Restaurant in Scarperia, Italy
Worth the drive from Florence. Book it.
A three-time Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe listee in the Mugello hills north of Florence, Antica Osteria di Nandone delivers focused, technically consistent Tuscan cooking under chef Paolo Mugnai. Book ahead for weekend lunch or dinner — this is the strongest argument for leaving Florence if regional Italian craft matters more to you than tasting-menu formality. Rated 4.7 across 1,391 Google reviews.
If you're weighing a meal at a polished Florence trattoria against making the drive north to Scarperia, Antica Osteria di Nandone is the stronger argument for leaving the city. This is not a destination restaurant built on tasting menus and theatre — it is a working Tuscan osteria that has held a place on the Opinionated About Dining Casual Europe list for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025), landing at #100 in 2025. That kind of consistent recognition in a category judged on direct execution rather than innovation tells you something precise: the kitchen delivers, reliably, at the level that serious food travellers return for.
Chef Paolo Mugnai runs a tightly focused Tuscan programme, and the OAD ranking in the casual category signals that this is cooking evaluated against the leading regional trattorias in Europe — not against fine-dining peers. What earns repeated placement on that list is technical consistency in a tradition that punishes shortcuts: braised meats, handmade pasta, and the kind of stock-based sauces that take days to build. Tuscan cuisine at this level is unforgiving precisely because it is stripped of distraction. There are no elaborate garnishes to compensate for weak technique. A Google rating of 4.7 across 1,391 reviews confirms this is not a venue that coasts on regional charm alone.
For a special occasion dinner in Tuscany that does not require tasting-menu formality, this is one of the most credible options in the Mugello area. The experience sits in the register of a Sunday lunch at a serious Italian family table , not casual in the sense of low effort, but casual in the sense that the cooking is the point, not the performance around it.
Antica Osteria di Nandone is located at Via del Giogo 3, Scarperia e San Piero, in the Mugello valley north of Florence , a direct drive through Apennine foothills, and a natural stop if you are visiting the Mugello circuit or exploring the area around Borgo San Lorenzo. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. Lunch runs 12–2pm Wednesday through Sunday; dinner service runs 7–9pm Wednesday through Saturday, with no dinner on Sunday. If you are arriving from Florence for a weekend lunch, note that Sunday is your only option for a midday meal without competing against a weekday schedule , and it is the only day without an evening service, so plan accordingly.
No price range, website, or phone number is listed in the available data. The most reliable booking approach is to contact the restaurant directly. Given the OAD recognition and a 4.7 Google rating from over a thousand reviewers, walk-in availability at peak times should not be assumed. Booking ahead is advisable, particularly for Friday and Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch.
Quick reference: Wed–Sun lunch 12–2pm; Wed–Sat dinner 7–9pm; closed Mon–Tue; book ahead for weekends.
This works for a date or a small celebration where you want substance over spectacle , specifically, if the occasion calls for genuinely accomplished regional Italian cooking rather than a prix-fixe tasting format. It is not the right choice if you need a Florence city-centre address, if your group requires a venue with a confirmed English-language website and easy online booking, or if you are looking for a creative or modern Italian menu. For traditional Tuscan technique executed at a level that registers on European best-of lists, Scarperia is worth the detour.
Explore more options with our full Scarperia restaurants guide, or browse Scarperia hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences to plan the wider trip.
Smart casual is the right call. This is an OAD-listed osteria in a small Tuscan hill town, not a fine-dining room with a dress code. Clean, neat clothing that you would wear to a good neighbourhood restaurant in Florence is appropriate. There is no reason to over-dress, but arriving in beach or athletic wear would be out of place given the quality of the kitchen.
Lunch is the stronger choice for most visitors, and Sunday lunch in particular is worth targeting , it is the only session available on Sundays and it captures the unhurried midday rhythm that Tuscan regional cooking is built around. Dinner (Wed–Sat, 7–9pm) works well for a special occasion when you want the full evening, but the service window is tight at two hours, so arrive on time. If you are driving from Florence, a weekend lunch avoids both the Sunday dinner-closure and the weekday scheduling constraint.
