One of the delights of life when you rent a villa in Tuscany is the FOOD and what better way to explore the best AND most hidden restaurants in the region of your villas for rent in Tuscany than to know how to ask directions, as even the best sat navs send you into the sea instead of keeping you on track, here we share with you 3 of our favourite VERY hidden treasured restaurants near La Collina del Sole and a few useful phrases to use when you get there as restaurants in the mountain ranges near Holiday villas in Lucca do not necessarily have a menu in English, particularly if you are in the remote villages near Lucca Villa Rental the same is true of any remote villages near Villa rentals in Tuscany they might not have an English menu but Mamma Mia ! they will serve a fabulous home cooked meal. First up is Il Ponte di Ceserana, in Ponte di Ceserana a fabulous restaurant located at the point where you leave the main road to go to La Collina del Sole the closest gourmet meal you can get, to Lucca Villa rental their telephone number is 0583 66 20 05, they are WELL known for their fish menu on Friday lunchtime which is well priced and has FRESH fish and seafood caught that same morning in the sea 1.5 hours away. The Fish and Chips are elegant and delicious, although the cook Claudio comes from Ayr in Scotland and speaks English with a delightful Scottish accent, his wife Clementina does not so you will definitely the phrases I write of a bit further down.

Second super find is Locanda Belvedere Di Roberta e Clara just outside the town of Silico, 30 minutes drive from La Collina del Sole It is run by a family and has great home cooked food, with homemade pasta it has a concise menu of what is SUPER fresh that day it is well priced with tables out of doors. Telephone number is 0583 662173, phrases needed here.

Third HIDDEN secret is La Bettula in Alpi di Sant Antonio, their telephone number is 0583 760380. It is a very picturesque 1.5 hours drive into the mountain range from La Collina del Sole if you are going straight there …. however it is the drive and views of the hilly countryside getting there and back that make this day trip special. Good food phrase book ESSENTIAL here.

Our phrase format is English, Italian as it is written and then as it is pronounced if you have an English or American accent. Do you speak English? Parla Inglese? Par-la Een-glay-zay I don't understand Non capisco Non Ka-peesk-koh I'm sorry Mi dispiace Mee Dees-pee-at-chay Where is? Dov'é Doh-vey ...a restaurant un ristorante Oon Rees-toh-rahn-tey ...a casual restaurant una trattoria / un'osteria Oo-nah Trah-tor-rhee-ah / Oon Ohst-air-ee-ah I would like to reserve... Vorrei prenotare... Voar-ray Pray-note-ar-eh a table for two una tavola per due Oo-nah Tah-voal-lah Pair Doo-way I would like Vorrei... Voar-ray ...some (of) un pó (di) Oon poh (Dee) ...this questo Kway-sto ...that quello Kwel-loh and e Eh antipasto antipasto Ant-hee-phas-toh fresh pasta pasta fresca Phas-ta Fres-kha porcini mushrooms funghi porcini Foon-ghee Por-chee-neh truffles tartufi Tarh-tuh-fee Chicken Pollo Poh-loh Beef Manzo Mahn-zho Dessert / Sweet Dolce Dohl-chey ...a glass of un bicchiere di Oon Bee-key-yair-eh Dee ...fizzy water acqua gassata Ah-kwah Gah-saht-tah ...still water acqua non gassata Ah-kwah Non Gah-saht-tah ...red wine vino rosso Vee-noh Roh-sso ...white wine vino bianco Vee-noh Bee-ahn-koh ...beer birra Beer-ah The bill please Il conto, per favore Eel Coan-toh Pair Fah-voar-eh Is service included? É incluso il servizio? Ay Een-clou-so Eel Sair-veet-zee-yo Thank you Grazie Graht-zieh ENJOY !