MAPPING TUSCANY

Chef Roberto Rossi at Michelin starred restaurant Silene in Seggiano If you ask my Tuscan native about memories of his best meal at restaurant Silene - the latest arrival among southern Tuscany's Michelin starred restaurants - he won't recite the dishes of an epicurean tasting menu but deliver the account of an epic football game right after his best friend's wedding lunch.  C hallenged by a group of local teenagers during a post wedding cake cigarette break, my Tuscan native and friends were  drunk and stuffed with Roberto Rossi's gourmet food, but must have managed to look smart nevertheless when entering the village's football pitch in their designer suits . Legend has it that team Armani managed to battle off the assault of the sober 17-year-olds, but seemed on the verge of a break down when o ne of the wedding guests summoned for a penalty had to excuse himself behind the goal post to throw up a mix of vintage Brunello, wedding cake and homemade tagl...

Whenever my brother and my sister-in-law visit with us, they go for a special treat, which normally consists of a ludicrously expensive fine dining experience in one of Tuscany's best restaurants. They say they do this wherever they go. I suspect they do it only in Tuscany - a sort of premium for having gotten through a holiday in the company of our over-excited children. By now I've learnt to take advantage of their foodie passion (or utter desperation) and send them every year on a new tasting mission to one of Tuscany's Michelin or Gault Millau temples.  This summer I recommended Da Caino, one out of four  restaurants in Tuscany , which have been honored with two Michelin stars.  A curvy drive from the southern Tuscan coast, Da Caino lies in Montemerano, a quiet hilltop town near the ancient Saturnia thermal baths . O nce a simple wine shop which also offered small bites to eat, the Michelin stars and fine dine critiques have been quick to arrive  since Valeri...

The real deal: Saturnia rock pools in Southern Tuscany The most famous and also the busiest of Tuscany's natural hot springs lie close to Montemerano in the southern tip of the region. Saturnia's wild pools even have their own facebook page   (with more than 6000 fans last time I've checked). Whilst Saturnia wasn't quite an insider's tip when I first soaked there in the 90s, it definitely has become even better known in the 21st century - at least to judge from the recent parking area and the outdoor coffee bar right on the footpath which leads down to the natural springs.  Saturnia's rock pools are popular for a reason. Quite apart of the history telling us about Etruscans bathing there and Romans giving the thermal bath its Saturnian name, the wild  Cascate del Mulino  (the waterfalls of the mill) are a stunning sight in the midst of a tranquil little valley. And the mineral properties of the warm water are supposed to sort out (or at least calm down)...

The isle of  Monte Cristo as a perfect backdrop for luxury hotel Andana, home of Alain Ducasse's Michelin starred Trattoria Toscana Tuscany's Michelin star count for 2013 looks similar to the one in 2012. As in the previous years the only three starred restaurant of the region remains ever-green Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. Whereas Southern Tuscany is still the Mekka for lovers of two starred Michelin restaurants: Massa Marittima's Bracali , Da Caino in Montemerano and Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole are all based in the region's south. The only exception to the rule is restaurant Arnolfo , which sports two Michelin stars in central Tuscany's Colle Val d'Elsa (30 minutes from Siena).  The only change in regard to Michelin stars handed out this year has been in the one star section. Comparing the 2012 and 2013 lists of Michelin starred restaurants in Tuscany, two establishments in Viareggio have lost their stars (or maybe closed their doors). However i...

Restaurant La Pineta at Marina di Bibbona beach  One of Italy's best seafood restaurants can be found on Tuscany's central coast, at the beach of Marina di Bibbona. Walking past La Pineta  it's easy to mistake the restaurant for a lovely but simple beach bar and deck chair rental place. A nd whilst you can still just visit La Pineta to rent an umbrella for your day at the beach, it would be foolish to miss out on the seafood treasures that are prepared in the restaurant's kitchen. We happened to be in the area for other reasons, but once we realized that we were standing in front of La Pineta we couldn't resist having a look. Timing was perfect, we opened the door shortly before 7pm. No clients around yet and the Michelin starred cook, who - judging from the frenzy in the kitchen - would have had better to do, generously took the time to show us around.  Luciano Zazzeri Proud owner and chef of Michelin starred restaurant  La Pineta

Michelin stars come and go. Connoisseurs say it's worse to lose a Michelin star than to never have received one in the first place. Considering these wise words, all the Michelin starred restaurants in Southern Tuscany are on the safe side: nobody lost a star. As last year La Pineta  and  Andana's Trattoria Toscana hold on tightly to one, Il Bracali , Il Pellicano and Da Caino to two stars. Nobody moved up, nobody moved down. Therefore the big (and positive) news this year are that there is a new entry. With the  2012 edition of the Michelin guide Southern Tuscany got a new Michelin star restaurant in Saturnia .

It's obvious, only the best Italian chefs make it onto the pages of the precious Michelin guide to Italy. Their top restaurants adorned with one ore two Michelin stars are yet another good reasons for a trip to Southern Tuscany, even if you happen to be based in Rome or Florence. The 2011 edition of the Michelin Guide to Italy includes five Michelin starred gourmet temples south of Siena.