The best restaurants with pools in Tuscany
Summer in Tuscany can be seriously hot. Have you ever considered the combination of an excellent meal and a cooling dip? There are many Tuscan restaurants offering this exact combination.
Some have packaged eat and swim deals, others have swimming pools by the ocean with loungers and parasols. In each and every one of our selected addresses, you can taste the most delicious, light dishes, perfect for the summer heat. Plus, if you're feeling adventurous you can try some of the natural pools such as the one outside Osteria Candalla in Camaiore (Lucca).
Here are nine great restaurants where you can also take a refreshing dip in a swimming pool.
Il Merlo, Versilia
The Ariston beach club in Lucca's Lido di Camaiore is the biggest beach club in Versilia and one of the oldest; it was also the retreat of choice for Italian poet Gabriele d’Annunzio. Here, comfort is at your fingertips, and there's a seawater pool and excellent food led by chef Angelo Torcigliani. “We offer an array of dishes,” he says, “but the true king is the fish from the Tyrrenian sea, oven-baked, pan fried or ‘all’acqua pazza’.” We recommend the spaghetti with fish fillets and the risotto au gratin with prawns and curry.
Address: Viale Sergio Bernardini, 660, 55041 Camaiore LU
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Bambaissa, Versilia
In Forte dei Marmi, Bambaissa – the restaurant of Augustus Beach Club – has few rivals. It's the place to be in Versilia. 2022 has seen the arrival of Roman chef Giovanni Giammarino, a former orchestra director and who now directs kitchens. “My goal is exalting the prime quality ingredients I use,” he tells us. “I use them to create recipes in the Mediterranean tradition, but with a modern take”. Don’t miss the squid, stuffed with dried-tomatoes pesto, and sea bream ceviche with orange and tosazu vinegar. Also, Omaggio a Marchesi – Gualtiero Marchesi’s recipe of cold spaghetti with lemon and caviar, to which almonds soaked in sparkling water for 24 hours are frozen, dried, and turned into a homogeneous foam in the Pacojet. You can book a tent to spend the afternoon on the beach or in the swimming pool.
Address: Viale della Repubblica, 3, 55042 Forte dei Marmi LU, Italy
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Osteria Candalla, Camaiore
At Osteria Candalla the pools are 100 per cent natural. It occupies an old mill on a stream which still flows in the middle of the restaurant, between the dining and aperitivo areas, linked by a bridge. A few steps away you can find natural pools and small waterfalls in which you can swim – but not before trying the marvellous food. One of the owners, Giulio Luccio, tells us, “We follow the Tuscan tradition: tordelli camaioresi (homemade ravioli) with a bolognaise made with Cinta Senese and Chianina minced meat; testaroli (traditional homemade pasta) with our pistachio, celery, basil and citrus fruit pesto; Cinta Senese buttera (caramelized, slow-cooked pork ribs) and Parisi egg (an exceptionally white egg) with truffle and Parmigiano fondue.” The menu can change daily and is based on seasonal availability, but the puddings and homemade pastries are always a good bet. After indulging this much, make sure to gradually ease into the water.
Address: Via di Candalla, 264, 55041 Camaiore LU, Italy
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Diadema Restaurant, Impruneta
Here they offer an eat and swim package starting at £54, so you can combine a dip with lunch or dinner. Relais Villa Olmo is a quaint boutique hotel in the Tuscan countryside near Florence. Chef Alessio Leporatti does his rendition of a Tuscan bistrot using the produce from the local vegetable garden and other farm-to-table ingredients. “Before a refreshing dip in the water, you need a light first course like pasta with three different tomato varieties: San Marzano, red and yellow grape tomatoes, and dried tomatoes.” For supper, the menu dons its evening dress with homemade pasta stuffed with perdrix, dressed in butter and rosemary, and pigeon with chocolate and berries.
Address: Via Imprunetana per Tavarnuzze, 19, 50023 Impruneta FI, Italy
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Marco SolariLe Forbici, Livorno
This charming wellness retreat in Rosignano Marittimo includes an infinity seawater pool overlooking the sea, whirlpool tubs, and spa treatments but then there’s the food. In the words of Sicilian chef Giuseppe Rizzuto, “We have a menu with fresh homemade pasta including ravioli with swordfish and lime, and fusilli with egg and octopus, olives and capers. Then, of course, there’s the frittura (fried fish), seabream and tuna tataki.” To satisfy the sweet tooth, order the cheesecake with vanilla ice cream.
Address: Via Aurelia, 1097A, 57016 Rosignano Marittimo LI, Italy
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Mariva Dune, San Vincenzo
A resort by Riva degli Etruschi in San Vincenzo, Mariva Dune offers guests a beautiful swimming pool surrounded by the Mediterranean sea and a delicious selection of seafood dishes. You can reserve a private place for £67, which gives you access to the swimming pool and the dreamiest lunch spot. Marketing manager Vieri Mantelli explains that the food & beverage offer of Riva degli Etruschi is focused on “telling the tale of their territory”, adding that “we have a vegetable garden and work only with local producers.” Try the spaghetti with clams, mussels, garlic, olive oil and chili pepper, or linguine Mariva with octopus, squid, cuttlefish, scampi, prawns and mussels. “We grow our own spelt,” he says, “and we cook it with lemon and prawns, green apple and ricotta. We also produce our own olive oil and red and white wine, called Marittimo.”
Address: Via della Principessa, 118, 57027 San Vincenzo LI, Italy
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Paspalum, Follonica
Located in Mira Riva Toscana Golf Resort and Spa, the restaurant is open to non-guests who are free to take a dip in the pool after lunch. Headed by chef Marco Capra, who has been doing this job since the age of 15, Paspalum focuses on four elements: sustainability, seafood, meat and tradition. Before diving in the pool, order the light Niçoise salad with tuna cooked at low temperature and follow up with the spaghetti with clams, squid ink risotto with cuttlefish, or fresh tuna with mussel sauce and parsley bread.
Address: Strada Provinciale 152 Km 47,87, 58022 Follonica GR, Italy
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La Tana del Pirata, Marina di Castagneto Carducci
Between the pine groves and the sea in Marina di Castagneto Carducci, not far from the hills of Bolgheri, you’ll find La Tana del Pirata. This beach club has a spectacular pool and an excellent restaurant. People come here just for the food, but the swimming pool is very inviting (£50 for a lounger and parasol) and true bon viveurs can book extra spa treatments. In the kitchen, chef Stefania Gilardelli tells us, “It’s simple really, I care about the quality of my ingredients. I prefer not to alter the genuine taste of prime ingredients with dubious experiments.” Try the linguine with scampi, red prawns, squash blossoms and mullet bottarga (from Cabras, obviously), Catalana (the real crustacean salad, “without fruit”) and seabream with carrot purée and grilled leek. And for pudding, order the chocolate flan.
Address: Via Milano, 17, 57022 Marina di Castagneto Carducci LI, Italy
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Le Tegole Resort, Riparbella
You feel like you are in a rural Tuscan village at Le Tegole, which is nestled on the rolling hills of Riparbella. We recommend booking in advance so you can get a table and a spot by the swimming pool. The food is simple and authentic, serving both fish and meat with the highlight being the risotto with squid and prawns, but the pappardelle with wild boar, from the nearby game reserve is also a must try. Among the fish courses, try the branzino all’isolana (seabass with potatoes, cherry tomatoes and olives).
Address: Podere Le tegole - Località Le Tegole, 56046 Riparbella PI, Italy
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