No.40 – Il Canto

Housed in a former Carthusian convent dating back to 1314, Il Canto (meaning the chant) is one of the few restaurants in Tuscany that offers non-regional experimental food. Tuscany is a traditionalistic place when it comes to food, and head chef Paolo Lopriore’s decision to offer non-native preparations like curry, wasabi and powered seaweed is a bold one. But it looks to have paid off. Lopriore has won international recognition for a bold and experimental cuisine grounded in the food of Italy but willing to play with non-Italian cooking techniques and ingredients. A salad of seaweeds, aromatic herbs and roots contains familiar Italian ingredients alongside Japanese ingredients, while a dish of veal sweetbreads, cod tripe and black cabbage served with peas, fava beans, and lime zest, is an example of a more traditional dish at Il Canto. The high-ceilinged dining room is unabashed Tuscan splendor with huge doors opening out onto the dining room, white curtains and gold-embossed tableware.