La Chiusa, an 18-room boutique hotel in Tuscany with its own Michelin-star restaurant, has reopened following a renovation, it was announced by George and Linda Meyers.
The hilltop building dates back over 700 years to the 1300s when it was originally a watch tower. It was transformed into an olive oil mill in 1645, and later a hotel in 1978. The Meyers purchased the property in 2018 and renovated it prior to its current reopening. It is still surrounded by an olive grove with more than 900 trees which are used to make olive oil each year for use in the restaurant.
La Chiusa features 18 unique guest rooms (each with its own bathroom) ranging from a standard double priced at $128 per night, to a deluxe family room with terrace priced at $278 per night. All rates include a fresh buffet breakfast daily.
La Chiusa’s garden-to-table restaurant is now under the direction of new Executive Chef Allesandro Goracci, from Tuscany, who uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients to prepare each meal with recipes passed down from generation to generation. Specialties include pea soup, suckling pig, handmade pasta and bread, and the signature dessert, a black olive paste (made by soaking black olives in Scotch) and gelato sundae, topped with fresh crème, vanilla ice cream, pistachios, and a raspberry balsamic blend. Guests are welcome to stop into the kitchen during the day to enjoy a slice of fresh baked cake or a piece of cantucci (biscotti).
Travelers can also book private cooking classes which take place right in the hotel’s kitchen. Usually beginning at 10 a.m., the class ranges between two to three hours, is designed around a typical Tuscan meal, and is taught in English. It focuses on fresh, local, seasonal ingredients and features a four-course meal of antipasti (appetizer), primo piatto (first dish) of pasta, a second piatto (second dish) and a dolce (dessert). The pasta is handmade. Travelers who want a more intensive cooking experience can sign up for a week-long cooking experience headquartered at the hotel called Cook In Tuscany.
La Chiusa is centrally located in the Tuscany region with easy access to Pienza (12-minute drive), San Quirico (20-minute drive), Montalcino (35-minute drive), Siena (50-minute drive), Perugia (50-minute drive), Cortona (40-minute drive), and Montepulciano (20-minute drive). It is approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes from Florence.
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