“Abandon hope all ye who enter, for you are now in the hands of a butcher.” This is the quote listed on the head of the menu at Officina Della Bistecca, located in Panzano in Tuscany’s Chianti region. A meat-themed restaurant located above the Antica Macelleria Cecchini butcher shop, vegans and vegetarians should not even attempt this eatery.
The carnivorous experience begins with a complimentary aperitivo in the butcher shop, with red wine, salami, Tuscan bread, lard spread and olives. Enjoy heavy metal and 80s and 90s rock music while taking in decor like hanging meat hooks, cow legs dangling from the ceiling and a statue of a cow with a man’s body.
Next, head upstairs to the restaurant for a set menu of meats and sides, which you can watch being grilled right before your eyes. For €50 Euros (about $67 USD) per person, the menu includes (in English):
- Beef tartar
- Seared rump carpaccio
- Bone-in rib eye or strip steak
- T-bone or porterhouse steak
- Raw garden vegetables
- Tuscan beans with olive oil
- Baked potato with Chianti “butter” (lard)
- Tuscan bread
- Bottled water
- Red wine
- Coffee
- Olive Oil Cake
- Grappa
- Italian Military spirits
Expect a laid-back, rowdy atmosphere, with loud talking, laughing, cow bell banging and meat-inspired speeches made by passionate butchers clutching rib eyes above their heads. It’s a great place to experience delicious Tuscan meats and nightlife while meeting friendly locals at the restaurant’s communal table.
Still unsure if you want to visit? The only question to ask yourself is “To beef or not to beef?,” (which you will definitely be asked by your server!).
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
