Vegan Agrivilla I Pini, Tuscany

I stayed at I Pini at the end of April and had a wonderful time! Where to start? The food was incredible—definitely opt for the half board. You’ll be served a healthful and varied breakfast every morning plus multi-course dinner every night. The menu is always changing and is based on the food grown in the on-site garden or what can be locally sourced. Everything is plant-based, gluten-free, and delicious. In addition to the meals, my mom and I did the olive grove picnic (an add-on) which I highly recommend. One of my favorite experiences from any vacation ever. We had a beautiful assortment of food and drinks in the middle of I Pini’s olive grove (they make their own olive oil and wine by the way). I could continue to rave about the food, but I’ll move onto the scenery. It’s what you picture when you think of Tuscany. Absolutely gorgeous views and you can walk into the town of San Gimignano, an old fortress city. The community at I Pini was also great. My mom and I met a lot of nice people during our stay and the meals turned into conversations with other guests. Overall, I’d highly recommend and hope to go back soon!

If you are looking for a luxury hotel, do not come to Agrivilla I Pini; rooms are extremely sparse (but not in a shabby chic design way), the water is not drinkable (and no water or glasses are provided in room), and bathrooms are poorly designed with showers and sinks spraying water everywhere, and walls that are in desperate need of a clean. If you are looking for a vegan destination which interprets Tuscan food without animal products and without gluten, do not come to Agrivilla I Pini: you will be served a selection of vegan dishes that give vegan cooking a bad name, with little flavour and very weak links to Tuscan food. The menu is overly complex and as others have noted, would be much stronger if they just leaned into the local cuisine, which is why many people flock to the region in the first place. If you are looking for a hotel that is well and truly ensconced in the quiet Tuscan countryside, do not come to Agrivilla I Pini; your hotel room may likely look onto a cluster of 5/6 story apartments in the distance (not pictured on the website). The owners and people who work here are super kind and love what they do - that is a true highlight of the place. however as other reviewers have noted, the price/value ratio for this place is way off and due to that, travellers expecting an experience that is on par with the price of accommodation may be sorely disappointed. What is intended to be ecological awareness comes across as stinginess disguised as environmental sustainability.