Lowengrube

It’s not easy to find a good place to pick up some non-​Italian food in Tuscany, especially outside of Florence city but Lowengrube is excellent for when you’re in the mood for some good Bavarian ambience and dining! It’s strange location in the industrial zone of Limite, a tiny town not far from Empoli, doesn’t change the fact that it’s a favorite with locals and is always jam-​packed on weekends. If you don’t book on a Friday or Saturday evening, you are almost sure to get turned away at the door. The menu is almost completely Bavarian complete with several sausage platter combinations, goulasche, roasted/​grilled meats, pretzels along with hamburgers and some (but not many) pasta dishes and pizzas. The beer menu is exhaustive, unfortunately I’m not a beer fan but the friends that I’ve gone with are always happy with the selection. I’ve been several times including last night and they had some Oktoberfest brews available. The place is reminiscent of German restaurants, completely in wood and the servers are all dressed in traditional Bavarian garb. I’ve tried the sausages/​hot-​dogs which are are excellent and usually served with a large pretzel, cabbage salad (they call it «crauti» which implies sauerkraut but it’s not sauerkraut but rather just thinly sliced raw cabbage) and potatoes. My favorite dish is the goulasche, hearty and filling. The service is good, the waiters are all young and friendly (not necessarily common in Italy) and there’re quick in the kitchen. If you’re not into packed places with crowds of young people, then avoid the weekends. During weeknights it’s much better and a good family restaurant as it also has a little kinder room with some toys for the little ones. The bathrooms are also clean which is a big plus. All in all for Italy I’d say this place is excellent! It’s definitely where I go when I’m craving something different from the usual Italian meal!