the bridge over the small river, Osteria Candalla, Camaiore
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Osteria Candalla: Tuscan tradition, an old mill springs, waterfalls and banana trees

How four people with no restaurant background turned an old mill on the Tuscan hills into an inn with a cellar and cocktail bar, combining tradition and innovation

The restaurant set on a Nineteenth century mill

Osteria Candalla is a restaurant set in a Nineteenth century mill on the spring Lombricese, among the Camaiore hills. Located between the Apuan alps and the Ligurian sea, Camaiore is a town in the heart of Versilia, a part of Tuscany that stretches from the north-western province of Lucca to the southern part of Massa-Carrara. 

The mill housing Osteria Candalla was renovated and redeveloped in 2008, when Alessandro, Daniela, Massimo and Giulio decided to take a chance. With four different backgrounds; public relations, enology, commerce and architecture, they «had no experience in the restaurant world, but grasped the potential of the location and considered it worth a leap of faith. At first people thought we were crazy, but today you have to reserve a table a month in advance»

Osteria Candalla: a restaurant embedded in nature

Despite being two kilometers away from the center of Camaiore, Osteria Candalla is surrounded by nature, embedded in a wood among waterfalls, natural pools, hiking trails, ancient ruins and free-climbing walls. Still, hiking boots are not required to reach it. Open from spring to fall, Osteria Candalla has a varied clientele, which includes families, couples and young people: «We welcome a lot of foreign tourists, who come to Tuscany on holiday, but also Italians, who choose our territory for a weekend trip or just for a night out. For us the greatest compliment is to hear that even locals feel like they are on vacation when visiting us»

Osteria Candalla’s clientele can be divided into two groups: «People coming here for lunch usually wear casual clothing, suitable for a walk in nature, while those coming for dinner prefer evening outfits, to take advantage of a location that is romantic»

Inside, fireplaces and wooden furniture aim to create a warm and intimate atmosphere. Outside, tables are set on staggered covered terraces overlooking the spring and facing a banana plantation. While eating, guests can spot fishes, herons, sometimes even foxes. Every meal is accompanied by the croaking of frogs and cicadas and the sound of rushing water.

Osteria Candalla’s philosophy

Osteria in Italian means inn, but Osteria Candalla’s owners aimed at elevating this concept: «We wanted to create a place with an informal atmosphere, where nature reigns supreme, but at the same time to provide a refined experience which our guests would remember. We keep it simple, but also pay attention to every detail, with a clear thread linking the mise en place, the menu, the light. We want people to feel at ease». 

Osteria Candalla has about one hundred and thirty seats, but receives an average of three hundreds calls per day. It has been decided to offer two reservation schedules for dinner and keep a list of the unfulfilled requests. This is in order to arrange last-minute reservations in case of cancellations.

The kitchen: Tuscan flavors

Osteria Candalla’s kitchen uses raw materials from all over Tuscany. «For meat, cheese and cold cuts we turn to organic farms. For vegetables we source as much as possible at farmers’ markets». Since seasonal food is preferred, the menu can change from day to day. It always focuses on recipes of the local tradition. «We allow our chefs to revisit some traditional dishes in innovative ways, but others are kept faithful to the original. Since we call ourselves an inn, people expect to find simple, authentic and local cuisine».  Using local ingredients means that Osteria Candalla’s proposals are mostly land-based, the only exceptions may be trout and salted cod. Vegetarian options are always available and, upon requests, dishes suitable for vegans or celiacs can also be prepared.

Ever-present among the starters are cold cuts from the territory of Camaiore and cheese from northern Tuscany pastures. The first courses include homemade pasta, such as tortellini with sauce made of Cinta Senese and Chianina, two typical Tuscan types of meat, and testaroli, a triangular-shaped kind of pasta, with a pesto sauce invented by Osteria Candalla, made of pistachio, celery and citrus. Rice is cooked in different ways in accardance to the season: a classic in fall, for example, is risotto with local mushrooms. 

The protagonist of the second courses are meat. Cinta Senese and Chianina are Osteria Candalla’s flagships, along with other Tuscan specialties. This includes stewed wild boar, rabbit with plums, roasted piglet, Fassona tartare and the so-called Peposo, a beef stew with red wine originally from Florence. All the desserts are also homemade, with the possibility of ordering a selection of tartlets created by Osteria Candalla.

The cellar: a wine for every dish

Osteria Candalla has a sommelier, Eva, who assists guests in choosing the wines. Similar to the kitchen, the cellar focuses on local products. It includes about two hundred labels, sixty percent of which come from Tuscany. Over the years, Osteria Candalla has partnered with many Tuscan wineries, such as Terre del Marchesato, Villa Santo Stefano, Valle del Sole, Pieve Santo Stefano, Fabbrica di San Martino, Il Melograno. They deal with the local wine-makers directly.

The remaining forty percent of the labels come from every part of Italy, with a selection of French champagne from Burgundy. Osteria Candalla’s wine list features biodynamic wines. «We pay attention to natural wines and our sommelier Eva is always looking for new interesting products».

Banana’s River Bar

The banana plantation set in the front of the mill provides the location for a temporary bar, Banana’s River Bar. The bar was not opened alongside the restaurant, but at a later time. The intention was enhancing such an unusual place for the Tuscan hills, while at the same time giving people the possibility to wait for their tables. «There is a big difference between waiting standing at the door and seated, sipping a cocktail». The Banana’s River Bar is accessed through a rope bridge suspended on the spring Lombricese and is located on its bank. «You can have an aperitif with your feet in the water». To avoid the risk of flooding, the bar is set up and dismantled every day. 

At the beginning, the Banana’s River Bar offered only glasses of wine, but the owners decided to go beyond the concept of inn and add a cocktail list. It was created by a barman for Osteria Candalla. «Here you can always find the typical cocktails of the Italian aperitivo, but also more unconventional proposals, made with local ingredients. We wanted to distinguish ourselves». All the cocktails are accompanied by taralli and olives and served by candlelight. There is background music mixing with the sounds of the surrounding nature. 

Events at Osteria Candalla

Osteria Candalla is available for private events, with a variable number of seats depending on the season. During the warmer months the outside terraces can be used in case of rain. They are all provided with a wooden gazebo. Events hosted at Osteria Candalla include celebrations for anniversaries, birthdays, baptisms, holy communions, confirmations and especially weddings. «For such occasions, gangways can be mounted on the spring for an even more striking effect».

Osteria Candalla 

Via di Candalla, 264, 55041 Camaiore LU

Located among the hills two kilometers away from the town of Camaiore. Osteria Candalla is a restaurant serving traditional Tuscan cuisine in a renovated old mill with terraces overlooking a spring.

Debora Vitulano

The writer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article.

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