CiboToday has devoted an article to San Bernardo Restaurant in its Where to eat section, with a headline that moved us: “the rebirth of a mountain near Pisa”. Here is what it says, in short.
Three siblings who grew up on the mountain
Eva, Nico and Juri Poli grew up in Calci and always wanted to work together. In the article each has a role: Eva looks after marketing, communication, hospitality and events; Nico handles the wines and running the business; Juri, the youngest, is the chef.
In 2024 they were looking for a restaurant and found much more: an estate with a restaurant, a bed & breakfast and thirty hectares of land, right on the mountain where they were born. As Eva tells it, it was a chance to build something of their own and at the same time restore a place they were attached to.
Thirty hectares to restore
When the siblings arrived, the estate had been closed for about six years. The road was overgrown and part of the land still bore the marks of the 2018 fires. The first job was clearing the outdoor spaces, mostly by hand, and that work is still going on.
The property includes about three hectares of olive grove, with 600 trees: that is where San Bernardo olive oil comes from. The orchard has been restored too, and its fruit goes into the kitchen. The biodynamic vegetable garden started last year was destroyed by wild boar, and growing is on hold for now.
The Hermitage of San Bernardo, open again
Next to the restaurant stands the Hermitage of San Bernardo, a small stone church that had long been closed to visitors. The siblings cleaned it up and gave it back to the community.
The restaurant: 30 covers and grandparents' cooking
The restaurant is intimate: two small dining rooms, about 30 covers, a simple Tuscan style that keeps the character of the old farmhouse. The olive-wood tables were made by the siblings' father, a carpenter.
In the kitchen is Juri Poli, 26, with experience in Italian and international restaurants, including DaGorini and De Librije, and training at ALMA, the international school of Italian cuisine in Parma. The starting point is family dishes, taken up and reinterpreted without losing the link with the original recipes.
CiboToday gives two examples. The stewed rabbit comes from grandma Luciana's recipe: she cooked it without tomato and served it boned, and Juri pairs it with Jerusalem artichoke cream, fermented salted lemon and herbs. The chestnuts from the estate's chestnut grove, grilled and marinated in red wine as grandpa used to do, go into the venison tortello with reduced cream and bay leaf.
The next chapter: the bed & breakfast
About five minutes from the restaurant, still within the property, the bed & breakfast is taking shape: 4 rooms and an apartment among the olive trees, overlooking the valley. Opening is planned for summer 2027.
Read the full article
This is only a summary: the full article (in Italian), with all the dishes on the autumn menu, is on CiboToday. You will find the other articles about us in our press page.