | Hard (hotel priority) | Moderate-Hard | Moderate |
| Leading For | Destination stay, romantic | Destination dining | Accessible Tuscan fine dining |
| Estate Produce | Yes , 100ha on-site | Regional focus | Regional focus |
Address: Località Palazzetto 110, Chiusdino, 53012, Italy
Getting there: Chiusdino is accessible by car from Siena (approximately 30km). Public transport options are limited; a car is the practical choice for this location.
At €€€€, yes , but specifically if you are treating it as a destination experience rather than a standalone dinner. The Michelin star (2024), the estate-sourced produce, the wine depth, and the setting together justify the spend in a way that few individual components would alone. If you are comparing it to a city fine-dining meal at the same price, the trade-off is convenience for completeness. For a comparable Tuscan spend, Caino in Montemerano offers similarly serious cooking with more accessible logistics.
The tasting menu format aligns well with what Saporium does: the kitchen's strength is seasonal, produce-led progression built around the estate's output, and that structure is better expressed across a sequence of courses than a single selection. The wine list depth (1,300+ labels, including estate wines) makes a pairing particularly coherent here. If tasting menus are not your format, check whether à la carte is available for your visit date before booking.
It is one of the better choices in southern Tuscany for exactly this purpose. The candlelit interior, the 13th-century portico in summer, the estate setting, and the Michelin-starred cooking combine in a way that works for anniversaries, significant birthdays, or a milestone trip. The setting does more than most restaurants at this price tier. For a special occasion that prioritises drama of setting above all else, few Tuscan restaurants at this level match it.
Dinner is the stronger choice, primarily for the candlelit interior, which is a genuine atmospheric differentiator. That said, lunch in summer , served under the 13th-century portico with the estate garden and Valle Serena visible , is a compelling alternative if the outdoor setting is your priority. The food and wine are the same; the experience differs by light and setting. If you are visiting in warm weather and want the outdoor portico, lunch gives you the full benefit of the landscape.
Smart casual is the practical guideline for a Michelin-starred restaurant at an upscale relais in rural Tuscany. No formal dress code is published, but the setting , candlelit dining room, refined estate interior , means you will feel most comfortable in clothes you would wear to an equivalent city fine-dining table. Avoid overly casual resort wear for dinner, particularly in the interior room.
No confirmed bar-dining option is available in the venue data. Saporium operates as a formal fine-dining restaurant within Borgo Santo Pietro. For informal dining or drinks in the area, see our full Chiusdino bars guide.
No confirmed group capacity or private dining data is available. Given that the restaurant operates within a small relais property where hotel guests have priority, large group bookings should be treated as a special request and arranged well in advance by contacting the property directly. For groups who want a Tuscan fine-dining experience with more confirmed group infrastructure, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence is worth considering.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saporium | Saporium is the new fine-dining restaurant at the superb Relais Borgo Santo Pietro, an old property where the internal decor demonstrates a rare elegance, especially in the evening when hundreds of candles provide soft lighting and a romantic ambience in the dining room. In fine weather, meals are served under an elegant 13C portico overlooking the garden, with the property’s 100ha grounds and the Valle Serena as a backdrop. Much of the produce used in the cuisine (designed by executive chef Ariel Hagan and transformed by resident chef Luca Ottogalli into modern, delicate dishes) comes from the hotel’s own olive groves, vineyards, orchards and vegetable gardens. The focus here is on seasonal ingredients from this extraordinary region – the saddle of hare with cavolo nero and pear is a perfect example! A whole host of wine-pairing options are possible thanks to a wine list featuring over 1 300 labels. We recommend trying one of the Borgo’s own wines, such as the harmonious and elegant Pinot Nero.; Saporium is the new fine-dining restaurant at the superb Relais Borgo Santo Pietro, an old property where the internal decor demonstrates a rare elegance, especially in the evening when hundreds of candles provide soft lighting and a romantic ambience in the dining room. In fine weather, meals are served under an elegant 13C portico overlooking the garden, with the property’s 100ha grounds and the Valle Serena as a backdrop. Much of the produce used in the cuisine (designed by executive chef Ariel Hagan and transformed by resident chef Luca Ottogalli into modern, delicate dishes) comes from the hotel’s own olive groves, vineyards, orchards and vegetable gardens. The focus here is on seasonal ingredients from this extraordinary region – the saddle of hare with cavolo nero and pear is a perfect example! A whole host of wine-pairing options are possible thanks to a wine list featuring over 1 300 labels. We recommend trying one of the Borgo’s own wines, such as the harmonious and elegant Pinot Nero.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | €€€€ | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria Francescana | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Quattro Passi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Reale | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Groups are possible but require early coordination, especially for outside diners competing with hotel guests for limited covers. The intimate setting at Borgo Santo Pietro suits smaller parties better — large groups should contact the property well in advance to check availability and whether private dining arrangements can be made. If your group is staying at the Relais, access improves considerably.
Saporium is a formal Michelin-starred dining room, not a bar-dining concept. The venue is structured around the main dining room and, in good weather, the 13th-century portico overlooking the garden. There is no indication of casual bar seating as an alternative entry point — plan for a full sit-down experience.
The candlelit dining room and historic setting at Borgo Santo Pietro signal a formal register — this is not a casual dinner. Err toward smart-formal: jacket for men is appropriate and fits the room's tone. The portico setting in warmer months is slightly more relaxed, but the Michelin-star context holds either way.
Dinner is the stronger experience here. Hundreds of candles light the dining room at night, creating an atmosphere the daytime setting cannot replicate. That said, lunch under the 13th-century portico with views across the Valle Serena and the estate's 100-hectare grounds is a genuinely different proposition — worth considering if you want to see the property in daylight.
Yes, and it's one of the more complete special-occasion setups in Tuscany at this price point. A Michelin star (2024), a candlelit historic dining room, estate-grown produce, and a wine list of over 1,300 labels give you the full package without needing to be in Florence or Siena. The remoteness of Chiusdino actually works in its favour for occasions where you want to feel removed from the ordinary.
At €€€€, Saporium is priced at the top of the Tuscan fine-dining range, but the value case is solid: a Michelin star, produce sourced directly from the estate's own olive groves, vineyards, and vegetable gardens, and a wine list that runs to more than 1,300 labels. Compared to paying similar prices in a city restaurant without the setting or provenance story, Saporium has the stronger argument — provided you are willing to make the drive to Chiusdino.
The tasting menu format aligns well with what Saporium does: seasonal, produce-driven dishes shaped by executive chef Ariel Hagan and executed by resident chef Luca Ottogalli, supported by a wine list of over 1,300 labels with estate wines available for pairing. If you are coming this far into the Sienese countryside at €€€€, committing to the full menu makes more sense than a shorter order — it's the format the kitchen is built around.
Location
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