No specific information on dietary accommodation is available in the current data. Tuscan cuisine is built around meat, pasta with eggs, and cured products, so options for vegetarians or those with significant dietary restrictions may be limited. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if this is a concern. With no listed website or phone number publicly available at this time, the most reliable route is to reach out via a booking platform or in person.
No specific menu data is available, so we are not going to invent dish names. What the OAD Casual Europe recognition does tell you: the kitchen is operating at a level where handmade pasta and slow-cooked Tuscan secondi are the focus. In a kitchen of this type and tradition, following the server's recommendations rather than asking for substitutions or off-menu adjustments will get you the leading version of the meal. Chef Paolo Mugnai's programme is rooted in the region , order with that in mind.
Yes, with the right expectations. Three consecutive years on the OAD Casual Europe list and a 4.7 Google rating from over 1,300 reviewers give you confidence in the quality. This is a good fit for a birthday, anniversary, or celebratory lunch where the occasion is leading marked by serious food in a genuinely local setting rather than a formal tasting-menu format. It is not the venue for a large group celebration or a business dinner requiring a private room , there is no confirmed private dining information available. For two to four guests marking an occasion with substance over ceremony, it makes a strong case.
For Tuscan regional cooking in the broader area, Caino in Montemerano and L'Asinello in Castelnuovo Berardenga are both serious Tuscan options worth comparing, though both involve longer drives. If you are willing to go to Florence, Enoteca Pinchiorri offers a dramatically different register , Italian-French fine dining at €€€€ , for occasions that call for more formality. For casual Tuscan at this quality level specifically in the Mugello corridor, Antica Osteria di Nandone does not have a direct local competitor with equivalent recognition.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antica Osteria di Nandone | Tuscan | Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #100 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #123 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #115 (2023) | Easy | — |
| Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler | Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dal Pescatore | Italian, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Enoteca Pinchiorri | Italian - French, Italian Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Enrico Bartolini | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Calandre | Progressive Italian, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Dress comfortably but neatly — this is a proper osteria, not a tourist trattoria, and it holds an OAD Top 100 casual Europe ranking. Think clean, relaxed clothes rather than formal wear. Jeans are fine; trainers are fine. You don't need a jacket.
Lunch is worth considering if you're making a day trip from Florence, since Sunday is the only day the kitchen opens at midday without an evening service. Wednesday through Saturday offers both slots, so dinner works if you're staying in the Mugello or continuing north. Practically speaking, a midweek lunch lets you combine the meal with the drive without eating into an evening.
There is no publicly confirmed dietary accommodation policy in the available venue data. For a tightly focused Tuscan kitchen like this one, call ahead — the menu is likely built around traditional Mugello ingredients, and substitutions may be limited. check the venue's official channels before booking if restrictions are significant.
No specific menu items are confirmed in the available data, so specific dish recommendations would be speculative. What the OAD Top 100 casual Europe ranking does confirm is that Chef Paolo Mugnai's Tuscan programme is being evaluated seriously by informed diners. Ask the kitchen what's in season when you arrive — that guidance will be more reliable than any static list.
Yes, provided the occasion suits an osteria format rather than a formal restaurant setting. The OAD casual Europe ranking — Top 100 in 2025 — signals cooking that holds up for a meaningful meal, and the Scarperia location adds a sense of occasion without the noise of Florence. It works well for a two-person celebration or a small group; it's not the format for a large party looking for ceremony.
There are no other venues in Scarperia with comparable recognition in the available data. If you want a formal Tuscan dining benchmark, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence is the reference point for the region, though the format, price, and scale are entirely different. For casual cooking at this level of seriousness elsewhere in Italy, Dal Pescatore in Lombardy draws similar OAD attention.
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